Torquay are favorites

According to our manager!

I think that sums up PAFC very well at the moment.

Its Luggy Mk2 all over again. If the manager says we're crap and will struggle the players will believe it too.

Where has the manager said we are crap and will struggle? I don't see how Torquay cannot be considered anything other than favourites to be fair with a team that finished well ahead of us last year, which has begun this season better and has home advantage. Having said that it is still a sorry state of affairs and shows where we currently are.

Torquay are a shade of odds on, 10/11 and we are generally 3-1. Now I have been known to get my fingers burnt, but Torquay are definitely not as good as last year and we can hardly be anything but better than last year so a bet on us is tempting, but the draw at around 5-2 interests me much more.

Other interesting bets could be Alex Macdonald first scorer with Corals at 14-1 which is way way too big and I'm off to Corals later to have a few quid on that, and our very own Robbie Williams is 25-1 with Paddy Power and on a RVP type scoring run at the moment but seriously he could well pop up with a free-kick or penalty if Wotton isn't on the pitch.

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cant wait for this one,,,,off to the new grandstand,think we can do this one so i to am gona popin to ladbrokes before the cider kicks in,,,correct score yellows 0 greens 2,,dont know the odds just yet?

These are the odds at Ladbrokes-

Argo 2-0 18/1

TCM to be pissed by noon 1/10

TCM to score with a pensioner EVENS

TCM to break in and spend the night in Living Coasts with a penguin 6/1

I am going to predict we will get something out of the game i.e a draw, based on current form, squad quality and injuries.
Have to say I was dismayed but not surprised at Fletchers pre match rallying call to the troops he has no idea of how to say, "it's a new season, we have every chance of winning this game and we will be going at them from the start". Good old Argo, at least I'm never disappointed!

Chemical Ali wrote:

Its Luggy Mk2 all over again. If the manager says we're crap and will struggle the players will believe it too.

Or it could be Luggy Mk1 all over again. He played down our chances then two and we did very well. It can be useful, it can not be.

Torquay are favourites, there's no doubting that.

Can you imagine Ian Holloway saying that,can you hell.He would be have been motivating the team all week,getting them ready for this one.

i can imagine olly saying anything you wanted him to if the price was right,

I've settled for draw halftime/ draw fulltime at 4-1, the draw at 5-2 and Macdonald 1st goalscorer at 14-1.

Completely unacceptable under any circumstances for Argyle ever to be underdogs to f***ing torquay. The bastards who brought Argyle to its knees and indeed who are continuing to keep the club down must hang their heads in utter shame.

If Fletch is consistent in one thing, it's stating the bloody obvious.

I spoke to Torquay's assistant manager's Dad earlier and they are still struggling with injuries with about 7 players out- their squad only has 22 players!

Can't really see what is so controvertial in saying Torquay are favourites. Everything says they should be and the bookies clearly agree. It would be a bit bizaar if Fletcher had said we were. Probably better however if he hadn't commented at all.

tcm wrote:

i can imagine olly saying anything you wanted him to if the price was right,

Gee, if only we could have the old days back. Stapleton lofting his scarf saying "look at me, a REAL fan"... nah bored of this already

Freathy wrote:

Completely unacceptable under any circumstances for Argyle ever to be underdogs to f***ing torquay.

It's the continuance of that delusion that continues to hold your club back.

Have any of you who have played football ever gone into a match saying to yourself "we are favourites, therefore we must win"? If you have it is a dangerous game to play and one of the most significant difficulties Torquay face for this game is that they are almost certainly without either Damon Lathrope or Craig Easton the two players in the club who best play the holding role just in front of the defence that Martin Ling is so fond of.

The absence of Danny Stevens all season has led to young Niall Thompson getting the chance to show what he can do in that role and on his debut against Rochdale he put in a man of the match performance.

Now hope that your team and management aren't living in the past on former ideals as you are, and you might one day stand a chance in League 2, because to succeed in it you need to be a good League 2 club, not a knackered old former Championship club.

Don't be silly Merse, it's nothing to do with fans delusion, it's about a manager that is talking his team down in preparation of an excuse for what maybe a poor performance and a further loss of points.

It's not good for the moral of fans, it doesn't help "any" business and it certainly is not inspirational for the players!

GreenSam wrote:

Chemical Ali wrote:

Its Luggy Mk2 all over again. If the manager says we're crap and will struggle the players will believe it too.

Or it could be Luggy Mk1 all over again. He played down our chances then two and we did very well. It can be useful, it can not be.

Torquay are favourites, there's no doubting that.

I actually think Luggy has a habit of trying to play down important games and then the team not succeeding.

Luton vs. Plymouth: Luggy played down this game against big fat Joe and we produced our worst performance of the season.

Pompey vs. Saints: In his first south coast derby once again Luggly played it down as just another game for 3 points - lost 2-0

In both games his team were accused of not being set up correctly and lacking the passion that the other team had.

It is one of Luggy's few faults in my opinion.

GOB wrote:

it's nothing to do with fans delusion, it's about a manager that is talking his team down in preparation of an excuse for what maybe a poor performance and a further loss of points. It's not good for the moral of fans, it doesn't help "any" business and it certainly is not inspirational for the players!

Martin Ling:
“It is the first time in 11 years that all three Devon clubs have been in the same league and there will be no hiding place on Saturday.
I played in Devon derbies between 1982 and 1986, and they were big then. They are still big now and it’s funny when you look at where the clubs have been over the last 30 years. Exeter and Torquay have both been in the Conference, while Plymouth have been as high as the top of the Championship and looking to reach the Premier League.!

All of a sudden we’re in the same league and fighting to be top dog in Devon. Now is a real chance for Torquay to end up top of the pile and if we do that, I believe we’ll be in the top seven.
The games we played against them (Plymouth) last season are forgotten and once that whistle goes on Saturday, it’s a Devon derby, which will be blood and thunder. There will be a tempo to the game and the players will be up for it. We have always been regarded as the smallest Devon club and that’s not changed in terms of attendances, but I feel we are the small fish making a lot of noise."

Carl Fletcher:
"It should be a great atmosphere with a full house there. We are all excited about tomorrow. It's great for the area and we are looking forward to the game. We are going into it as underdogs really. Torquay got to the play-offs last season and they have got some good players."

Modern day football is all about having a game plan, sticking to it and not becoming distracted from the job in hand, leave it to the fans to go garrity and close your mind to the objective.

So where is there anything from Fletcher that reflects badly on the team or expectations of Plymouth Argyle? He's simply being realistic just as Ling is. It's a few delusionists who see their club as some sort of "Glasgow Ranger of the South West" who are making all the fuss about this statement ~ and look what happened to Rangers!

Nick Wall wrote:

GreenSam wrote:

Chemical Ali wrote:

Its Luggy Mk2 all over again. If the manager says we're crap and will struggle the players will believe it too.

Or it could be Luggy Mk1 all over again. He played down our chances then two and we did very well. It can be useful, it can not be.

Torquay are favourites, there's no doubting that.

I actually think Luggy has a habit of trying to play down important games and then the team not succeeding.

Luton vs. Plymouth: Luggy played down this game against big fat Joe and we produced our worst performance of the season.

Pompey vs. Saints: In his first south coast derby once again Luggly played it down as just another game for 3 points - lost 2-0

In both games his team were accused of not being set up correctly and lacking the passion that the other team had.

It is one of Luggy's few faults in my opinion.

Argyle at QPR, 1st v 2nd.

Thumped 3-0.

Luggy was better at the grind of the little games, the nondescript away days, etc, fore shore.

Torquay used to be the Argyle donkey sanctury where we'd send our old clapped-out players. Now we're going there as underdogs to be torn inside out by their vastly superior team and manager. This is not right. Not right at all.

merse wrote:

GOB wrote:

it's nothing to do with fans delusion, it's about a manager that is talking his team down in preparation of an excuse for what maybe a poor performance and a further loss of points. It's not good for the moral of fans, it doesn't help "any" business and it certainly is not inspirational for the players!

Martin Ling:
“It is the first time in 11 years that all three Devon clubs have been in the same league and there will be no hiding place on Saturday.
I played in Devon derbies between 1982 and 1986, and they were big then. They are still big now and it’s funny when you look at where the clubs have been over the last 30 years. Exeter and Torquay have both been in the Conference, while Plymouth have been as high as the top of the Championship and looking to reach the Premier League.!

All of a sudden we’re in the same league and fighting to be top dog in Devon. Now is a real chance for Torquay to end up top of the pile and if we do that, I believe we’ll be in the top seven.
The games we played against them (Plymouth) last season are forgotten and once that whistle goes on Saturday, it’s a Devon derby, which will be blood and thunder. There will be a tempo to the game and the players will be up for it. We have always been regarded as the smallest Devon club and that’s not changed in terms of attendances, but I feel we are the small fish making a lot of noise."

Carl Fletcher:
"It should be a great atmosphere with a full house there. We are all excited about tomorrow. It's great for the area and we are looking forward to the game. We are going into it as underdogs really. Torquay got to the play-offs last season and they have got some good players."

Modern day football is all about having a game plan, sticking to it and not becoming distracted from the job in hand, leave it to the fans to go garrity and close your mind to the objective.

So where is there anything from Fletcher that reflects badly on the team or expectations of Plymouth Argyle? He's simply being realistic just as Ling is. It's a few delusionists who see their club as some sort of "Glasgow Ranger of the South West" who are making all the fuss about this statement ~ and look what happened to Rangers!

I don 't think so Merse, I think you just have a huge chip on your shoulder that reminds of the view that the Scots have towards England. I suppose it's understandable considering that historically Argyle have been a greater success then your own club Torquay and even at Argyle's lowest moments Argyle have retained a greater audience which to many is the fundamental building blocks that is considered as being more successful.

Don't allow that to shade your view though Merse, this really isn't about Torquay being better in any way even though the facts may well indicate that you are, it's about a manager indirectly talking down his team to talk up his job.

"We are going into it as underdogs really. Torquay got to the play-offs last season and they have got some good players."

Nobody would argue with the factual content Merse, but moral and team spirit isn't built on fact.

GOB wrote:

I don 't think so Merse, I think you just have a huge chip on your shoulder that reminds of the view that the Scots have towards England.

Chip? You're 'avin' a giraffe matey!

To have one of those would require a jealousy which I have never possessed when looking at Plymouth Argyle. All I see when I look at them is a hugely underachieving club with a miserable bunch of supporters who don't seem to look on football as the fun I find it to be.

Carry on in your delusion that bigger is better if that rescues some form of justification for your assumptions.

Hugely looking forward to this match with a smile on my face and not getting in a two and eight over something our manager has said.