Fortunes Collide for Plymouth Argyle and John Sheridan

Very good read

Posted By Lloyd at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]



It’s a well worn cliché that the period over Christmas and New Year is a crucial one for professional football clubs in England. With 5 games played in the space of just two weeks, it can define a season.

Sadly for Plymouth Argyle supporters, 2012-13’s festive fortnight was abysmal. Having picked up just 2 points from the 15 available, the Pilgrims now find themselves in the League Two relegation places.

That it’s come as no surprise whatsoever to the vast majority of fans is perhaps the most frustrating thing about this particular pickle. Despite surviving relegation last term, the Pilgrims looked hopelessly fragile throughout Carl Fletcher’s tenure – whose shortcomings as a manager were plain and painful to see – and opposition to his continued employment had of late developed into a kind of mass hysteria on the messageboards.

Yes, it was accepted that we’d been in administration only a year previous; that Fletcher had steered the club to safety last term; that we were lucky to still have a Football League club to watch; and that he was by all means a good guy. But by the time the board finally made their decision to cast a tearful Fletcher aside on New Year’s Day the fact is that we were once again going backwards on the pitch.

Having had to endure Fletcher’s questionable recruitment, team selection and tactics and the resulting poor results for some 16 months, morale is now as low as it’s been amongst supporters.

Not only has it been a torrid few months results-wise, either. The lack of progress off the field – in terms of establishing a robust infrastructure behind the scenes; facilitating engagement between club and supporters and developing a greater level of transparency – has stalled to the point that the fanbase now appears divided between those who remain resolutely behind and those who are beginning to question the intentions of the board of directors.

Last week the gloom lifted for a short time, however, when it was suggested that Keith Hill might be in the frame to replace Fletcher. Greeted as a panacea to all our problems, here was a well respected former player who – by some stroke of luck – was potentially available following his dismissal at Barnsley. A real Championship Manager, who’d performed a minor miracle at Rochdale, shoestring and all, and who was apparently saying nice things about us. He liked to play football the proper way and was the just the type who’d rouse our thousands of stay-away fans from their armchairs.

But just as those on the messageboards – at each others’ throats for months if not years – came together in agreement as to the way forward, the board went and picked someone else, John Sheridan, on what is thought to be a short-term contract until the end of the season.

Leaked by the press late on Friday afternoon, Sheridan’s appointment was initially met with what can at best be described as a mixed reaction. He wasn’t on – as one commentator termed it – the original alleged list of ‘likely lads’, made up of Hill and those merry-go-rounders such as Phil Brown, Kevin Blackwell and Colin Lee, so supporters hadn’t had the chance to contemplate the appointment. What’s more, some recounted how the previous encounter with Sheridan hadn’t been a positive one, the son of Stretford having brawled with club hero David Friio during a feisty game against Oldham at Home Park back in 2003.

Perhaps most importantly, he wasn’t Keith Hill, who – despite a torrid record at Barnsley– many had pinned all their hopes on.

But over this past weekend, as the dust has settled and as rumours have circulated concerning Hill’s apparent unavailability – for a combination of reasons – any supporter with a sense of reason must be wondering whether this might, in fact, be a pretty neat move for all concerned.

Acknowledging that the other names – most particularly Phil Brown – would have represented the same kind of lack of imagination shown by so many Football League boards; that fellow applicant Kevin Blackwell apparently interviewed particularly poorly; and that Sheridan actually has a strong record at this level – winning the division two season ago with Chesterfield – some might even venture to say that Argyle have done well to attract him.

Indeed, with next to no budget available for new signings, poor training facilities, a demotivated squad to pick from and a fairly demanding set of supporters watching his every move, it would have been a far from attractive proposition for prospective managers of any standing.

But, having resigned from his position at Chesterfield earlier this season under mysterious circumstances, and having been sacked by Oldham – his employers previous to the Spireites – following a forgettable night at the dogs in 2009, Sheridan’s name and reputation is perhaps as tainted as the club he is joining, suggesting that he needs this appointment to work out as much as his new club does.

While there are significant differences in the circumstances and a comparison is facile, parallels do exist between now and October 2000, when Paul Sturrock took over at Argyle – then at a similarly low ebb and struggling badly in the fourth tier – after having earlier resigned at Dundee United just two games into the season. After sweeping the club clean of dirt and residue, eight years of upward mobility followed. Argyle fans must now hope that Sheridan is similarly handy when it comes to using a broom.

he's no sturrock thats for sure, (except for the drinking, maybe) but i hope he proves me wrong

Team = Worst Argyle team ever

Fletcher = Worst Argyle Manager ever

Mr Brent = Worst Argyle owner ever

That's a pretty fair assessment of things I'd say. At least if Sheridan fails the fans can scream that they wanted Hill as manager and the board are incompetent halfwits. Let's hope the fans are wrong on this occasion.

I've not given Brent any praise that I can think of since he arrived, fawning is not in my nature and I decided early on to question everything that he did and I would wait for improvements before declaring him the new messiah. However we may have turned a corner, yes this appointment is about six months too late but Brent IMO has made the right one, a realistic one, let's hope that he backs Sheridan now. We have a few winnable games in the next few weeks lets hope come February we will be back to the giddy heights of 19th or 20th, god it's enough to make you weep isn't it?

Just a thought (happens now and again), if we stay up will we (the supporters) be happy to give Sheridan a new contract if say one of the so called preferred candidates (namely Hill) becomes available in the summer?
Will it come down to the the manner in which we avoid relegation, i.e end up third from bottom or mid table.
Just asking as of what happened over the previous year and whether people would be willing to give Sheridan a pre-season or not based on the final position
I hope he does well (as most, if not all, supporters do) but I expect there will still be some who would like to have their favoured choice in place

Going from previous experience of Mr Brent, if Sheridan keeps us up he'll be offered another year no matter who's available to manage Argyle.

That may be right, but what I was interested in was what the supporters, in general, would be happy with

mcfry wrote:

That may be right, but what I was interested in was what the supporters, in general, would be happy with

See how the team plays and the results they get first.

Who's to say we won't make a run for the last playoff place!

If Sheridan keeps us up he deserves the chance to have a clear out at the end of the season and get in his own squad.

I don't think you can exaggerate how utterly shit the squad Fletcher has left behind, so the task facing Sheridan is every bit as difficult as staying up last season was, only there are far fewer games for Sheridan to tuen the clubs form around.

He might have been given the go ahead for 3 or 4 new faces maximum, and that might depend on him being able to ship a couple out. Who is going to want anyone except Bhasera and maybe Tyler Harvey?

The article says that the overwhelming majority of fans wanted Keith Hill and are disappointed, but how often do the fans get the appointment they want?

Personally I'm far happier with Sheridan than Blackwell, no surprise to me that he failed to impress in the interview, and I don't believe anyone wanted Colin Lee.

Whether John Sheridan is the long term future of the club I'm not sure because I don't see him having a patient strategy, backed up by Chesterfield fans saying he likes to buy his way out of trouble.

If we do stay up and Sheridan is given the opportunity to start from scratch, having Gary Owers more involved could be a bonus as he will know any promising youngsters coming through, and for the remainder of this season there are a fair few players in the first team that he will have worked with extensively already.

It might just be an inspired piece of recruitment whether it was by accident or he was always a front runner and luckily Morecambe on Saturday isn't the toughest start he could've faced.

One thing I'm sure he'll be able to do is improve the squads confidence which has to be at rock bottom after Fletcher's chopping and changing and bewildering tactics and substitutions, which might just be enough to keep our heads above water seeing as there a group of 5 or 6 teams scrapping away with 2 to go down.

Apart from a few obvious contenders for the chop I'm not sure how many of the squad have to go. For me it was the organisation of the side, the tactics, the endless chopping & changing that was so damaging.

The mid-field needs sorting and, more importantly the attack needs sorting. I shall be intrigued to see what changes in personnel Sheridan will bring about.

I would try anything to get rid of Feeney and Chadwick, although Dickbrains suspension makes that almost impossible, and one or two of the youngsters who seem to have stalled.

Anything to get in a couple of players who know what they're doing.

Hourihane and Young doesn't work in the middle and Wotton is so slow he's practically another defender.

Lennox and Gurrieri both have very brief spells where they look ok but I can't see them both playing a massive part in our run-in.

If clearing a couple of these meant an extra new face I think it would be well worth it.

I'd keep both Young & Hourihane for the future. I think they both have been exposed to front-line duties too early and have suffered from that. They need an experienced pro in the middle with them to learn from & to take the pressure off them.

I'd lose Chadwick, Feeney and probably Lennox, Gurrieri. In the short term (like to the end of the season) Wotton might be a good squad player. I'd like to see what Griifiths could do if played in a side that gives him good service before he's written off as a failed experiment. Sadly, ATD's Robbie Williams might have to go too (unless he starts scoring again).

I have never seen what others have seen in Bhasera. I've never seen him stamp any consistent authority on the game. He seems to drift in and out. Must be me! If other clubs are really interested in him, let him go and use any fee, releasing of salary to bring someone permanent in.

I would probably keep Wotton ( unless he is on Purse type wages) and Williams for the simple reason we need to exploit dead ball opportunities and it's a long time since we have done that. Baz I like going forward and would keep if we could, if it comes down to a goal scorer or Baz then obviously Baz goes. Hourihane I would keep for the simple fact he will chip in with a couple of goals and I like Knect blame the tactics and training more than the complete lack of ability of some of the young players. Young I would keep as I think he's a decent player.

This is also a good listen on the same subject (18 mins 40 secs in): [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I'm sure we all hope it goes well, but still can't help thinking we gave Fletcher a go after his stint the season before and look what we ended up with. I'm reasonably happy to give Sheridan the option if we stay up, but is this going to be the thing to expect in the future for the managerial position, as this seems to be the way that football is heading.
Will we ever have a manager for say 5 or more seasons?
I know if successful its a possibility (unless poached) but will time be given for someone to build up the infrastructure for the long term, meaning we could be in this division for another 2 or 3 seasons (after this one)?
sorry for the pessimistic outlook but after the previous years (and football in general as a business) I fail to see any other

As long as we are improving through those seasons I will be happy, five years of getting worse every season has got to end, anyone that thinks this season has been a success if we stay up needs their head looking at, this has been a complete waste of a budget and a whole year of the fans time.

this is drivel of the highest order.

thinking back,

sturrock in 2000 inherited a squad capable of better, he had the likes of o'sullivan, stonebridge, mc gregor, beswetherwick & wotton at least - not forgeting the likes of fleming, peake, leadbetter ?, too - they were MUCH better than the position he found them in.

this side has no leader, no goalscorer & no experienced player over 25 who is any good!