My Plymouth - Port Vale Preview

Quote :

Hi, I'm Josh, 16 years of age and have been supporting Argyle all my life. I love it, even when the times get rough. That's what real football is all about. Real fans, all together, singing together and uniting together. You'll struggle to find fans more proud of their clubs than at Plymouth Argyle.

After a slow start to the season, Argyle are now kicking on and are just 5 points of the players, it all seems like last season was such a long time ago now. New additions to the team, the most notable including Luke McCormick, Neal Trotman, Lewis Alessandra and now a man who I have no doubt is one of the best players in this league. Jason Banton.

At the start of the season Sheridan himself said play-offs at a minimum. Unfortunately though the start wasn't great, home game losses against Fleetwood and Wycombe losing 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. The team looked dis-organised, out of sorts and passionless. A 3-1 defeat to arch rivals Exeter just summed up how the team was doing. All to familiar for Argyle, signings not fitting in, losing games, scrappy and poor football.

As the final whistle at Exeter went, we found ourselves 12 points behind them, and they sat nicely up alongside the top teams in the League. However, since then, our fortunes have.. Changed slightly. Beaten only twice in the last 16 games, we are in a very good spell with many contributing. A fairly large part of this has come down to just a few players. Andres Gurrieri in for the utterly useless Rommy Boco was step 1, just a shame it took so long. Next, was 17 year old Ben Purrington. A left back, in to replace the three men who had tried and failed to fill that spot during the season so far. 4 appearances, 2 assists and 1 goal, he is slotting in nicely. Fierce and brave, you'd think he'd been playing League football for years.

Coupled with the improved Lewis Alessandra, and the now constant goals with Reuben Reid, things started to look much rosier, and - now recalled but at the time on loan - striker Caolan Lavery was a huge boost to the team. Everyone slotted in together. Highlights of recent times include the thrashing of Lincoln 5-0 and the defeat of second in the table Oxford. As well as this, the fightback against you was one of the most memorable games in recent years.

We now sit a point above Exeter. Impressive? Damn right!

Credit has to go to Sheridan for his improvement of the team. Many called for his head during the poor run, and I'll be the first to admit I was one of them, things just seemed too familiar. Yet, so much has changed since then, the team play well together, look solid at the back but now always dangerous going forward. I'm very happy, things are looking bright for The Pilgrims at the moment!

The board and other off field activities I have little opinion of, it's not something that really bothers me all that much. One thing I will say though, is that they provided the support and funds for Sheridan to bring Banton back, our first transfer in 4 years and our first during the Brent-era!

I don't actually know a horrendous amount about Port Vale, one of the few I do know a bit about is Tom Pope, great goalscorer and shares the exact same full name as my brother (fun fact there)! All I remember is at the same point last year, we went to Vale and lost 4-0. This season, we play very well but find ourselves 2-0 down somehow at half time. No longer though should you write the Argyle off, we know how to fight back! I love FA Cup games, and it's a real classic.. If perhaps not a big name tie!

My prediction for the game is an Argyle win, 2-0. Reid and Alessandra to score. We're in good form and I really would hope we'd win at our ground, a place which is quickly becoming our fortress. We've scored 8 goals in two FA Cup games, and even though you're better than us.. Afraid I just can't look past us on this one!

Good luck, this is the team I expect us to play:

Cole, Blanchard, Trotman, Nelson, Purrington, Gurrieri, Blizzard, Hourihane (C), Thomas, Alessandra and Reid.

  

Thank god for media studies A levels eh?

Mock Cuncher wrote:

Quote :

Hi, I'm Josh, 16 years of age and have been supporting Argyle all my life. I love it, even when the times get rough. That's what real football is all about. Real fans, all together, singing together and uniting together. You'll struggle to find fans more proud of their clubs than at Plymouth Argyle.

After a slow start to the season, Argyle are now kicking on and are just 5 points of the players, it all seems like last season was such a long time ago now. New additions to the team, the most notable including Luke McCormick, Neal Trotman, Lewis Alessandra and now a man who I have no doubt is one of the best players in this league. Jason Banton.

At the start of the season Sheridan himself said play-offs at a minimum. Unfortunately though the start wasn't great, home game losses against Fleetwood and Wycombe losing 2-0 and 3-0 respectively. The team looked dis-organised, out of sorts and passionless. A 3-1 defeat to arch rivals Exeter just summed up how the team was doing. All to familiar for Argyle, signings not fitting in, losing games, scrappy and poor football.

As the final whistle at Exeter went, we found ourselves 12 points behind them, and they sat nicely up alongside the top teams in the League. However, since then, our fortunes have.. Changed slightly. Beaten only twice in the last 16 games, we are in a very good spell with many contributing. A fairly large part of this has come down to just a few players. Andres Gurrieri in for the utterly useless Rommy Boco was step 1, just a shame it took so long. Next, was 17 year old Ben Purrington. A left back, in to replace the three men who had tried and failed to fill that spot during the season so far. 4 appearances, 2 assists and 1 goal, he is slotting in nicely. Fierce and brave, you'd think he'd been playing League football for years.

Coupled with the improved Lewis Alessandra, and the now constant goals with Reuben Reid, things started to look much rosier, and - now recalled but at the time on loan - striker Caolan Lavery was a huge boost to the team. Everyone slotted in together. Highlights of recent times include the thrashing of Lincoln 5-0 and the defeat of second in the table Oxford. As well as this, the fightback against you was one of the most memorable games in recent years.

We now sit a point above Exeter. Impressive? Damn right!

Credit has to go to Sheridan for his improvement of the team. Many called for his head during the poor run, and I'll be the first to admit I was one of them, things just seemed too familiar. Yet, so much has changed since then, the team play well together, look solid at the back but now always dangerous going forward. I'm very happy, things are looking bright for The Pilgrims at the moment!

The board and other off field activities I have little opinion of, it's not something that really bothers me all that much. One thing I will say though, is that they provided the support and funds for Sheridan to bring Banton back, our first transfer in 4 years and our first during the Brent-era!

I don't actually know a horrendous amount about Port Vale, one of the few I do know a bit about is Tom Pope, great goalscorer and shares the exact same full name as my brother (fun fact there)! All I remember is at the same point last year, we went to Vale and lost 4-0. This season, we play very well but find ourselves 2-0 down somehow at half time. No longer though should you write the Argyle off, we know how to fight back! I love FA Cup games, and it's a real classic.. If perhaps not a big name tie!

My prediction for the game is an Argyle win, 2-0. Reid and Alessandra to score. We're in good form and I really would hope we'd win at our ground, a place which is quickly becoming our fortress. We've scored 8 goals in two FA Cup games, and even though you're better than us.. Afraid I just can't look past us on this one!

Good luck, this is the team I expect us to play:

Cole, Blanchard, Trotman, Nelson, Purrington, Gurrieri, Blizzard, Hourihane (C), Thomas, Alessandra and Reid.

  

Embarrassing   

The moon is made of cheese, honest.