Bury, Saturday 28 February 2015.

Reuben will play on Saturday.


Quote from manager

Reuben hasn't trained all week but he'll train on Friday and be fine for Saturday

No news on Mellor, missing from the bench last week.

Update


Full bench this weekend

Quote

Jason Banton and Tyler Harvey are both available for selection after recovering from hamstring and dead leg injuries. Kelvin Mellor has also recovered from the illness which prevented him from being a substitute against Exeter.

Bad new

DEFENDER Peter Hartley has revealed he does not remember much about Argyle’s 3-1 Devon derby win away to Exeter City last Saturday.

Hartley took painkillers before the game at St James’ Park because of the recurrence of a hip injury in the warm-up and he admitted that left him dazed.


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We only need nine men and a stoned defender.

Just back from Derriford and on the roundabout side was a banner advertising Saturday game

Tgwu wrote:

Update


Full bench this weekend

Quote

Jason Banton and Tyler Harvey are both available for selection after recovering from hamstring and dead leg injuries. Kelvin Mellor has also recovered from the illness which prevented him from being a substitute against Exeter.

Bad new

DEFENDER Peter Hartley has revealed he does not remember much about Argyle’s 3-1 Devon derby win away to Exeter City last Saturday.

Hartley took painkillers before the game at St James’ Park because of the recurrence of a hip injury in the warm-up and he admitted that left him dazed.


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Hope his hip has cleared because although once in a blue moon taking a Jab to get through a game is ok prolonged can have lasting effects and do more harm then good.

Im in two minds whether im going tomorrow atm. May leave it till later tonight to decided before the ticket price jacks up.

Looking on the tickets sells it is much better then the last home match at this time.

I'm anticipating a Nil Nil.

i would like to know why the club has increased online transaction charges from £1 to £2.50 in the space of 4 hours.

oh it sees now the deadline for purchasing tickets for usual prices before they increase in price eg £20 to £22 from midnight before a game to 1500 the day before.

unless there is a system error i dont recall the club announcing any changes does anyone else?

spowell92 wrote:

I'm anticipating a Nil Nil.

Yup,

Deffo a draw..nailed on.

Match officials

FRED GRAHAM Andrew Bennett and Richard Martin Fourth Official Paul Rees

Team should show one change


23 McCormick
16 McHugh
5 Nelson
29 Hartley
13 Tareiq Holmes-Dennis
17 Reid
4. Cox
27 Talbot
19 O'Connor
7 Alessandra
9 Reid R

Weather will not help the attendance heavy rain

Dry until 5pm, nick it 2-1, att 7,504.

Same team other than Norburn in for Lee.

Who will make up the bench?

Iggy wrote:

We only need nine men and a stoned defender.

post of the week for me - take a bow.
0 - 0 for me

X Isle wrote:

GreenSam wrote:

....

It's certainly a must-not-lose game if not a must win one.

This. Of course we want to win it, we should be aiming for the top three in this vein of form. However a draw keeps them below us and wouldn't be a disaster.

What concerns me more however is the age old 'typical Argo' factor.

On good form?, off the back of a double over 'them up the road'?, a (relatively - it is league 2) big and significant game?, with probably a good few more on the gate?.....

.....Argo usually f**k those sort of games up

Historical achilles heel duly reinforced.

X Isle wrote:

X Isle wrote:

GreenSam wrote:

....

It's certainly a must-not-lose game if not a must win one.

This. Of course we want to win it, we should be aiming for the top three in this vein of form. However a draw keeps them below us and wouldn't be a disaster.

What concerns me more however is the age old 'typical Argo' factor.

On good form?, off the back of a double over 'them up the road'?, a (relatively - it is league 2) big and significant game?, with probably a good few more on the gate?.....

.....Argo usually f**k those sort of games up  

Historical achilles heel duly reinforced.

So then, for all you "must not lose" types, Argyles season is now over, yeah?

'No I fought it was a tight game. Nuffin between the teams uhhhhhhhhh Fortunately for us fought it was an evenly matched I don't fink we really got going first half but I fought we created as many chances, what chances there were first half as did Bury but then I fought we started the second half.............................' Same old, same old Shez

All this bollox and Avivas in 'We beat Exeter' t shirts in the tent............. ffs !

Low grade and village. The only people in the muff not able to see through the reluctant one. Blinded by their hour in the spotlight. Buckit !

Not a bad performance at all really. I've seen us play worse and win a few times. Mainly our previous two home games, in fact. I came away from that seeing a spirited performance, without our best striker, against the best side to have come down here in about 3 years or more which could still easily have gone either way. I'm not always known for positivity. I had many people telling me to stop moaning on twitter during our poor run of games. I'm not deluded or a green tint- however that doesn't mean I'm one to fly off the handle every time we lost. We had Ryan Brunt up front who is at very best an impact sub for energy and nuisance value. He's never an effective starter and he just isn't a good footballer. It's a crude way of saying it but I think it's true. He just can't get the ball to do anything whilst using his feet, bar the very rare occasion. His hold up play is average and his passing is abominable. Today he wasn't even an especially good target for out balls which he usually is. Basically, with one non-footballer in the side, one big individual error from THD being to blame for their goal and against a team who played better stuff than more or less any other team who've come here in the League Two era...I don't think we should be too ashamed of ourselves today. Yes, the bigger picture is still one of underachievement. Yes, we should be higher than 8th. But we played 20 minutes of ridiculously good football at the start of the second half and we more than held our own for the other 70 minutes. Sometimes, you're just well beaten by a side who did everything right. It wouldn't be a problem in isolation but the problem is that we're 8th in the league over 33 games which isn't good enough.

I disagree with the poster above who said that Cox being in there doesn't allow Bobby to play higher up. I thought today was the most involved that Bobby has been in his attacking play since he returned to Argyle. I noticed, and I don't think I'm on my own in this observation, that Bobby was the only one to burst forward and try and get stuff happening in their final third today. I guess we all see the game differently and one reason why Bobby didn't attack so much as he might have is because we're playing Bury not Exeter or some such crap. But in most of the good attacking moves we were involved in, in the first half or second, Bobby was at the heart of them. Cox didn't have an amazing game today although I am usually a fan. He displayed his usual excellent anticipation that I'm such a big fan of. He anticipates positions to receive loose balls which we can start attacks with. Sometimes he doesn't look like such a heroic defensive midfielder as O'Connor but for me he makes stuff that looks like it's naturally fell for him look easy when in fact it's his good movement. He did that a few times today especially in our good spell second half. Where he didn't do so well today was his distribution. It's normally good and pacey if not defence-splitting but today I thought his use of the ball was a bit sluggish and slowed us down a bit. O'Connor again did very well today in a tough midfield battle. His game isn't quite the same as Cox's and relies less on anticipation but he wins so many ariel and ground challenges that he has no right to win which is great for us. He also displayed good passing today to get us leading from the back. Just had a good all round game in which he marshalled the midfield and positioned himself well in order to cover players who had gone on a forward run out of position. Worked his socks off and did little wrong again (and this is a recurring theme) this is especially true in our good run but also true in the first half.

Out of the centre-back three, Hartley wasn't quite on his best game. Showed some of his usual composed defending in which he plays the ball out from the back deftly. Yet there were also some moments where he was almost too composed and Bury were so good and sharp that it caused a couple of hairy moments. McHugh had a couple of jumpy moments but very solid that aside. Nelson was the best of the three and led from the back very well even starting a few attacks too. Again, did little wrong in general.

The wing-backs were a mixed bag for me. THD had exactly the same game as he had at Exeter last week. Solid in Argyle's weaker spells. Excellent in Argyle's better spells. One humungous error that cost a goal, in each game. Talbot for me is an overrated player. He is capable of great moments but he's terrified of shooting and always seems to be (albeit trying his best to get involved) in the wrong position for most of the game. Positionally naive- there are so many times where he could have ran into space and just doesn't see the space to run into. He's not the only culprit for that but he is the worst culprit. Good on the ball but doesn't seem to have the right understanding of the game in the way that most of our players do have.

Lewi and Brunt both had stinkers. No way of putting it and it's why I don't agree with the majority opinion that Lewi is one of our best players. He'll have a few great games , one average and then a few stinkers where he just doesn't get started like today. Like Talbot, it's not due to lack of movement or lack of trying. It's just moving in the wrong places and a complete lack of composure when he has the ball.

We went to four at the back with the utterly bizarre choice to put Kelvin Mellor up front. In some ways, this benefited us. It finally got Talbot to move out wide rather than drift aimlessly in the centre the whole time. We used our width more and it made us look slightly more likely to score than we did after Bury's goal whilst playing 3-5-2. But whilst the general change of shape did benefit us, the individuals who we brought on did not have good games in their own right. Banton has had his day here and is probably counting down the days until the end of the season already. Blizzard doesn't work in a midfield two. And Mellor is in no universe a striker. I applaud Sheridan for altering the shape, I applaud him for trying something a bit quirky/different and for removing the turgid Brunt but I'd have kept Cox in central midfield, kept Blizzard on the bench and instead brought Harvey on for the anonymous Alessandra.

We were the better team? No. Bury were and you'd have to be deluded not to say so. But did we put in a decent performance all things considered, the answer to that from me is yes. We got an injury to the only one outfield player who there is no adequate cover for. We played them off the park for 15-20 minutes at the start of the second half. It was a big individual error that let Bury in rather than any wider deficiency to the team. Ultimately I think our formation and change of shape did work due to Cox intercepting a lot of loose balls (albeit with bang average distribution) and Bobby being involved in the overwhelming majority of our creative play. We lost because Bury put in an absolutely phenomenal performance playing some beautiful football, because Brunt isn't good enough, because THD fell over and because we didn't finish any one of our good chances that we had during that wonderful 20 minute spell from the 45th to the 65th minute.

It was a win for Bury but it was not a comfortable win. And given how well they played (I've not seen that kind of football from a visiting side since League One really, it really was a freak occurrence how well they played), the fact that it wasn't comfortable for them shows that we at least didn't play as badly as most posters are suggesting we did. If Argyle had put in that performance away to somebody else, you wouldn't be saying the home side were crap. You'd just be saying how good the away side were. We did alright, all things considered.

Sometimes, a loss is indicative of wider problems and deeper tactical issues. Sometimes, a loss is just a loss and the performance is not reflective of any negative wider issues. Today was the latter.

However, what I find frustrating is this. If we played like we did today against most other teams in this league, we would win almost every game. The only reason the performance didn't yield a win in my mind is due to the strength of the opposition. What I find disappointing is that Sheridan can't get us to play so well against the welterweights of this division. Because if we did, we wouldn't be where we are.

In short, today's performance isn't anything to worry too much about. 8th in the league is very much something to worry about.

McCormick-7. Not at fault for either goal. Kicking could have been better.

Nelse-8 MOTM
McHugh-7
Hartley-7

Talbot-5
O'Connor-8
Cox-7
Bobby-8
THD-7

Brunt-4
Alessandra-5

Blizzard-4
Banton-5
Mellor-5

Czarcasm wrote:

X Isle wrote:

X Isle wrote:

GreenSam wrote:

....

It's certainly a must-not-lose game if not a must win one.

This. Of course we want to win it, we should be aiming for the top three in this vein of form. However a draw keeps them below us and wouldn't be a disaster.

What concerns me more however is the age old 'typical Argo' factor.

On good form?, off the back of a double over 'them up the road'?, a (relatively - it is league 2) big and significant game?, with probably a good few more on the gate?.....

.....Argo usually f**k those sort of games up  

Historical achilles heel duly reinforced.

So then, for all you "must not lose" types, Argyles season is now over, yeah?

As ejh rightly explained, it was probably a bit silly of me to say in the first place.

Sheridan has said he can't criticise the players because they're the ones who have carried us to where we are now. I agree with him in part, but a fair synopsis will require me to be harsh because today was unacceptably gutless.

In the week debates arose because of the club gloating after the Exeter victory and that it showed a lack of focus for Saturday's game and a hint of complacency. Today proved those concerns correct, far far far too complacent a first half. We started the second half much better, but against the run of play Bury got their goal and we folded back to our miserable first half display.

McCormick - 6 - generally did okay and difficult to criticise him for the goals conceded.
Talbot.- 5 - a mixed performance. Far to deep in the first half, but improved throughout the second. Some beautiful crosses and some costly missed chances.
Nelson - 8 - He didn't do too much wrong and really tried to push the rest of the side to perform better.
McHugh - 6 - was alright, but made a couple of errors that could have been disastrous.
Hartley - 4 - worst I've seen him play.
THD - 5 - motm?! Really?! Did a bit of skill in the second half, but played way to deep and didn't do enough going forward.
O'connor - 9 - didn't do much wrong in his role.
Cox - 3 - So poor. Didn't perform his role well at all and never settled into the game.
Reid - 6 - he's a trier, but it wasn't coming off for him today. Typically mixed bag set pieces.
Brunt - 3 - Nah, did nothing. Seen his motor? We're paying him too much.
Alessandra - 7 - like Reid, he is guaranteed to put a shift in. Tried to do something with the little supply and support he got, but a very tough day.

Mellor - 6 - did more as a striker in the short and injury plagued time he was on than Brunt did throughout, including missing a sitter.
Blizzard - don't remember him doing much if anything.
Banton - 4 - Nadda, a pointless option.

When are we going to be getting rid of Banton?
He is so shit it's unbelievable.

Punchdrunk wrote:

When are we going to be getting rid of Banton?
He is so shit it's unbelievable.

End of the season.

Talbot is a blood boilingly frustrating player.

He's alright on the ball but he's too deep and too central all the time. He'd be a good player if he was in the least bit positionally aware. Oh and if he didn't bottle easy shooting chances.

GreenSam wrote:

Punchdrunk wrote:

When are we going to be getting rid of Banton?
He is so shit it's unbelievable.

End of the season.

Talbot is a blood boilingly frustrating player.

He's alright on the ball but he's too deep and too central all the time. He'd be a good player if he was in the least bit positionally aware. Oh and if he didn't bottle easy shooting chances.

Bit contrary surely to say that he's too deep all the time and bottles easy shooting chances? I think he's a very good player who has added a lot to Argyle's game since he came here, things didn't go right for him in an attacking sense today but a definite asset, certainly better than Mellor was in his last few outings in the team.

Well he bottled the easy chances on the occasions he does get into good positions, but he doesn't get into them often enough.

I agree he's been better than Mellor's last few outings and I don't think Talbot is a bad per say. His crossing and passing is brilliant for this league and generally, his one on one defending is pretty good too. The two problems I have with him are positioning and finishing. If he got those two sorted out, crikey what a player he'd be. Even if he got one of those two sorted out, what a player he'd be.

Interesting to note the quality of the Bury bench yesterday-Lowe, Rose and Sedgewick were sat on it waiting to come on, all vastly experienced, quality players for this division and capable of scoring a goal or two, as was amply demonstrated by Rose.