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ejh wrote:

Greenskin wrote:

ejh wrote:

AstiSpumante wrote:

Retrospective shit talk IMHO.

In all fairness their names were only mentioned to make some totally unrelated points of mine seem stupid.

But now they have been mentioned and brought up for the hundredth time, it is fitting that both realistically might have a decisive influence in that kind of stale game. One player incredibly direct and aggressive with fantastic dribbling ability, and the other with a decent passing range, good vision and creativity (if little else).

It is ironic both could have unlocked the 3 points if given half an hour in that kind of match. Even though in reality Sheridan would probably not have given either a chance.

We talk about our famous superb defence, but how about another stat for the Sheridan is God camp? Only Morecambe and Oxford have scored less than us in the top 18 teams of this division. It really doesn't pay tribute to our creativity or attacking threat and yesterday was a perfect example of where we could have gone for it, we could have tried something different - but all we had was the same blunt match plan with a taller forward for the last 15 and the same stale ideas.

A good team and a good manager would have won that match, instead too many fans are deluding themselves it was a well earned, hard fought point. It was a dour insipid point, only brought about because the opposition struggled as much to score a goal as we do.

More is needed on Tuesday. And if we don't show more urgency than that in the next 10 games, we will miss these playoffs. Up to Sheridan to work some variation into our play because we are a metaphorical sitting duck with tactics like that, and the more clinical teams will gun us down.

Reasonable comment, had rather too many sherbets on Saturday night and was feeling cranky yesterday, so I admit the comments were uncalled for and due apologies are offered.

Haha don't worry this isn't the House of Commons, or even worse, Pyongyang Farm. I don't mind a wholehearted disagreement on here, in fact that is what I come for - to moan about my opinions, and squabble with those who see things differently. You certainly haven't offended me and don't ever worry about calling me a tosser if that's what you think :-D

Glad we sorted that out. Now then EJH, what's your take on Luke Young captaining Torquay headlong towards a Conference relegation fight?

What a difference a bit of context makes.

A few days later, the shittest team in the football league wins 2-0 at Oxford on the same night as we play like the same bunch of spineless surrender monkeys who turned out at Oxford - and get turned over by Dagenham and Redbridge.

Hard earned decent point my arse!

Sheridan, please pick up the phone to Ronnie Moore and see if he can advise you how to win matches when you need to win matches - possibly by NOT leaving two strikers in the opposition half, playing long ball and hoping for the best.

A better manager would have got this team top 3. Does anyone really doubt that?

ejh wrote:

What a difference a bit of context makes.

A few days later, the shittest team in the football league wins 2-0 at Oxford on the same night as we play like the same bunch of spineless surrender monkeys who turned out at Oxford - and get turned over by Dagenham and Redbridge.

Hard earned decent point my arse!

Sheridan, please pick up the phone to Ronnie Moore and see if he can advise you how to win matches when you need to win matches - possibly by NOT leaving two strikers in the opposition half, playing long ball and hoping for the best.

A better manager would have got this team top 3. Does anyone really doubt that?

Yes, of course I doubt it, because it's a load of crap.

The only thing that is crap is Sheridan's management, and your unwavering belief that everything he does is beyond question.

When Argyle play well as we have done under Sheridan, we're class. Why have we played well (to varying degrees) only half of our games this season?  Why do we go missing for games, truly missing where everyone is crap against average opposition? Why are we dead certs to lose as soon as we are a goal behind? Why do we set up to park the bus away to mediocre sides that don't deserve the respect we give them? The answer is not a question of skill - it is partly tactical, but overwhelmingly motivational. A good manager has his team walking through walls for him - our players have just produced two horrendous displays at a crucial stage of the season against poor standard opposition. That and bottling the Bury match (who are now 4th).

Sheridan is struggling to land in the top 7 through his own tactical and motivational shortfalls. Absolutely sick to death of his negativity now.

ejh wrote:

The only thing that is crap is Sheridan's management, and your unwavering belief that everything he does is beyond question.

When Argyle play well as we have done under Sheridan, we're class. Why have we played well (to varying degrees) only half of our games this season?  Why do we go missing for games, truly missing where everyone is crap against average opposition? Why are we dead certs to lose as soon as we are a goal behind? The answer is not a question of skill - it is partly tactical, but overwhelmingly motivational. A good manager has his team walking through walls for him - our players have just produced two horrendous displays at a crucial stage of the season against poor standard opposition.

There is a list of managers who we didn't see this level of inconsistency from. Sheridan has built and then proceeded to mismanage a top 3 quality side - one he is struggling to land in the top 7 through his own tactical and motivational shortfalls.

Professional footballers should not need motivating, there can be no excuse for lack of effort. Dodgy tactics, manager and coaches can not be used to justify that. If the players are as good as you claim they should be able to adapt during a game and put in a decent shift even if they are being managed by James Brent. Your claim that we are a top 3 quality side is wildly speculative IMO.

ejh wrote:

The only thing that is crap is Sheridan's management, and your unwavering belief that everything he does is beyond question.

When Argyle play well as we have done under Sheridan, we're class. Why have we played well (to varying degrees) only half of our games this season?  Why do we go missing for games, truly missing where everyone is crap against average opposition? Why are we dead certs to lose as soon as we are a goal behind? The answer is not a question of skill - it is partly tactical, but overwhelmingly motivational. A good manager has his team walking through walls for him - our players have produced two garbage displays at a crucial stage of the season.

There is a list of managers who we didn't see this level of inconsistency from. Sheridan has built and totally mismanaged a top 3 quality side in my opinion - one he is struggling to get into the top 7 through his own tactical and motivational shortfalls.

Tell you what, if you think that I have unwavering belief "that everything he does is beyond question" then have a look [if you're that interested] at a post of mine on PASOTI yesterday in a debate with Balham Green, can't remember which thread it was on but it would be one of the more recent ones in my post history. While your at it, and again if you can be arsed, you can look back to some of my posts from last summer and since that time both on that site and this one about my views on the composition of the squad and the relative merits of the players in it. I'm not going to go over old ground again about the glaringly obvious weakness in the team, which in fact has been Argyle's Achilles heel for about 7 seasons and not just this one, because it does get to be a bit of a piss off pointing out something which would be clear to a blind man. You think it's motivation or tactics or whatever, i don't. If Sheridan does get the push it'll be very interesting to see if someone can come In and be tactically and motivationally good enough to fulfil your judgement on this Top 3 side but I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

So our weaknesses are OK because we have had them the previous 7 seasons? Ones where we have been in administration, facing relegations, not had anything of a budget, wages tied up in overpaid white elephants like Purse and Bhasera?

You really are clutching at straws to avoid blaming our dour tactics, and tendency to shit our pants against mediocre sides that teams around us (now above) steamroller no problem.

AstiSpumante wrote:

ejh wrote:

The only thing that is crap is Sheridan's management, and your unwavering belief that everything he does is beyond question.

When Argyle play well as we have done under Sheridan, we're class. Why have we played well (to varying degrees) only half of our games this season?  Why do we go missing for games, truly missing where everyone is crap against average opposition? Why are we dead certs to lose as soon as we are a goal behind? The answer is not a question of skill - it is partly tactical, but overwhelmingly motivational. A good manager has his team walking through walls for him - our players have just produced two horrendous displays at a crucial stage of the season against poor standard opposition.

There is a list of managers who we didn't see this level of inconsistency from. Sheridan has built and then proceeded to mismanage a top 3 quality side - one he is struggling to land in the top 7 through his own tactical and motivational shortfalls.

Professional footballers should not need motivating, there can be no excuse for lack of effort. Dodgy tactics, manager and coaches can not be used to justify that. If the players are as good as you claim they should be able to adapt during a game and put in a decent shift even if they are being managed by James Brent. Your claim that we are a top 3 quality side is wildly speculative IMO.

At Oxford and against Newport, two away games: it's not that the players were not trying. They were trying, running, huffing and puffing for a game plan that was getting them nowhere near the opposition goal and wasn't changed.

Top 3 isn't a wildly speculative shout. We beat Luton away, we beat Wycombe away. We played well on those occasions. We've been brilliant in spells. It is the bread and butter of the league kind of games, Oxford and Dagenham away where we haven't even played to win. There were the Newport and Bury games which were billed as season defining 6 pointers, and we lost both not even looking to get forward.

With the quality of the squad and a bit more spirit and ambition in our philosophy, we could have taken 10 - 20 more points than we have this season.

It is only Burton and Shrewsbury I regard as having better teams than ours, delivering points. Wycombe and Luton being in the hunt for 3rd shows the influence of good management. We are desperately battling to squeeze into the playoffs with a better squad of players than either, in my opinion.

ejh wrote:

AstiSpumante wrote:

ejh wrote:

The only thing that is crap is Sheridan's management, and your unwavering belief that everything he does is beyond question.

When Argyle play well as we have done under Sheridan, we're class. Why have we played well (to varying degrees) only half of our games this season?  Why do we go missing for games, truly missing where everyone is crap against average opposition? Why are we dead certs to lose as soon as we are a goal behind? The answer is not a question of skill - it is partly tactical, but overwhelmingly motivational. A good manager has his team walking through walls for him - our players have just produced two horrendous displays at a crucial stage of the season against poor standard opposition.

There is a list of managers who we didn't see this level of inconsistency from. Sheridan has built and then proceeded to mismanage a top 3 quality side - one he is struggling to land in the top 7 through his own tactical and motivational shortfalls.

Professional footballers should not need motivating, there can be no excuse for lack of effort. Dodgy tactics, manager and coaches can not be used to justify that. If the players are as good as you claim they should be able to adapt during a game and put in a decent shift even if they are being managed by James Brent. Your claim that we are a top 3 quality side is wildly speculative IMO.

At Oxford and against Newport, two away games: it's not that the players were not trying. They were trying, running, huffing and puffing for a game plan that was getting them nowhere near the opposition goal and wasn't changed.

Top 3 isn't a wildly speculative shout. We beat Luton away, we beat Wycombe away. We played well on those occasions. We've been brilliant in spells. It is the bread and butter of the league kind of games, Oxford and Dagenham away where we haven't even played to win. There were the Newport and Bury games which were billed as season defining 6 pointers, and we lost both not even looking to get forward.

With the quality of the squad and a bit more spirit and ambition in our philosophy, we could have taken 10 - 20 more points than we have this season.

It is only Burton and Shrewsbury I regard as having better teams than ours, delivering points. Wycombe and Luton being in the hunt for 3rd shows the influence of good management. We are desperately battling to squeeze into the playoffs with a better squad of players than either, in my opinion.

You started by saying that the problem was "overwhelmingly motivational". I replied to that by saying that professional footballers shouldn't need motivating. In your reply to that you say "it's not that the players were not trying. They were trying, running, huffing and puffing for a game plan that was getting them nowhere near the opposition goal and wasn't changed". So are you now saying the problems are not motivational but tactical ?

I also disagreed with your assumption that we are a top 3 side and no matter how you try to justify that claim ejh I still strongly disagree, yes when we've had our best team out this season and everything has clicked we've played some great football but the fact remains that we are a defensively strong unit on the whole but if Reuben or Lewi are not firing on all cylinders we are as weak as piss going forward and with nothing like the goal threat from midfield that a top 3 side needs IMO.

One thing that nearly all of Sheridans detractors agree on, is that the players he has signed (in the main) have been good signings. Couple that with criticism often leveled at him is that he hasn't moved down here lock stock and barrel and doesn't spend enough time here.

This for me, could point toward a weakness in the coaching setup. Who is up there at the minute? McCarthy and Wotton?

Again, when you are as good a player as JS was, and the type of very clever midfielder who was supremely tactically aware on the football pitch, then I don't buy that Sheridan is savvy enough to bring all these supposedly quality players here, then not have a fookin clue how to coach/motivate/organise them.

Czarcasm wrote:

One thing that nearly all of Sheridans detractors agree on, is that the players he has signed (in the main) have been good signings. Couple that with criticism often leveled at him is that he hasn't moved down here lock stock and barrel and doesn't spend enough time here.

This for me, could point toward a weakness in the coaching setup. Who is up there at the minute? McCarthy and Wotton?

Again, when you are as good a player as JS was, and the type of very clever midfielder who was supremely tactically aware on the football pitch, then I don't buy that Sheridan is savvy enough to bring all these supposedly quality players here, then not have a fookin clue how to coach/motivate/organise them.

I think this is on the money.

His side kicks are not exactly out of the slick attacking football school of thought. They were a pair of battering ram type players. Powerful attritional warriors.  I believe their influence on team matters has given the team it's defensive qualities through lack of adventure on the pitch.

We're an awful team going forward. I have lost count of the number of matches when we really just don't look like scoring or even creating anything. We just don't have enough players wanting to get near the opposition goal. Instead we move up and down the pitch in rigid formation and it's so predictable and just not varied enough to be really effective. We just don't have enough attack minded players. People running into dangerous areas to support the attack. But for all that, it has given us a great defensive record. Unfortunately this type of team doesn't put bums on seats.
I think Sheridan needs to be able to get his own people in.

Czarcasm wrote:

One thing that nearly all of Sheridans detractors agree on, is that the players he has signed (in the main) have been good signings. Couple that with criticism often leveled at him is that he hasn't moved down here lock stock and barrel and doesn't spend enough time here.

This for me, could point toward a weakness in the coaching setup. Who is up there at the minute? McCarthy and Wotton?

Again, when you are as good a player as JS was, and the type of very clever midfielder who was supremely tactically aware on the football pitch, then I don't buy that Sheridan is savvy enough to bring all these supposedly quality players here, then not have a fookin clue how to coach/motivate/organise them.

nor me

Its a number of factors for ur bottling periods this season and they (sheridan, his staff, the players, brent and the kligons, lack of squad depth and spotlight) share the blame equally

ejh wrote:

AstiSpumante wrote:

ejh wrote:

The only thing that is crap is Sheridan's management, and your unwavering belief that everything he does is beyond question.

When Argyle play well as we have done under Sheridan, we're class. Why have we played well (to varying degrees) only half of our games this season?  Why do we go missing for games, truly missing where everyone is crap against average opposition? Why are we dead certs to lose as soon as we are a goal behind? The answer is not a question of skill - it is partly tactical, but overwhelmingly motivational. A good manager has his team walking through walls for him - our players have just produced two horrendous displays at a crucial stage of the season against poor standard opposition.

There is a list of managers who we didn't see this level of inconsistency from. Sheridan has built and then proceeded to mismanage a top 3 quality side - one he is struggling to land in the top 7 through his own tactical and motivational shortfalls.

Professional footballers should not need motivating, there can be no excuse for lack of effort. Dodgy tactics, manager and coaches can not be used to justify that. If the players are as good as you claim they should be able to adapt during a game and put in a decent shift even if they are being managed by James Brent. Your claim that we are a top 3 quality side is wildly speculative IMO.

At Oxford and against Newport, two away games: it's not that the players were not trying. They were trying, running, huffing and puffing for a game plan that was getting them nowhere near the opposition goal and wasn't changed.

Top 3 isn't a wildly speculative shout. We beat Luton away, we beat Wycombe away. We played well on those occasions. We've been brilliant in spells. It is the bread and butter of the league kind of games, Oxford and Dagenham away where we haven't even played to win. There were the Newport and Bury games which were billed as season defining 6 pointers, and we lost both not even looking to get forward.

With the quality of the squad and a bit more spirit and ambition in our philosophy, we could have taken 10 - 20 more points than we have this season.

It is only Burton and Shrewsbury I regard as having better teams than ours, delivering points. Wycombe and Luton being in the hunt for 3rd shows the influence of good management. We are desperately battling to squeeze into the playoffs with a better squad of players than either, in my opinion.

Yes, in your opinion. Others seem to be able to take a more detached look at the composition of the squad and take a different view. Defensively? No problem there, one of the best in the country relatively speaking, certainly meets your "one of the best in the division" criteria. Strikers-no problem in meeting it either, at least as far as Reid and Alessandra are concerned-27 goals between them speaks for itself, probably up in the top 3 pairings, a fact which actually could be used as evidence that Argyle haven't been as tactically negative as you suggest. Midfield and squad depth? Not a prayer. An almost non existent goal scoring contribution from any combination of engine room players in the squad and an amalgam of free transfers from conference clubs and some youth products who are unlikely to make the grade doesn't really fill me with any great confidence and hasn't done since the start of the season in spite of the nonsensically over the top reaction to a few decent signings, some of which to be fair came from the manager himself. Following on from the comments from others on this thread re the coaching staff, it does seem rather odd that at Chesterfield and Oldham, Sheridan's modus operandi was to be in charge of free scoring teams-playing personnel or coaching staff,or cutting cloth according to resources,interesting point of debate.

Three games now without scoring a goal. It doesn't need my input now. But telling me we have earned a 'good point' when we haven't even looked to get forward will piss me off. Three games in a row and even the blind will see a new manager is for the best!

Perhaps JS has done all he can with the budget available. When Dave Smith left for Dundee during our second season in tier 2 (1885 ish) it was assumed ''to better and bigger'' but in one of King Tommy's books he states it may well have been because Dave Smith thought he had done all he could at HP.
I just can't get my head around the apparent lack of effort when the players know that they are in with a chance of promotion which equals a higher league, improved contract and more pay. JS should be in his technical box all game giving encouragement, bolloxing and instructions not sat arms folded looking like his Beemer had been nicked.
Whatever the outcome I will always thank JS for getting us out of the mire but perhaps, just perhaps he's done all he can.
By luck though, even playing sheite and no goals in 3 games and 2 points from 9 we are still in the hunt but even if we got into the top 7 I wouldn't fancy our chances. Onwards though - stranger things have happened.

ejh wrote:

Three games now without scoring a goal. It doesn't need my input now. But telling me we have earned a 'good point' when we haven't even looked to get forward will piss me off. Three games in a row and even the blind will see a new manager is for the best!

change the manager all you like the other big problems will still be there in brent and the lack of any depth in the squad.

ejh wrote:

Three games now without scoring a goal. It doesn't need my input now. But telling me we have earned a 'good point' when we haven't even looked to get forward will piss me off. Three games in a row and even the blind will see a new manager is for the best!

A hard earned point and gutsy performance I thought