IF

Cox is too injury prone to relied on despite his ability which isn't in question.

Midfield being a weaklink isnt a shock considering how many of the 5 that played in that position all season long where loanees or injury prone. There is no consistency there like there has been in goal, defence and up front.

ejh wrote:

Top post there. Lee Cox was no cheap signing.

The problem is Sheridan has chopped and changed the midfield all season. And our three classiest midfielders - O'Connor, Cox and Talbot while he was here, are defensive midfielders. It fits in with Sheridan's obsession with defence, all his best signings and tactics are about strength in defence

Blizzard can play AM or DM but his slow languid style poses problems in either role.

Our only midfielder that can run at an opposition defence with confidence is Bobby Reid. When he is out of form we have no one. Not a single box to box presence that will drive forward, create space, get on the end of crosses and finish chances.

With regards to our wingers, our wingplay is virtually non existent. We had one outstanding performer in that department and woefully underused him. Because he couldn't defend or something.

When you are tearing into Lee Cox, bear in mind he has almost certainly not been given free reign to support Reuben, create, shoot and score. He has been told to use that stamina to close down attacks and screen the back 4. Against Pompey at home Cox clattered the crossbar from distance. Olly Lee is an exciting player who can shoot from range and threaten. These players are on Sheridan's bench and often played in defensive roles when on the pitch.

The players are not crap - A better manager could get so much more out of them. It is depressing to watch compared to before Christmas when Reid was on fire and the team worked. But I predicted since the very opening games of the season that the lack of midfield goals and creativity would cost us. You can't win every game of a 46 match season on the goalscoring of two players. Sheridan never rectified the situation in all this time and it has cost us.

It could soon be coming home to roost.


They have a poll over on PASOTI on whether Argyle will reach the Play-Offs or not. 50%-50% so so far.

I wonder what it could be like after the Mansfield Town and AFC Wimbledon games. Mad frenzy or sheer disappointment.

I rest my case, bar Cox who is being held back by defensive mindset Shez has signed defensive players because of his obsession with defence? Are you seriously suggesting that Shez could have signed goal scoring midfielders but preferred defensive mids? I suggest that his budget didn't run to a player say of Hourihanes calibre so we get Cox, and Blizzard. Say what you like about Blizzard he knows how to miss the goal. None of players that are missing now will turn up suddenly scoring goals in another team, they've never scored many goals, that's why we could afford them with our magnificent budget.

Before we had the like of Friio and Norris and now we have Cox and Blizzard.
Friio and Norris would walk into this team so it kind of shows how far we have come.
I don't believe for one moment that Sheridan is deliberately defensive.
He knows that should we fail to reach the play offs he will probably have to walk.

We never had Norris at 4th tier level so it is unfair to judge Sheridan on not having a player of his quality.

However there are some comparisons between Norris and Cox; both are similar heights, builds, low centre of gravity, great bursts of acceleration and blessed with high stamina levels.

The difference is Norris was played as a genuine box to box centre mid if not on the wing, and was always in and amongst the attacking action. Cox is always used as a defensive screen, even with O'Connor there, and has never ever been seen overlapping Reuben Reid giving opposition defences something worry about. Or driving past the penalty box flank trying to whip in a hard cross for others to attack. That attacking intent was something seen game after game from Norris - something rarely, hardly ever seen from Cox.

If you look at our entire midfield, none of them get in the kind of positions Friio, Norris and Buster did - genuine penalty box runs full of attacking intent. You just don't see it at Sheridan's Argyle. Nathan Thomas was the only player who would have a real attempt to produce a goal, and then he was sold on, almost as if Sheridan was fed up that he was jeopardising our defence trying to grab a goal. Were there any fans who could understand Sheridan letting our most talented, aggressive wingplayer leave? It was a bizarre decision for a side struggling so badly for goals.

Look at the entire picture and you will see that the players aren't crap. It all points back to Sheridan preferring strong defensive conservative players, over attacking flair, talent and any kind of gamble/risk. Every game the players are setting out as instructed by the manager and coaches. This is the reason why we have scored 10 goals less than Exeter, not because our players are cheaper and crapper than theirs. As I said before, the majority of our midfielders used this season are of League One pedigree - they just play in a Plymouth Argyle side that makes it difficult for anyone bar Bobby, Reuben and Lewi to demonstrate their attacking and creative talent - who just happen to be our three most out of form players.

All this reflection aside, good luck to Sheridan and the team today. Anything less than 3 points and hopes for 7th will be in real jeopardy. We need two home wins to give us the confidence needed to finish this job. Massive game all round.

Where is Nathan Thomas now?
The boy wonder seems to have disappeared from Motherwell's radar.
A player with his ability should be getting first team football somewhere or did JS see something in his attitude that probably forced him to get rid.
Genuine question where is he?

gasser9 wrote:

Where is Nathan Thomas now?
The boy wonder seems to have disappeared from Motherwell's radar.
A player with his ability should be getting first team football somewhere or did JS see something in his attitude that probably forced him to get rid.
Genuine question where is he?

Still at Motherwell I believe.

Playing more for the development side where he is scoring, but has two first team appearances to his name in February; one where he was described as 'OK', and then 'showing what he is capable of in flashes'.

Given what is being written about that manager on their forum, he'd be happy with that. Some fans seem to genuinely hate a lot of their players, particularly some guy called Straker.

ejh wrote:

gasser9 wrote:

Where is Nathan Thomas now?
The boy wonder seems to have disappeared from Motherwell's radar.
A player with his ability should be getting first team football somewhere or did JS see something in his attitude that probably forced him to get rid.
Genuine question where is he?

Still at Motherwell I believe.

Playing more for the development side where he is scoring, but has two first team appearances to his name in February; one where he was described as 'OK', and then 'showing what he is capable of in flashes'.

Given what is being written about that manager on their forum, he'd be happy with that. Some fans seem to genuinely hate a lot of their players, particularly some guy called Straker.

Are you sure that's not Stalker?

ejh wrote:

gasser9 wrote:

Where is Nathan Thomas now?
The boy wonder seems to have disappeared from Motherwell's radar.
A player with his ability should be getting first team football somewhere or did JS see something in his attitude that probably forced him to get rid.
Genuine question where is he?

Still at Motherwell I believe.

Playing more for the development side where he is scoring, but has two first team appearances to his name in February; one where he was described as 'OK', and then 'showing what he is capable of in flashes'.

Given what is being written about that manager on their forum, he'd be happy with that. Some fans seem to genuinely hate a lot of their players, particularly some guy called Straker.

I see Keith Lasley is still playing for them, now there was a player who was under utilised in his time at Argyle. Always looked a very good player to me, technically very accomplished and hard working, he featured in one of the best Argyle away performances in my memory, an atrociously unlucky 3-2 defeat at Ipswich after being 2-0 up and then losing about three defenders to injury. Always remember walking over the river bridge on the way back to the station and chuntering about "jammy fecking barstewards" in among a load of smirking and grizzling Ipswich fans. Friio missed a sitter that day as well which would probably have put the game out of reach. Good player was Lasley and his career longevity shows it.

ejh wrote:

We never had Norris at 4th tier level so it is unfair to judge Sheridan on not having a player of his quality.

However there are some comparisons between Norris and Cox; both are similar heights, builds, low centre of gravity, great bursts of acceleration and blessed with high stamina levels.

The difference is Norris was played as a genuine box to box centre mid if not on the wing, and was always in and amongst the attacking action. Cox is always used as a defensive screen, even with O'Connor there, and has never ever been seen overlapping Reuben Reid giving opposition defences something worry about. Or driving past the penalty box flank trying to whip in a hard cross for others to attack. That attacking intent was something seen game after game from Norris - something rarely, hardly ever seen from Cox.

If you look at our entire midfield, none of them get in the kind of positions Friio, Norris and Buster did - genuine penalty box runs full of attacking intent. You just don't see it at Sheridan's Argyle. Nathan Thomas was the only player who would have a real attempt to produce a goal, and then he was sold on, almost as if Sheridan was fed up that he was jeopardising our defence trying to grab a goal. Were there any fans who could understand Sheridan letting our most talented, aggressive wingplayer leave? It was a bizarre decision for a side struggling so badly for goals.

Look at the entire picture and you will see that the players aren't crap. It all points back to Sheridan preferring strong defensive conservative players, over attacking flair, talent and any kind of gamble/risk. Every game the players are setting out as instructed by the manager and coaches. This is the reason why we have scored 10 goals less than Exeter, not because our players are cheaper and crapper than theirs. As I said before, the majority of our midfielders used this season are of League One pedigree - they just play in a Plymouth Argyle side that makes it difficult for anyone bar Bobby, Reuben and Lewi to demonstrate their attacking and creative talent - who just happen to be our three most out of form players.

All this reflection aside, good luck to Sheridan and the team today. Anything less than 3 points and hopes for 7th will be in real jeopardy. We need two home wins to give us the confidence needed to finish this job. Massive game all round.

These players are only good in your mind, you can produce no facts to back up your argument which is plainly hinged on Shez holding the players back.

''..... this is the reason why we have scored 10 goals less than Exeter'' and let in 27 less! If your defence is as tight as a ducks doodah then you don't need to score 3 or 4 to win. I'm not supporting the 1-0 then park the bus but goals scored is only valid when compared to goals conceeded.

''These players are only good in your mind, you can produce no facts to back up your argument which is plainly hinged on Shez holding the players back''. - can you produce some facts to back that up?

What has really come home to roost is the sale of Hourihane for a paltry £200k.  We all said it wasn't enough as did Sheridan and so it has come to prove.  Decent goal-scoring midfielders are hard to come by hence Barnsley paying £200k for theirs and us replacing him with the affordable cheap option who seemingly doesn't even warrant a place on the bench some most? weeks.

There's also way too much emphasis on Sheridan's quoting of play-offs being the minimum, what was he supposed to say?  He inherited a squad destined for non-league, turning that around on the 7th-9th budget was never going to happen overnight when all bar a couple of players needed replacing.  The last 2 years have been a painfully slow rebuilding process and to be still in contention of play-offs this season ain't too shabby under those circumstances, throw in the loan signing shambles in the new year and it's quite an achievement..

Last summer saw the arrival of 6? 7? players who have mostly become established 1st team regulars or thereabouts, which I suspect would've max'ed out the budget for signing on fees and whatnot (another reason for not adequately replacing Hourihane).  If Sheridan can get to keep our 1st name on the sheet players and add another 6 or 7 players of similar quality this coming summer then I suspect we will be in far better shape for a stronger promotion challenge next season (assuming we don't don't go up this year of course).  He hasn't failed, he has been our best manager since Holloway, people just don't like him or his current brand of football is all.

tigertony wrote:

''..... this is the reason why we have scored 10 goals less than Exeter'' and let in 27 less! If your defence is as tight as a ducks doodah then you don't need to score 3 or 4 to win. I'm not supporting the 1-0 then park the bus but goals scored is only valid when compared to goals conceeded.

''These players are only good in your mind, you can produce no facts to back up your argument which is plainly hinged on Shez holding the players back''. - can you produce some facts to back that up?

Yes, wiki is your friend. Facts are facts, name me any player in our squad who has scored more than the very odd goal in a season, in their career before they came here? (excluding Lewi and Roobs.) Most of the filling in our squad is "good league 2 material." With a twenty goal striker we should be pissing this league. How many other teams in this league have a twenty goal striker?

If we finish in the top 7 he won't be sacked.

Sheridan's record for league one;
2006/07: 6th
2007/08: 8th
2008/09: sacked
2011/12 relegated

Coxside_Green wrote:

What has really come home to roost is the sale of Hourihane for a paltry £200k.  We all said it wasn't enough as did Sheridan and so it has come to prove.  Decent goal-scoring midfielders are hard to come by hence Barnsley paying £200k for theirs and us replacing him with the affordable cheap option who seemingly doesn't even warrant a place on the bench some most? weeks.

There's also way too much emphasis on Sheridan's quoting of play-offs being the minimum, what was he supposed to say?  He inherited a squad destined for non-league, turning that around on the 7th-9th budget was never going to happen overnight when all bar a couple of players needed replacing.  The last 2 years have been a painfully slow rebuilding process and to be still in contention of play-offs this season ain't too shabby under those circumstances, throw in the loan signing shambles in the new year and it's quite an achievement..

Last summer saw the arrival of 6? 7? players who have mostly become established 1st team regulars or thereabouts, which I suspect would've max'ed out the budget for signing on fees and whatnot (another reason for not adequately replacing Hourihane).  If Sheridan can get to keep our 1st name on the sheet players and add another 6 or 7 players of similar quality this coming summer then I suspect we will be in far better shape for a stronger promotion challenge next season (assuming we don't don't go up this year of course).  He hasn't failed, he has been our best manager since Holloway, people just don't like him or his current brand of football is all.

Great points Coxside Green. With the armchair football managers on Pasoti I suggest it's a case of 'be careful what you wish for'. They may get their wish for another manager next season, but will he do any better on the given resources?

Iggy wrote:

tigertony wrote:

''..... this is the reason why we have scored 10 goals less than Exeter'' and let in 27 less! If your defence is as tight as a ducks doodah then you don't need to score 3 or 4 to win. I'm not supporting the 1-0 then park the bus but goals scored is only valid when compared to goals conceeded.

''These players are only good in your mind, you can produce no facts to back up your argument which is plainly hinged on Shez holding the players back''. - can you produce some facts to back that up?

Yes, wiki is your friend. Facts are facts, name me any player in our squad who has scored more than the very odd goal in a season, in their career before they came here? (excluding Lewi and Roobs.) Most of the filling in our squad is "good league 2 material." With a twenty goal striker we should be pissing this league. How many other teams in this league have a twenty goal striker?

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to come to the conclusion that if you have 20goal striker, a 30goal front pairing, and collectively the best back four in the league, if your midfield is anywhere half decent you should be winning the league.

We're not, and it's due massively to the fact that our collective midfield is fookin crap.