Could be more incomings

Derek Adams building promotion-winning Plymouth Argyle squad says Martyn Starnes

Plymouth Argyle chief-executive Martyn Starnes believes Derek Adams is assembling a squad which is capable of improving on the achievements of last season and finally gaining promotion.

Starnes revealed he has been working closely with Adams at every stage of the club's recruitment since the end of last season, with the chief-executive the one to make formal offers to players.

With nine new players already through the doors at Home Park, Adams revealed on Saturday morning that 'two or three more' permanent signings could be made before the end of pre-season.

Speaking at the club's media day Starnes also said that the club have been cautious about not making their intentions clear until players had actually signed on the dotted line.

Starnes said: "Derek has been working on the signings since day one of the post season and we've kept in very close touch – I've been knowing who he's been negotiating with and I've ended up making the formal offer to players.

"We've been very cautious about announcing the players; we've known they have been in the pipeline but until they have signed anything can happen.

"I've been on both sides of the fence where deals have been hijacked, so you just want to keep your powder dry until you know players are definitely coming."

With new FIFA rules ending the way clubs can make emergency loan signings coming into play this season, Starnes denied that their budget would be stretched in order to allow for a larger squad size.

"Not really – we're trying to get as much resource into the playing budget as we possibly can, consistent with keeping the club financially viable, which we have succeeded in doing over the last three years," he said.

"We have consistently improved the financial position of the club, and have improved the quality of the squad, and that's been reflected in our finishing position.

"Obviously we would have liked to get over the final hurdle and get promoted; that hasn't happened, but we will certainly have another go this season.

"I think Derek has assembled, and is assembling, a squad which is capable of doing that

From Brent Herald

Any news from the Morrisons boardroom as to how they intend to update their amazing product range this year ?. Starnes, just stop the bull. No one is convinced. No wonder the squire employed you.
I've had temporary access to a television over the last three weeks, against my better judgement, but there you go. And what with the EU thing, rolling news and wall to wall football, it's not been the most enjoyable three weeks of my life. But that's in the past, and it's all back to normal now. I've saved a few MBytes to stream the Wales semi, but that's it. Cricfree does a whole game for about 250MB. That's good.
I'm thinking if I'm going to continue to successfully fulfill my ongoing remit of a peasant life, I'm going to have to get back to my normal habits. Bye bye Home Park online. Don't start blubbing when you're the tenant of a private pension pot., and you're shit and you know you are.

Tgwu wrote:

Derek Adams building promotion-winning Plymouth Argyle squad says Martyn Starnes

Plymouth Argyle chief-executive Martyn Starnes believes Derek Adams is assembling a squad which is capable of improving on the achievements of last season and finally gaining promotion.

Starnes revealed he has been working closely with Adams at every stage of the club's recruitment since the end of last season, with the chief-executive the one to make formal offers to players.

With nine new players already through the doors at Home Park, Adams revealed on Saturday morning that 'two or three more' permanent signings could be made before the end of pre-season.

Speaking at the club's media day  Starnes also said that the club have been cautious about not making their intentions clear until players had actually signed on the dotted line.

Starnes said: "Derek has been working on the signings since day one of the post season and we've kept in very close touch – I've been knowing who he's been negotiating with and I've ended up making the formal offer to players.

"We've been very cautious about announcing the players; we've known they have been in the pipeline but until they have signed anything can happen.

"I've been on both sides of the fence where deals have been hijacked, so you just want to keep your powder dry until you know players are definitely coming."

With new FIFA rules ending the way clubs can make emergency loan signings coming into play this season, Starnes denied that their budget would be stretched in order to allow for a larger squad size.

"Not really – we're trying to get as much resource into the playing budget as we possibly can, consistent with keeping the club financially viable, which we have succeeded in doing over the last three years," he said.

"We have consistently improved the financial position of the club, and have improved the quality of the squad, and that's been reflected in our finishing position.

"Obviously we would have liked to get over the final hurdle and get promoted; that hasn't happened, but we will certainly have another go this season.

"I think Derek has assembled, and is assembling, a squad which is capable of doing that

From Brent Herald

19 Players at present i would say a squad of 24-25 is needed next season given there is no emergency loan system now so the club will be stuck with the squad they have come deadline day whether we are fecked with injuries, suspension or poor form. I still expect Del Bhey to bring in another keeper. But i think we as fans are going to have to accept we may start slow this coming season as with so many new faces the squad is going to take time to gel and its not going to be achieved just with pre season.

Save click on Brent Herald


Derek Adams speaks with the media after the return to training


DEREK Adams has two or three more permanent signings lined up before he pursues the loan market to create a competition for places he said was missing last year.

Speaking to the media on Saturday morning, before Oscar Threlkeld was unveiled as the 19th member of the squad, the Plymouth Argyle chief said he was aiming for at least 20 permanent players.

The Scot dipped into the loan market for nine players over the course of last season and he expects to pick up a few more before August 6 to supplement his current squad.

"We've got 18 (before Threlkeld was announced) permanently signed players now, we've still got two or three to go permanently and then we'll look at the loan signings," he said.

He added: "What I'm looking for is competition for places in the team. Last year we didn't have that.

"We had a number of areas in the team where there wasn't competition and that probably affected us during the campaign because some players knew they were going to play week-in-week-out.

"This year we're going to have somebody behind you pushing you all the way."

The 41-year-old singled out the midfield as an area he still wanted to strengthen, and agreed the left flank was looking under-staffed currently.

The internet lit up with fan theories on Friday of who the mysterious trialists were, which Adams had training with him last week, but though he admitted there were two, he refused to name them.

Adams is happier with this summer's recruitment than he was 12 months ago because of the time he has enjoyed during this close season.

By the time he had arrived in Devon last year, many players were tied up with deal elsewhere and though he managed to snare five permanent names, he still felt handicapped.

Although he has had more time to contact targets, he still accepts it's been a tight turnaround following the late finish to last season.

"This summer I've been able to take in more players. Last summer I was handicapped because a lot of players were already under contract and I was only able to take in five permanent signings," he said.

"This year it's been better for us because we've been able to go out and choose the players we could choose, but with that it's been a difficult summer.

"We've only had four weeks where we had three players under contract and the rest were out of contract, and then we're trying to take in new players as well.

"We haven't had a lot of time to do that, but to be in the position where we are today with 18 permanent signings, I've got to be happy with that."

There could be hope after all.

Tgwu wrote:

Save click on Brent Herald


Derek Adams speaks with the media after the return to training


DEREK Adams has two or three more permanent signings lined up before he pursues the loan market to create a competition for places he said was missing last year.

Speaking to the media on Saturday morning, before Oscar Threlkeld was unveiled as the 19th member of the squad, the Plymouth Argyle chief said he was aiming for at least 20 permanent players.

The Scot dipped into the loan market for nine players over the course of last season and he expects to pick up a few more before August 6 to supplement his current squad.

"We've got 18 (before Threlkeld was announced) permanently signed players now, we've still got two or three to go permanently and then we'll look at the loan signings," he said.

He added: "What I'm looking for is competition for places in the team. Last year we didn't have that.

"We had a number of areas in the team where there wasn't competition and that probably affected us during the campaign because some players knew they were going to play week-in-week-out.

"This year we're going to have somebody behind you pushing you all the way."

The 41-year-old singled out the midfield as an area he still wanted to strengthen, and agreed the left flank was looking under-staffed currently.

The internet lit up with fan theories on Friday of who the mysterious trialists were, which Adams had training with him last week, but though he admitted there were two, he refused to name them.

Adams is happier with this summer's recruitment than he was 12 months ago because of the time he has enjoyed during this close season.

By the time he had arrived in Devon last year, many players were tied up with deal elsewhere and though he managed to snare five permanent names, he still felt handicapped.

Although he has had more time to contact targets, he still accepts it's been a tight turnaround following the late finish to last season.

"This summer I've been able to take in more players. Last summer I was handicapped because a lot of players were already under contract and I was only able to take in five permanent signings," he said.

"This year it's been better for us because we've been able to go out and choose the players we could choose, but with that it's been a difficult summer.

"We've only had four weeks where we had three players under contract and the rest were out of contract, and then we're trying to take in new players as well.

"We haven't had a lot of time to do that, but to be in the position where we are today with 18 permanent signings, I've got to be happy with that."

Pretty astounding admission that. Who's fault was that? The logical conclusion is that we failed to gain promotion either because the manager couldn't motivate the players to greater things or that the board left him with a threadbare squad that resulted in some players coasting towards the summer holidays.

Tgwu wrote:

Save click on Brent Herald

That statement sounds a bit as if an argument is being crowbarred in to meet the circumstances.
Adams says the choice of players out there narrows when you have too many players to sign all at once, and can result in little competition for places.  Yet, Starnes/Brent/Adams reckon short term contracts are the way forward, and keeps the players hungry.
In other words, swings and roundabouts that will never be squared.

As with all successful workplaces, loyalty, understanding and togetherness is where it's at with football teams, not short term deals. Burger flipping mentality, it's all the rage, where short term personal gain  is more important than product and performance. Have these people never heard of investing for the future ?

Meanwhile, I see Brent is being checked over to see if the snake has the funds available to cover court costs should he lose his court case trying to bully the Torbay taxpayer out of £8m. Nice man.

Lord Biro wrote:

Tgwu wrote:

Save click on Brent Herald

That statement sounds a bit as if an argument is being crowbarred in to meet the circumstances.
Adams says the choice of players out there narrows when you have too many players to sign all at once, and can result in little competition for places.  Yet, Starnes/Brent/Adams reckon short term contracts are the way forward, and keeps the players hungry.
In other words, swings and roundabouts that will never be squared.

As with all successful workplaces, loyalty, understanding and togetherness is where it's at with football teams, not short term deals. Burger flipping mentality, it's all the rage, where short term personal gain  is more important than product and performance. Have these people never heard of investing for the future ?

Meanwhile, I see Brent is being checked over to see if the snake has the funds available to cover court costs should he lose his court case trying to bully the Torbay taxpayer out of £8m. Nice man.

Short term contracts are not ideal for a club wanting to build for the future as cheapskates brent and starnes would have us believe and always comes back to bite you in the bum come May when the talent leaves either for free or pennies and its difficult to replace them.

seadog wrote:

There could be hope after all.

It's the hope that kills you.

i'm dead inside already, as far as Argyle matter anyway.

MikeWN wrote:

seadog wrote:

There could be hope after all.

It's the hope that kills you.

You are not wrong there.

Still waiting for the clarion call of "Plymouth Argyle are going for promotion this season, and the board are backing Derek Adams all the way in the transfer market, to bring in the right players for success", from the reluctant one.
As we all know the chances of this statement emerging from fortress Home Park is pure fantasy.
Hope is all we have.

You must've missed it aka, I believe Starnes has already released a statement saying something along the lines of 'we're allowing Derek Adams to build a promotion winning squad'