Pilgrims Progress

Anything yellow and blue
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Radley Rambler
Grumpy old git
Posts: 2249
Joined: Fri Jun 30, 2006 4:36 pm

Pilgrims Progress

Post by Radley Rambler »

Well one swallow does not a porn movie make but that was a lot better.

Plymouth were awful but you can only beat what's in front of you, the next two games will be the litmus test for me.

So what's changed, three things imho:

1) Eastwood back in goal - I thought Mitchell did ok but Eastwood is a class act at this level and his presence will give the defenders greater confidence (even if there were a couple of mix-ups yesterday....)

2) Mousinho in front of the back four - makes us so much more solid and removes him from the CB position for which he isn't quick enough and where he would on occasion try and play his way out of danger resulting in trouble

3) Mackie looked like a striker - he isn't quick but he took his chance well, set up Nelson for the second and caused the Plymouth man to receive a second yellow. Even when he didn't win a header, the defenders had to work to clear the ball - he made it difficult for them - Jon Obika, hang your head in shame, this is what you should have been doing.

Good to hear Derry doing the post-match interview who sounded measured, I wonder if that was ordered from above :)

So onto the Memorial Stadium with renewed hope and the performance there will be a telling sign of things to come.
Dr Bob
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Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:16 pm
Location: Nottingham

Re: Pilgrims Progress

Post by Dr Bob »

4) Finally, several key players put in a decent shift in the same game. When Henry is in that mood, he can be almost unplayable. The turn he executed to get away from two defenders and ultimately set up Mackie for the opener was superb. Holmes was outstanding - finally playing for us like he (and too many others over the years) have played against us in the way he got under their skin. Smith-Brown just could not cope.

Ruffels may not be a specialist left back, but his spatial awareness and general defensive play was better than quite a few LBs we have had recently. Mackie was quite superb. But whilst Adams thought he was lucky to stay on the pitch, my abiding memory is down in front of the SSU, on several occasions, with him having defenders virtually getting a piggy-back and he still getting the ball under control and getting it away. Just the sort of physicality we have needed - and with an end-product as well.

Dickie still worries me a bit in terms of his communication with others, but his individual defensive play was solid.

Plymouth were as poor as we have been in several games this season. But so long as the effort that underscored the win can be repeated, we should avoid this being a hirundine flying solo. By the end of November, we shall have played the teams currently in 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 21st and 22nd. six six-pointers?
ty cobb
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Re: Pilgrims Progress

Post by ty cobb »

Much improved and built on the performance at Southend. Plymouth drew at Barnsley and beat Wombles in their last two games so were finding a bit of form - we didn't let them play and fully deserved the win.

I watched it on i-follow given the international break - it struck me that as part of buying a season ticket you should get access to all the matches live. Would mean exiles like me would be more likely to buy a season ticket if we could still watch games rather then only be able to attend 5 or so home games a season.
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