Argyle trial

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Kernow Yellow
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Argyle trial

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Firstly, how did we lose that match? I was quite looking forward to seeing how my nearest FL team were shaping up on the back of a very decent run of form, but Plymouth offered nothing apart from some resolute defending. The fact we lost, of course, is down to the inability to concentrate for 90 minutes plus stoppage time. As soon as the board went up at the end of the first half we switched off, failed to mark from a succession of throw-ins and conceded a soft corner. Then Eastwood basically completely messed up. He was waving his arms around like a lunatic before the flag kick was taken, as if to say 'I'm coming to get this'. He came and got nowhere near it. If he'd stayed at home it would have been a regulation catch from the soft header, which instead looped into the unguarded net.

Combine that with our profligacy and desire to overplay when in good positions, and we take no points from a match we dominated against a limited team. Which is for me more concerning than getting thrashed by table-toppers. As to the rest of the team:

The much maligned Mousinho was head and shoulders above the rest of his team-mates. Calm in possession, I don't think he put a foot wrong. Well done to Faz for sticking with him despite recent apparently iffy performances. Dickie grew in to the game too, after initially losing everything in the air to Taylor, and I think he was marking Bradley for their goal but the Argyle CB is a bit of a beast and his header shouldn't have troubled Us anyway.

Kane also looked good at right back, and it was good to see both full-backs trying to get forwards wherever possible, but Smith-Brown was pretty woeful in possession and it was a relief when he was withdrawn. The other Man City loanee flattered to deceive too - he's got some pace and tricks but why won't he get a bloody cross in from time to time! Rothwell hardly saw any of the ball, but caused problems whenever he did with a couple of surging runs, and we missed him when he went off with an injury caused by badly mis-hitting a shot. Ledson was his usual self and provided much needed grit in the middle. Mowatt is a disgrace who should never wear the shirt again. Truly awful display from him.

I had high hopes for Napa, but he was no better than IBR, losing possession easily far too often. He did at least get a cross into the box occasionally. The fact that GvK was our most promising attacker says a lot, though to be fair Gino did look very lively when he came on. The ball didn't get to Obika much, and he did ok without really causing any problems. We missed Thomas who tormented Plymouth at their place in the Autumn.

Good to see the Ultras and flags back, and the team got good backing throughout. We have some talented players, but too many of them look to be playing for themselves. We also have some loanees underperforming in key positions.
Werthers Original
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Werthers Original »

Was Mowatt so bad? I didn't notice him much but he played his part in a much improved midfield performance where we weren't overrun for the first time in a few home games. As did Rothwell - on his recent showings it's hard to see why he's not been a regular before.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Werthers Original wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 1:56 pm Was Mowatt so bad? I didn't notice him much but he played his part in a much improved midfield performance where we weren't overrun for the first time in a few home games.
Mowatt chipped several corners straight down their goalkeeper's throat. He blazed over from 8 yards out. He lost plenty of 50/50s, and got dispossessed incredibly easily right at the death when it looked like he could easily turn and play Us in for one last chance. He's slow and looked uninterested. If he played his part in the midfield performance I certainly didn't notice it!

After writing that first paragraph I've just watched the extended highlights to make sure I wasn't imagining it, and apart from one good long ball out to Ricardinho on the left, a give and go on the edge of their box and the awful shot he hardly gets involved at all - rarely showing for the ball when we build from the back and never making it difficult for Argyle when they're in possession near him. I'd say he allowed the game to pass him by for the most part.
Shoobedoo
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Shoobedoo »

That was my first game for a while (whose idea was it to get a job that meant working on most Saturdays? :roll:) and I pretty much agree with everything KY said in his first post. The only thing I would add to his comments would be that Ricardinho was excellent when he came on and he should be back in the starting lineup as of the Northampton game. What our little Brazilian lacks in pace he makes up for in speed of thought. He's certainly a better option at left back than Smith-Brown, whose positioning and distribution were pretty diabolical all game (although I will give him credit for a couple of last-ditch interceptions). With Payne gone Mowatt has the perfect opportunity to show us what he can do but in all honesty he just wasn't at the races.

Watching Buckley-Ricketts was like watching a typical lower league winger. Lots of pace, lots of tricks and absolutely no end product. Same with Napa when he came on, to be honest. For Pete's sake just get to the byline and get the bloody ball in the box. The best crosses of the day were supplied by Todd Kane, who looks comfortably the best of the new loanees.

Just a shame we had no composure up front, otherwise we could have won that by a country mile. Instead we're undone by one silly mistake from Eastwood.

I'm worried.
OtmoorYellow
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by OtmoorYellow »

Mousinho head and shoulders above his team mates? Really? I throught he was poor and pretty much everyone else I've spoken to does as well. He was at serious fault for Plymouth's goal, letting his marker get into space behind for the header that effectively won the match. Sure Eastwood should have done much better, but Mousinho does not escape blame. Apart from that he had a terrible game with Ryan Taylor and others frequently slipping through and past our properly maligned defender.

On balance of play we were equal to Plymouth. We started the game much the better side, playing some nice football. Sadly our momentum and shape was lost when Rothwell went off injured. Plymouth then came into the match much more and for a noticveable period were the better side, with the Us beginning to find form again towards the end of the match.

I didn't feel Plymouth were that good, just a run of the mill League 1 side. A game that in the normal course of a season we would have expected to win.

And how did Mowatt miss. Surely easier to score?

I wasn't going to go to Cobblers, but I've got tickets now.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Kernow Yellow »

OtmoorYellow wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 5:06 pm Mousinho head and shoulders above his team mates? Really? I throught he was poor and pretty much everyone else I've spoken to does as well. He was at serious fault for Plymouth's goal, letting his marker get into space behind for the header that effectively won the match. Sure Eastwood should have done much better, but Mousinho does not escape blame. Apart from that he had a terrible game with Ryan Taylor and others frequently slipping through and past our properly maligned defender.
I'm not doubting that Mousinho has deserved criticism in recent games, but on Saturday he was my MoM (as well as the sponsors'). Fair enough if you disagree with that, but to say he had a 'terrible game' is laughable.

Taylor only got through once (when he hit the bar), after Mousinho had to go to the man who played the ball in to him. It's not Mousinho's fault no-one was covering in behind him. Taylor threatened to get in down the right once too, but Mousinho pushed him wide quickly enough that Eastwood could make a routine near post save. I don't recall any other player 'slipping through' all game, except for Carey once in the first half when he was offside (which was not given).

The corner is clearly Eastwood's fault - the CB's didn't cover themselves in glory but they were probably rattled by the GK's rush of blood. Mousinho appears to try and get back to cover to no avail, but it is Dickie that is beaten in the air by Bradley. Look at the highlights.
Dr Bob
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Dr Bob »

There were times when Buckley-Ricketts showed his inexperience, running into a blind alley rather than passing or working little give and goes/gos?? But, in the first half in particular, he did get to the bye line on several occasions but Obika's awareness was so poor and his effort to get into the box so lacking, that B-R had to wait or turn back, until someone arrived that he could cross to. I found Faz's 'explanation' for Thomas's absence utterly unconvincing - even before considering how effective he was against Plymouth at Home Park. Given how distinctly average Plymouth were, I just wonder how things would have been had Thomas played rather than Obika. Ah - the old what-if...
Geoff
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Geoff »

I have to agree about Mowatt. I texted a friend after the game 'everybody put in a good shift apart from Mowatt'.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Kernow Yellow wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:57 am Mowatt is a disgrace who should never wear the shirt again.
As I was saying...
Old Abingdonian
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Old Abingdonian »

I am not a great fan of Mowatt, and what he did was very stupid. However, Thompson's behaviour was also totally unacceptable. Mowatt was on the ground, bewailing the penalty miss and looking at the turf when Thompson ran over to him to start the altercation. He then hugely overreacted when Mowatt ?slapped him. I can't say that Mowatt's behaviour was 'disgraceful' on this occasion.
OtmoorYellow
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by OtmoorYellow »

I can.

Mowatt's behaviour was disgraceful. Completely unacceptable. He let everyone down and may well have cost us vital points.

In a game that Pompey started very well, we came back into it for the last 20 minutes of the first half, and by half time, no one could have grumbled had we gone in on level terms.

The second half started in the same way the first half ended, with both sides matching each other, in what was a fairly frenetic end to end game. If anything, by the time of the penalty, we were arguably marginally the better side. At this point we could very easily have gone on to at least draw the game, if not win it.

I didn't see the incident that resulted in the penalty, but seeing the video after the game, the ref got it bang on. In fact the ref had a very good game in my view, getting all the big decisions correct.

Why Mowatt was taking the penalty I have no idea, but that is somewhat by-the-bye. It was a bad penalty miss, but again that is not the point.

Yes Thompson's behaviour should have resulted in a yellow card, but whether that was the case or not, for Mowatt then to hit him in the face is totally unprofessional and a disgrace and there is no valid excuse. He gave the ref no choice but to issue a straight red, and on that moment the game changed completely as Portsmouth took advantage of the extra man very well and we were left chasing the game with 10 men.

Mowatt will get a 3 game automatic suspension for the red card. There are only 9 matches left. With Mowatt being a sub-standard fringe loan player, we may have seen the last of him. I doubt there will be many tears shed.
Werthers Original
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Werthers Original »

Ah sod it, he's only human. Of course it was very unprofessional but that conjunction of events will never happen again. What concerns me more is that we played all the football in that game and were on top for a lot of it till the sending off but couldn't score. Since we were without (on paper) two top forwards due to international call-ups we surely had a case for postponing the match - I don't know the rules for this.

if we'd managed to sign Kiefer Moore we'd be about 8th now.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Werthers Original wrote: Mon Mar 26, 2018 12:32 pmwe were without (on paper) two top forwards due to international call-ups
I can only assume you're joking! Speaking of forwards, did Thomas actually touch the ball yesterday? Serious question. Hard to tell whether it was his fault for not getting more involved or just a complete lack of service, but he is a goalscoring asset and KR needs to work out a way of getting him more involved in our play.

As to Mowatt, he cost us the game, pure and simple. Whoever thought it was a good idea to give him a penalty needs their head examined. When I saw him spot the ball up I was very worried. When I saw his run-up I was convinced he'd miss it. When he struck the ball I actually thought he'd scored, but no. He missed the target. Not even saved, but an actual miss. What happened next was very silly from everyone, but Mowatt's actions consigned us to defeat in a match I was sure we were going to go and get something out of. As OY says, the only silver lining is that he's now banned for a number of matches. Maybe now we can pick someone that actually gives a shit about our season. In the games I've seen he's been a poor signing who epitomises everything that's been wrong with our team this year.

As to the rest of the game, we played pretty well and I was enjoying it up to the penalty incident. But we conceded from a corner again and ended up losing heavily for wholly avoidable reasons, which given our league position and upcoming fixtures is very worrying. I see our next opponents have just sacked their manager despite sitting 5th in the table on average crowds of barely 4,000. Madness!
Werthers Original
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by Werthers Original »

On paper they are our top international forwards! The FA don’t know they’re rubbish
OtmoorYellow
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Re: Argyle trial

Post by OtmoorYellow »

We could indeed have had the game postponed. My understanding is this didn’t happen because we would have lost the Sky TV money.
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