Plymouth at home Tuesday 02.03.21

[GrangeParkCobbler]

Into March we march, still seeking our first win of the calendar year. Back on home turf and looking forward to the creature comforts of our home patch, Plymouth come visiting in the first part of a Dockyard Double-Header at the PTS.
The Pilgrims currently sit 10th in the table, 4 points outside of the playoff zone but having played more games than most above them. They away form has been pretty shaky, in fact they've only picked up one point more on their travels this season than we have and they sit 20th of 24 in the away table. Just three wins on the road in the League, those have come at Sunderland, Swindon and Accrington. The downside to that fact is that all three of those have come this year, their first away win in the League didn't arrive until January 19th and they are actually unbeaten away from home in the League since December 15th, that's six games without defeat.
Their home defeat by Peterborough last Tuesday night is their only League defeat of 2021. They've also had FA Cup victories at Charlton and at Huddersfield before bowing out in the fourth round at Sheffield United.

Yesterday they had a ding-dong battle with Lincoln before coming out on the right side of a seven goal thriller. Luke Jephcott is far and away their leading scorer, with 18 goals to his name this season, 16 in the League although he was dropped to the bench for that game at Lincoln after a barren run that had seen him fail to score in four whole games!! Joe Edwards is next in the scoring list with six goals including the 90th minute winner on Saturday.

The Pligrims are managed by Ryan Lowe, the former Bury manager has picked up an impressive 40 wins from 85 games in charge of the green and whites. Michael Cooper is an ever present in goal for them, he's kept the veteran Luke McCormick warming the bench this season, Kelland Watts has started every league game too, with the quality that is Danny Mayor appearing in 29 of the 31 league games.

We can trace our head to heads back to 1920, and a very even record between the two teams over the years, they have 25 wins to our 24 with 12 draws. At Northampton we have won 17 games to their 7 victories on our patch with five draws. We have won on the last two occasions we've played them at home, 3-1 in August 2019 thanks to a Ryan Watson penalty and two Andy Williams strikes, and in April 2018 we won 2-0 with goals from John-Joe O'Toole and a Sonny Bradley own goal. Their last win at Sixfields came in August 2015 when they won 2-0, a game where Josh Lelan was sent off for us and Sam Hoskins came off the bench to make just his fifth appearance in Cobblers colours, also coming off the bench was a certain Dominic Calvert-Lewin, a half-time replacement for Alfie Potter!

Earlier this season we fell to a 2-1 defeat at Home Park, a Kelland Watts goal four minutes from time games the Pilgrims the points after Ricky Korboa had equalised Frank Noubles opener. Nouble has since left to go back to Colchester albeit on loan.

Graham Salisbury is the ref for this game, the experienced whistler makes his second appearance at Sixfields this season, it was he who sent Shaun McWilliams off in our defeat to Doncaster in December. 68 yellows and that solitary red in his 22 games so far this season. His last game involving Plymouth would appear to be their 2-0 defeat at Sunderland in March 2019.

[west stand oap]

As you say GPC Plymouth yesterday dropped Luke Jephcott as he had failed to score in his last 4 games, turned out to be a great tactical move as they scored 4 without him. Perhaps this is the way to go and we should leave out any of our strikers who have not scored in their last 4 games and adopt a 4-6-0 line up.

[Grove]

No passengers tomorrow,
OUT must go
Hoskins , worst game ive seen for us on saturday dreadful
Mitchell, no need to explain
Edmunson , never a striker
Morris, doesnt do much does he ,attitude i reckon
               Arnold
 , Kioso,Horsfall, Jones,Mills
Marshall Mcwilliams Watson Miller
           Chucky Rose

[everbrite]

No passengers tomorrow,
OUT must go
Hoskins , worst game ive seen for us on saturday dreadful
Mitchell, no need to explain
Edmunson , never a striker
Morris, doesnt do much does he ,attitude i reckon
               Arnold
 , Kioso,Horsfall, Jones,Mills
Marshall Mcwilliams Watson Miller
           Chucky Rose

Nothing wrong with team selection. But Brady may insert Edmondson. Marshall was poor on Sat IMO and could be replaced by Hoskins!. Mills had a poor game too? At best am hoping for a point!

Ps thought that Arnold was injured?

[Clint]

No passengers tomorrow,
OUT must go
Hoskins , worst game ive seen for us on saturday dreadful
Mitchell, no need to explain
Edmunson , never a striker
Morris, doesnt do much does he ,attitude i reckon
               Arnold
 , Kioso,Horsfall, Jones,Mills
Marshall Mcwilliams Watson Miller
           Chucky Rose

I concur with your comments & team selection. Assumes Arnold is fit top play however. Mills needs to step things up a bit too.
 

[guest49]

Ps thought that Arnold was injured?

Instead of Mitchell playing as an extra left back again, I'd stick him up front and play flying keepers.

[everbrite]

Instead of Mitchell playing as an extra left back again, I'd stick him up front and play flying keepers.

Desperate times , Desperate measures. What’s his goal scoring record and assists?
🤭

[west stand oap]

We are at the point where draws are not enough, we need 6 wins and some draws if we are going to stand any chance of staying up. Plymouth are in decent form but have one of the divisions poorer away records and represent one the better chances of 3 points from our remaining fixtures.
Of course we will need to score some home goals which we have failed to do in 11 of our 15 games. Does anybody know the record for a team failing to score at home in a 23 game efl season?.
Desperate times call for desperate measures so it is time to take a radical approach to the team selection. Mitchell is costing us points and Arnold has a bad back so can't bend down to pick the ball out of the back of the net. My solution is to play one of the strikers in goal as they have been successful at keeping the ball out of the net at the other end of the pitch.

[BackOfTheNet]

Desperate times , Desperate measures. What’s his goal scoring record and assists?
🤭

The same as Edmondson's!!!

[Deepcut Cobbler]

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/brady-will-only-pick-a-team-that-is-up-for-the-fight-after-cobblers-wilt-at-swindon-3150377

Should be a telling team selection for this then?

[Winslow Lee]

No passengers tomorrow,
OUT must go
Hoskins , worst game ive seen for us on saturday dreadful
Mitchell, no need to explain
Edmunson , never a striker
Morris, doesnt do much does he ,attitude i reckon
               Arnold
 , Kioso,Horsfall, Jones,Mills
Marshall Mcwilliams Watson Miller
           Chucky Rose

With what we’ve got I’d be happy with that selection

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Sammy should be in goal, it's about the only position he hasn't played in...

[guest3338]

No passengers tomorrow,
OUT must go
Hoskins , worst game ive seen for us on saturday dreadful
Mitchell, no need to explain
Edmunson , never a striker
Morris, doesnt do much does he ,attitude i reckon
               Arnold
 , Kioso,Horsfall, Jones,Mills
Marshall Mcwilliams Watson Miller
           Chucky Rose

I'd stick with Morris over McWilliams. Agree that Chuk has to be given a chance and I'd prefer to see him playing with Rose than Edmondson.

[Coolcat]

Pompey's press have already got hold of Brady's 'soft underbelly' comments...they aren't even pretending to not underestimate us for next Saturday!
Fear that if Arnold's back is still dodgy and not back for tomorrow night...we are completely doomed!

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Pompey's press have already got hold of Brady's 'soft underbelly' comments...they aren't even pretending to not underestimate us for next Saturday!
Fear that if Arnold's back is still dodgy and not back for tomorrow night...we are completely doomed!

Michael Jacobs and a couple of others will be unavailable for Saturday as well...

[Winslow Lee]

I'd stick with Morris over McWilliams. Agree that Chuk has to be given a chance and I'd prefer to see him playing with Rose than Edmondson.

After starting well Morris has been getting worse and worse by the game, looks like a loan player who has already lost interest and couldn’t care now. Can’t remember which game it was now but there was an incident that was indicative where we half heartedly tracked an opposition player for about 40 yards without really trying to get a tackle in resulting in a goal.

[guest3338]

After starting well Morris has been getting worse and worse by the game, looks like a loan player who has already lost interest and couldn’t care now. Can’t remember which game it was now but there was an incident that was indicative where we half heartedly tracked an opposition player for about 40 yards without really trying to get a tackle in resulting in a goal.

That was the 4th MK Don's goal I think? He looked knackered, maybe should have gone off earlier.
When was the last time you saw McWilliams provide a really telling forward ball? I've seen several of those from Morris since he arrived and that's why I'd play him above Sean, we need to win. If I had a more circumspect approach to the game I'd play them both and drop Marshall or Miller.

[Manwork04]

Sammy should be in goal, it's about the only position he hasn't played in...

I’d watch from the hill if that happened, it would be epic.
I can still see Super Sam taking that massive air shot at Sixfields and ending up in a heap on the floor, followed by howls of laughing from the crowd.

[Manwork04]

I have a very bad feeling about this game.....0-4 Pilgrims

[Coolcat]

Michael Jacobs and a couple of others will be unavailable for Saturday as well...

Morris for us too!

Sorry, know this is a Plymouth thread not Pompey!