Danny Salman: Plymouth Argyle have got to move on
I APPRECIATE the club's had a difficult time with going into adminstration – and coming out of it.
People still say to me that they're glad they've still got a club.
But that was then and this is now. We've got to move on from a difficult time in the club's history.
You can't keep trotting out the same old excuse and I, for one, don't believe in sitting around and feeling sorry for myself.
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When you talk about a football club, you are talking about a business, a product.
The fans have been magnificent about turning up every week and supporting the club when times were tough. They are still turning up a large numbers. The number of fans you get at Home Park would be envied by any club in League Two.
But as I say, those difficult times are now over – we're not in administration any more and we need to move forward.
Look at Port Vale – they are in administration and they're second in the table.
The trouble is that if the product's not good, then the supporters eventually won't turn up, it's as simple as that.
That brings me to another issue, that of the team's consistency at home.
People often ask me why the team plays so well in the first half, then are so poor in the second. It's the same team, isn't it?
The last two games at Home Park have resulted in a defeat (against Port Vale) and a draw (against struggling Bristol Rovers.)
But looking at the situation in a positive sense, they got a fine result away at Morecambe last Saturday (a 3-2 win).
It seems to me that we are returning to the scenario we had a couple of years ago, where our home form wasn't so good, but we were nicking some good results and showing our best form away from home.
At Home Park, the team seems to have a good 20 minutes, then they are poor.
People ask me why the team can play so well at times, and so badly at others.
I believe it's been over the last four years that we've struggled to win football matches.
I don't know what the reason is, personally. Maybe it's a lack of concentration, or maybe it's nervousness, or perhaps it's because new players aren't yet gelled with the rest of the team.
Whatever, we've got to concentrate on what's going wrong at home if we want to have a successful season.
If you look at the successful teams, they can still get a result if even if they aren't playing well.
We've got a good squad at the moment, even if we do have a few injuries and we've got to somehow find some consistency to put together a run of three or four games where we're not beaten.
We certainly can't afford to lose too many games at home – and consistency is sometimes the difference between a successful season and a mediocre one.
People say it's difficult to win at home sometimes because teams come to defend.
I don't agree with that, as a matter of fact, because quite often teams come and attack us.
I'm sure (Argyle manager) Carl Fletcher is aware of all of this and is doing something to sort it out.
Supporters are still turning up for games, but sooner or later, people are going to start asking questions and not turning up if things don't improve.
And if you're not careful and you don't have a successful product on the field, sponsors won't want to come in and support the team.
You can talk about rebuilding the main stand and have the best facilities in the world.
But that will mean nothing if you haven't got the success on the field to match it.
Comments
by IanCam1
Sunday, September 30 2012, 1:26PM
“Just based on the Southend match, a number of things were apparent, (although I don't profess to be an expert):
There was a lot of hit it and hope passes. Not necessarily route 1 stuff but vaguely in the direction of someone who might get on the end of it. Didn't work and they lost possession.
When they played short passing football, using the width, they looked good.
They were dangerous from the wings but nobody seemed to get on the end of the crosses.
They were losing most of the 50/50 balls and seemed to be off the pace of the game.
The keeper needs to control his defence.Seemed to me he doesn't work with the defence as a unit and there was a suggestion that they don't trust him completely. Sometimes looked a bit chaotic.
I wonder if there is a fitness issue with some players.
I agree with the sentiment of Danny Salmon's piece; I'd much rather see attractive pass and move football, I think win or lose it brings people back to watch again.”
by JamieSheehan
Saturday, September 29 2012, 12:56PM
“Danis is right in some respects, that we have come out of Administration, need to start looking forward rather than backward, and that it is very important our home record improves.
However, to compare us to Port Vale is absolutely wrong. Yes, we were both in Administration, and are two of the best supported League 2 clubs, but there the similarities end. Vale's debts are nowhere near as onerous as ours, and they will be able to start building as soon as they have a new owner. We're still carrying a significant level of debt, although it's much lower than it was, and are going to be paying it back for another few years yet.
The points about consistency are obvious, but Fletch now seems to be addressing my concern about playing 4-5-1 at home and we seem to be at least trying to score more goals. The seige mentality that was needed last season won't disappear overnight, but we need to start progressing up the table to a comfortable position soon, otherwise the feared drop in attendance will be a reality.”
by thebigfella1
Friday, September 28 2012, 11:17PM
“Hilarious. More negative comments that any comment ever left. For what? Talking more sense than an ex pro? I guess it's your site, so you can add how ever many neg ratings you like. Get real guys. You know the truth. DS is a good bloke... he just can't write for toffees.”
by WILFWASTHEMAN
Thursday, September 27 2012, 5:02PM
“Mrs Thatcher used to say of her ministers "they all bring me problems but only 1 also brings me solutions". I would like to see Salman doing just that if his articles are to carry any weight at all.”
by alanajwood
Thursday, September 27 2012, 1:47PM
“I'm shocked at the response, I didn't know so many people read the Herald, and the speed with which so many negative ratings appeared. Could it be the Herald displaying its sense of humour?”
by alanajwood
Thursday, September 27 2012, 12:37PM
“The Bigfella's Corner campaign starts here. Problem is I don't think the Herald has the bottle to promote such an idea. Just in case anyone from the Herald reads this I would like to point out that the column, as written, has no structure, no paragraphs and the themes (as such) are disjointed. This would have been worth a GCSE Grade E and that's before the change of grade boundaries. If you fancy a Bigfella Corner just give a green rating to his post.”
by thebigfella1
Thursday, September 27 2012, 12:09PM
“Thanks Alan. There's an idea. Bigfella's Corner!! Happily do it if the Herald would like to get in touch... or they can continue to print the non-commital and often obvious views of a once less than average pro footballer!! Could be some mileage in it!!”
by alanajwood
Thursday, September 27 2012, 11:49AM
“Another appalling piece of journalism that the Herald should be ashamed of. When the so called expert states '...we've struggled to win football matches. I don't know what the reason is personally.' then I struggle to know why he is employed. Compare the article to the 3 paragraphs written by thebigfella 1 and it is obvious who has the more insight and idea how the Greens could improve. I'd rather read the bigfella than DS anyday”
by thebigfella1
Thursday, September 27 2012, 10:56AM
“Danny - While the club is no longer in administration, the legacy is still very much apparent and the club is being run on a shoestring budget. Bascially, starting any business from scratch means that you do not have any 'working capital' to reinvest. That is Argyle's position. I would not want to see a return to the previous regime of over spending.
On the football pith, results have been inconsistent, but there has been steady improvement and Carl Fletcher is at least trying to get the team to get the ball down and play. This is a complete contrast to how the team 'had' to play last season and it's going to take time to implement. You must surely realise that!
My biggest concerns though are two-fold. Darren Purse appears to be being carried at the moment and is making errors a player of hs experience shouldn't make. Someone please tell him he's not 25 anymore! We must stop conceding soft goal because our second problem is at the opposite end of the pitch. Where are the goals going to come from? I just don't see us being a threat! OK, so we scored 3 at Morecome - yes, a screamer and 2 penalites, but those goals don't get scored every week. Same against Rovers and Port Vale - screamers from Williams and Hourihane! But, we need to be scoring inside the box! Who is going to provide that threat?”
by BrianG
Thursday, September 27 2012, 10:12AM
“He must think he's being proactive or something, but it feels to me that he's at least three football matches and two signings behind everyone else”