ARGYLE goalkeeper Jake Cole is the ideal player to give Pilgrims boss Carl Fletcher the lowdown on tonight's opponents at Home Park.

Cole was with Barnet for two seasons before leaving the north London club and joining Argyle in the summer.

He fought two successful campaigns with Barnet to fight off relegation.

But though Cole revealed he knew the Bees' strengths and weaknesses, he was naturally unwilling to divulge what they were and how Argyle will be looking to exploit any cracks in the Barnet defensive armour.

Cole said any information passed on to Argyle manager Carl Fletcher should stay with him before the match.

But he said he was looking forward to meeting some of his former team-mates – and added he believed the Argyle team was stronger than Barnet's relegation-haunted teams of the previous two seasons.

"It's a bit of a different situation than when I was at Barnet, because I think the (Argyle) team is stronger," said Cole.

"The gaffer has got a few players in – in fact it would be interesting to compare the team we had at the beginning of the season with what we've got now.

"We've strengthened in good areas."

Cole pointed to the acquisition of experienced players like former captain Paul Wotton, defender Darren Purse and forward Nick Chadwick as one of the major reasons for Argyle getting stronger.

He said: "We were really young and with players like Chadders (Chadwick), we've got some more experienced voices and knowledge in the team.

"As a goalkeeper, it's great to play with someone like Pursey (Darren Purse) in front of you."

Cole said he appreciated – despite Argyle's morale-boosting results against two of the division's top teams, Southend and Crawley Town – that the team needed some wins

He said: "No matter what (team) is in front of us, we've got to start picking results up.

"We want to get a few back-to-back results together. We've got Barnet tonight, then we've got Accrington Stanley away on Saturday.

"They're tough games, but every one of them will be."

Cole said he hoped the team could get away from its current situation.

And he said the squad's anticipation of tonight's match had been heightened by the postponement of last weekend's match at Macclesfield because of a frozen pitch.

He said: "We're looking forward to this (the Barnet game) – we were disappointed when last week's game was called off and we were all raring to go."

ARGYLE'S League Two rivals Accrington have appointed Paul Cook as their new manager after reaching an agreement with Sligo Rovers for his release.

Caretaker manager Leam Richardson will remain in charge for tonight's trip to Rotherham before taking up the role of Cook's assistant for Saturday's match against Argyle.

Former Stanley midfielder Cook, 44, takes up the reins set down by John Coleman when he ended a 13-year association with the Reds by joining Rochdale last month.

"It's with great sadness that I leave Sligo," Cook said. "But all my thoughts now are on trying to maintain the success that Accrington Stanley have enjoyed since I was here as a player."

Stanley chief executive Rob Heys added: "We are delighted to welcome Paul to the Crown Ground and look forward to seeing him and Leam Richardson continue to take Accrington forward."