MANAGER Paul Sturrock preferred to concentrate on the

positives, rather than the negatives, after Argyle's 2-0 defeat

at Reading on Saturday.

The Pilgrims have picked up only one point from their first

two Championship fixtures, after drawing 2-2 against Wolves at

Home Park last weekend.

Sturrock is convinced, however, that Wolves and Reading will

be two of the leading in the division this term.

Sturrock said: "A fan always believes there has been a bad

performance in a defeat.

"That's just human nature, but there were things in this

game today that give me food for thought and give me hope.

"Certain individuals did the job I was asking from them.

Certain individuals had reasonable performances.

"We are not going to meet a Reading every week, and the

important thing for me now is to get one or two more players

in.

"I also want to get settled in my own mind of what my

strongest eleven is.

"That's difficult when you have transition going on in your

club, but when we do that I believe we will start to win

football games."

The performance of Jason Puncheon was one of the positives

for Sturrock.

Puncheon made his full league debut for Argyle, after his

£250,000 transfer from Barnet in June.

The 22-year-old had been a second half substitute against

Wolves.

Puncheon started the match at the Madejski Stadium on the

right-side of midfield.

But he moved to a central attacking role following a

tactical change after half-an-hour.

Sturrock said: "I thought Puncheon showed he's going to

handle this league, once he settles down and knows his job of

work when the other team has the ball."

The Pilgrims' boss also picked out full-backs Chris Barker

and Karl Duguid.

Duguid began the game at right-back but he moved into the

centre of midfield when David McNamee came on as a 66th minute

substitute.

Sturrock admitted the match fitness of Barker, and

midfielder Simon Walton, was a concern.

Barker and Walton were both signed from Queens Park Rangers

at the end of pre-season.

Sturrock said: "Duguid has come and done very well at

right-back and I think Barker will be a good addition once he's

up to speed.

"I think his fitness levels are poor – and I think Walton's

fitness levels are poor.

"They have got a rude awakening coming to them next week,

but the important thing now is we are starting to settle down

and bed in a squad of players."

Argyle had an early chance to take the lead against Reading

when Rory Fallon fired wide from a Chris Clark cross.

But centre-back Ibrahima Sonko put the Royals ahead in the

13th minute with a header from a corner.

And Sonko repeated the trick four minutes after half-time,

from another Stephen Hunt flag kick.

Sturrock said: "We looked quite bright at the start. Fallon

had a chance at the back post and we got crosses in the

box.

"But when you go away from home, the killer is when you lose

a goal as early as we did. It was always going to be an uphill

tussle after that."

He added: "The pleasing thing was that we didn't crumble

after losing the second goal.

"We kept at it and, in the end, we have had one or two

chances late on in the game.

"But I honestly believe, with one or two added players to

this Reading squad, you might be looking at champions, or just

below that.

"There will not be many teams that will come here and pick

up points.

"My job now is to rally the troops, get on that training

ground and get working with these players."

Argyle also lost 2-0 away to Luton Town in the Carling Cup

last Tuesday.

But Sturrock thought the Pilgrims had put in contrasting

performances in those two matches.

He said: "I'm not going to go down the road of castigating

the players today.

"Castigating was Tuesday, because the attitude and workrate

was not there to the standards I know we can achieve.

"I could not blame the players for a lack of attitude

today."