Manager John Sheridan wants Plymouth Argyle to play with more bravery
MANAGER John Sheridan has admitted Plymouth Argyle are putting themselves under pressure with their own mistakes.
Sheridan wants to see the Pilgrims' players show more bravery when they are on the ball as they fight to pick up points to stave off the threat of relegation from the Football League.
Argyle were unbeaten in Sheridan's first four matches as manager before they lost 1-0 to Oxford United in a dreadful display at Home Park on Saturday.
However, Sheridan does not believe the Pilgrims, bolstered by seven new recruits since he took charge, have played well in any of those games.
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Sheridan is frustrated the players cannot reproduce what they do in training when they take to the pitch for a competitive match.
He told Herald Sport: "We do passing drills, and touch and everything, and they do it well, to be fair to them.
"They look bright in training and when it comes to the match I see the ball bouncing off people and passing it the wrong side of people.
"Our biggest problem since I have been here is we don't keep the ball long enough.
"If you don't keep it the opposition are going to put you under pressure. We don't keep the ball long enough.
"I have been putting it in their heads 'we need to keep the ball longer' but it's our biggest downfall.
"If it keeps happening, obviously changes are going to have to be made."
Argyle are only one point outside the League Two relegation zone after losing to Oxford.
They are away to promotion-chasing Northampton Town on Saturday before playing two of their relegation rivals.
Argyle will travel to AFC Wimbledon next Tuesday and then host Barnet on March 2, so it promises to be a crucial couple of weeks for the Pilgrims.
Sheridan said: "It doesn't matter who you play, they are all tough games. We know we are in a scrap and we need to play a lot better, especially at home.
"I don't know what it is with them. For some reason, instead of playing forward they will go backwards. You have got to be brave."
Sheridan picked out on-loan Swindon Town midfielder Lee Cox as the only outfield player to come out of the game against Oxford with any credit.
He said: "I thought Coxy played well, especially in the second half. He tried to get us in the game, but as a team we were very flat."
AN ARGYLE XI are away to Witheridge in the quarter-finals of the Devon St Luke's Cup tonight (7.30pm).
5 Comments
by queenie1923
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 9:53PM
“weel the results tonight didnt go our way , so, mr sheridan, time is now at the essence of winning our games and getting an unbeaten run together to get us out of the pickle that we are in...all this is because the board never got us a manager from the start of the season and stuck with fletcher , this is last season all over again repeating itself, you would have thought that the board would have learnt there lesson from last season, but to be in this perdi***ent 2 seasons on the bounce, is unacceptable, the team that is out there at the moment ist the aryle that i know from over the years , there is no fight , no spirit, no passion , no football , wheres the home park fortress gone that we once new, pilgrims once a team every club looked up to , 2 promotions on the bounce, sturrock put us on the map, now weve been eraesed from it. i wore my argyle shirt with pride now were just a joke...................................”
by bryon1
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 10:47AM
“If Lee Cox was the only one to out with credit why not make changes ? Luke Young sat on the bench could have been one 'brave change'. If you are not prepared to be brave and make the changes how can you expect it from the players ? Time to get your own act together before its to late.”
by queenie1923
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 10:38AM
“get akos buzaky back im sure hed jump at the chance”
by shaun_us
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 9:37AM
“ALabar I couldn't agree more with you,plus if the players are being trained to keep the ball more, don't that mean passing it back wards??.The annoys thing is any player that has played for us in the past,always plays better when there playing for other teams?.grrrrr.”
by alabar1
Tuesday, February 19 2013, 7:52AM
“Try putting Paul,Luke,Andra and Max back in the team,they are comfortable on the ball and have the guts to take the game to the opponents half and are then brave enough to try a pop at goal which can often result in scraps for our would be strikers to feed on.
Surly John the passing backwards comes from team training sessions or lack of them,and if a player is constantly playing in a negative way (and there were several last Saturday)why do you not sub them and get your message out to the rest of them and change things.
I thought the managers job included changing the style of play from the touch line with tactical substitutions,didnt see any of that last weekend.
Good luck at Northampton,your going to need it if you send that team out again.”