@JustinCase0110 Agree completely. No matter how careful I am, it either goes wide or the goalkeper easily gets it. I took one the other day; it went over the wall, dipped impressively and headed for the bottom corner. The goalie got it easily and the commentary said that it was a disappointment as a free kick. I reckon in real life, most keepers wouldn't have got it. On the other side, I do find that if I make the wall jump, 99 times out of 100 the opposition player sends it well over the bar. I don't think they have got free kicks right at all.
Argyle’s 4 point EFL Championship lead has all but evaporated in a busy December. It hasn’t helped that they are still involved in the Carabao Cup, although Pilgrim fans were treated to a fine cup Quarter Final match against Brighton and Hove Albion. Brighton for some reason did not field their full-strength first team for this important match, and Argyle took advantage, running out 4-2 winners. The margin flattered the hosts, the fourth goal coming in time added on, when the Brighton goalkeeper came up for a corner. Plymouth cleared and Roberto Alvarado ran the entire length of the pitch to walk the ball into an empty net. After the match, captain Cesar Huerta revealed an unusual team talk from manager Bobby Stones. “The manager walked into the dressing room. He put up the Brighton team sheet and said ‘this is what they think of you. Decide for yourselves what response you are going to give them’. He then left the room. It fired us up, of course.”
Plymouth’s reward for reaching the semi is a double header against Liverpool, starting with the away leg at Anfield.
Argyle otherwise slipped up twice in the league, going down 1-0 to Huddersfield Town in a limp opening performance in December, then losing at home to Birmingham City, after loanee Lewis Warrington was sent off in only the 6th minute.
The ever-relentless Laicester City have therefore closed the gap at the top to a single point, with a top of the table shootout at home to Leicester due in January.
Argyle played 8 matches in January; their busiest month so far and a real challenge for the squad. The month saw the match-up against second-placed Leicester City, which the Pilgrims lost 3-1 to a Kelechi Iheanacho hat-trick, despite taking an early lead through Samson Tovide. Coming just before the first Carabao Cup semi against Liverpool, Stones fielded the ‘second string’ against Leicester and probably regretted it in the end, as the Foxes’ victory took them to the top of the table until match results later in the month saw Plymouth regain the lead on goal difference.
Argyle bowed out of the Carabao Cup after two spirited displays against Liverpool saw them lose the tie 2-0 on aggregate. The team acquitted themselves brilliantly in both matches and Jurgen Klopp congratulated them on how hard they had pushed his team. “If they get promoted to the Premier League next season, they will be quite strong, on the evidence of these matches,”, he said. “I’m quite looking forward to seeing how they do the rest of the season, but well done to them.”
Argyle also negotiated two rounds of the FA Cup this month, with seemingly easy victories against lower-league opposition. The Derby match was notable for a 4-goal haul by young Samson Tovide. His goalscoring feats took him to the top of the Argyle scoring charts in all competitions – not bad for a cheap stop-gap purchase at the end of the window. The fifth round will see Argyle play Coventry City, who proved such difficult opponents in the league back in September.
Such a heavy month has been difficult for the whole club and the continued involvement in the FA Cup promises to weigh heavily on the squad in February. The question is whether the team can keep up the momentum, as they have been wound in by the chasing pack recently. It would be a shame for other competitions to derail what is now very definitely a promotion push.
Argyle negotiated the 5th round of the FA Cup, thrashing Coventry City 6-2. The Pilgrims got off to a great start with early goals from Alvarado and captain Cesar Huerta, after which they never looked back. A Quarter-Final against Arsenal at the Emirates is the reward.
Meanwhile, in the league, Plymouth kept up the pressure on leaders Leicester with 10 points from 4 matches, the only blot being the draw against Birmingham City, where neither side looked like scoring.
Another academy promotee stamped his mark on the squad, as 16-year-old Spanish striker Mikel Gomez scored on his full debut against Blackburn Rovers.
The young lad had come on as a substitute in the West Brom game and impressed enough to get a start against Blackburn. His close-range finish was a composed effort and was his only chance in the match.
Leicester's Stephy Mavididi continued to lead the Championship scoring table (21 goals), with team-mate Kelechi Iheanacho (15) beginning to close the gap to Kamaldeen Sulemana (17) in second place. Ryan Hardie on 13 goals from 18 matches lies in sixth place.
A respectable exit vs Liverpool in the Carabao Cup. And a tie with Arsenal in the FA Cup now. Would be considered a respectable exit too, at least if you avoid a thrashing, but I wonder if this would match your board's expectations and you could risk the sack, if you didn't win it.
@JustinCase0110 The requirement for the FA Cup was to reach the round of 16, so I've beaten that. One thing I am wondering, though, is what happens if I get to the final of the FA Cup and lose to a team like Liverpool who might also get into the Champions League. In that case, the Europa League slot that comes with winning the FA Cup; does that go to another team in the Premier League or to the FA Cup runners-up in this version of the game? Maybe I'll find out. Wouldn't it be weird if Plymouth ended up in Europe because of that? I am getting ahead of myself, though...
Argyle navigated the tricky FA Cup tie against Arsenal at the Emirates, emerging as 3-2 winners, courtesy of three breakaway goals. Luis Chavez opened the scoring as early as the 6th minute to send shockwaves through the Emirates, after which Arsenal failed to really recover, despite overwhelming possession and pressure on the Plymouth goal. Chants of “Arg…yle” rang round the ground, as the Pilgrims recorded a signature win that sees them face Championship rivals Leicester City in the semi at Wembley.
Elsewhere, there was a mixed set of results in the league that saw Leicester open a gap at the top of the Championship, and Norwich City make up ground on Plymouth in second place. The lead over Norwich looks comfortable still, but Argyle are dropping more points and a late charge from the Canaries might still derail the Pilgrims’ promotion bid. The month opened with a draw against Stoke, two points being dropped courtesy of a late equaliser from Callum Wright, who moved to Stoke in the January window – ouch!
Injuries to two of Argyle’s promising youngsters rounded off a mixed month, with Kobbie Mainoo and Dan Gore picking up injuries in consecutive games; Mainoo (broken elbow) sidelined for two months at Milwall and Gore (broken toe; 3 months) in the Watford game. Both will play no further part in the campaign.
Mainoo Injured at Millwall
No real change at the top of the scoring and assists charts, with Samson Tovide continuing to impress, now on 17 goals from 19 Championship matches. The step up from League 2 really doesn't seem a problem for him.
Great job beating Arsenal to get into the semi final. Two championship sides there, that's something! Battling Leicester for the league win, and now for an FA Cup final too. Maybe a new rivalry forming there?
Speaking of stories in the story, I like the Stoke goal against you being scored by a former player. Maybe a few fans will also start to question the 'Mexican approach' forcing homegrown players out of the club. Especially if these players move on to do well in their new clubs, for instance by scoring against you, trying to prove the gaffer wrong. Obviously it takes more than that to threaten a manager on the verge of promotion, but it could be questioned more, if results go down or more HG players leave...
@JustinCase0110 Yes, I thought that was poetic justice, because I didn't use Wright so much because of my freebies. He did play remarkably well against us during that match. He'll be good for Stoke, I think. That transfer was a swap, initiated by them, during which they offered me a right back - Junior Tchamadeu - who they bought in real life last summer from Colchester United. I thought that was an interesting coincidence given that I bought Samson Tovide from Colchester in this save. I really needed a full-back at the time, so it was a great fit. Interestingly, of the 3 players I have promoted myself during this season, I've had to block approaches because I've been sick of the sheer number of transfer offers from other clubs.
Plymouth Argyle will contest the FA Cup final for the first time in their history, after cementing their place with a 4-2 victory over Leicester City. It was a tense match throughout, with the veteran Jamie Vardy pulling Leicester back to level terms after an opening blitz by Argyle. The Pilgrims sneaked ahead with a goal from captain Cesar Huerta and Samson Tovide added a further goal in stoppage time, to lend the result a deal of comfort that simply was not the case throughout the match. They will face Manchester City in the final; a club looking to win it for the second season in succession.
In the league, it was a fraught month as they lost to Norwich 3-2 at Carrow Road, as the Canaries looked to steal the second automatic promotion slot. That win took Norwich to within 5 points of Argyle, only for them to lose their next match whilst Argyle won. A defeat to Hull City at the end of the month could have been a problem, but Norwich only drew against Preston to leave them six points behind with two to play. Leicester City clinched promotion in Championship round 42 and Plymouth will join them unless they lose both remaining matches, Norwich win both and there is a massive turnaround in goal difference.
Samson Tovide continues to fire Plymouth to the top tier, another five goals this month, including four in the league that moves him to second place in the Championship scoring chart. He has now averaged a goal a game in his 21 matrches in the Championship this season; a scoring rate fer better than any other in that division.
Luis Chavez leads Plymouth's Championship assist table, with 10 from his 19 matches - an impressive rate of around an assist for every two matches. Leicester's Mavididi leads the assists table as well as the scoring chart, but from a position of having played every game. He is clearly going to be one to watch in the Premier League next season.
Looks like you've found a gem with this Tovide fellow. I didn't have the high hopes, when you brought in a teenager with no more than 61 OVR or something like that, also not even showing that high a potential either. But it really looks like he's coming through for you, with 21 goals in only 21 games. Haha, a @CO88LER5 classic, him only playing half the games of his competition. He should have a rather high stamina rating though. I wonder if he could actually play more regularly without fatigue issues?
Anyway; Man City in the FA Cup final. That could be a hard one.
@JustinCase0110 I'm as surprised as you with Tovide. I bought him as an emergency cover when Buonanotte got injured soon after signing, so he was only ever going to be a backup. He's been incredible, which makes a bit of a mockery of the settings in the game, but I'm not complaining. He's a typical old-fashioned lumbering centre-forward in many ways - what you'd normally see in the lower leagues. He's quite easy to get the ball off, as he's quite short on ratings for such things, but when he's in the box and receives the ball, he's utterly deadly. His OVR has already climbed to 67; most matches he plays, he's the highest rated player on my side, which I suppose is helping. I think he can play more regularly, but it could be an even higher division next season, which would be more challenging for his level of player. I guess it's a bit like Noah Chilvers, who I got from Colchester in my Blackpool career last season. He was incredible, too. Very strange, really
@CO88LER5 Yes, that's true. I remember Chilvers, just didn't realize they came from the same club. Funny coincidence... Perhaps one should send scouts to Colchester!
Premier League, here we come! For the first time in the club’s history, Argyle will play in the top division next season. In front of a fanatical home crowd, the 3-2 victory over Coventry City sealed promotion with a game to spare. It wasn’t without drama, though, as a trigger-happy ref sent off two Plymouth players in the first half hour, including captain for the day Macauley Gillesphey after only 12 minutes for what seemed like a fairly innocuous challenge. The Pilgrims gritted their teeth and still managed the win, when a point would have done.
In the final game against Middlesbrough, Erick Sanchez signed off Argyle’s last Championship match with a fine hat-trick, including his third free kick goal of the season. He has become the default taker of such dead-ball opportunities and is proving remarkably accurate.
So, Argyle finish second and therefore have automatic promotion to the top flight. They and Leicester City will be joined in the Premier League by Watford next season, as the Hornets won the play-off final against Leeds United, having despatched third-placed Norwich City in the semis. Norwich finished an incredible 22 points ahead of Watford, and probably feel quite aggrieved at what happened in their semi.
FA Cup Final
Argyle were well beaten in the FA Cup Final by the all-conquering Manchester City. Despite the imminent Champions’ League final (which they later lost to Barcelona), the serial title winners sent out their best side for this tie, no doubt noting how Argyle had accounted for Arsenal in the quarter-finals. An Erling Haaland strike on 19 minutes made life even more difficult for Argyle, and the own goal by goalkeeper Baker made an unlikely Pilgrims victory all but impossible. A switch to 4-5-1 at half time did lead to more chances (one glorious opportunity on 85 minutes fell to substitute Samson Tovide, but Ederson saved well) and a more comfortable second half for the Pilgrims, but a famous victory was not to be.
Owner Simon Hallett can be well satisfied with his appointment of Bobby Stones at the start of this season. He has totally changed the playing style, brought in some good players using his Americas connections, and powered Argyle to history. Many of the players, however, are not Premier League standard and it will be interesting to see just what happens in the summer. It could be a very active revolving door at the club. Argyle won a staggering £104 million as a “promotion reward” and it will be interesting to see how much of that is made available to strengthen the squad.
Plymouth Argyle are preparing for life in the Premier League with a large turnover of players this summer. 9 of last season’s squad have departed for a total of around £13 million, as manager Bobby Stones upgrades his squad to face the tougher opposition Argyle will meet in the top division.
Meanwhile, 9 players have arrived so far, with more expected, for a total of £27 million, including three free players, as Stones sets about eating into the rumoured £70 million (including wages) budget.
In addition, we know of five players from the academy that have been promoted, indicating that Stones’ attempts last season to acquire prospects for the academy is starting to bear fruit. It is rumoured that he has effectively emptied the academy of the brightest prospects and that the race is now on to find more for the coming season.
This activity takes the squad up to 36 in total, although there are expected to be further departures, and possibly arrivals, in August.
Branthwaite is one I thorougly enjoyed having in my squad last year, when I played with Sunderland. Good signing. At 22 he almost looks old compared to all the teenagers, who come after, haha... I've heard of Hato, and Koleosho is one who impressed me, when Burnley played Man United earlier in the season. The rest don't ring a bell to me.
@JustinCase0110 Barco is currently at Boca Juniors but turns up in Arsenal's squad in my career. I know City and Liverpool have been looking at him IRL.
I was impressed with Koleosho in the United match and thought he'd be an interesting one to try. Burnley were relegated in my career save so it's entirely possible that he'd come on the market.
Obviously, my academy promotees are fictional.
I think some of the other purchases are freebies taken up by clubs as the two months progressed (Kuhn, Deveraux). I don't think they are real people.
Argyle rounded off the summer transfer window in August with two departures and two arrivals.
The Pilgrims purchased centre-back Gianluca Bellini (18) from Union Berlin for £6 million and added left winger Daniel Ashton (16) from Manchester United for £1 million. Both are considered real prospects, with Ashton potentially being loaned out later in the season if the opportunity presents itself.
Meanwhile, midfielder Morgan Whittaker (24) joined Championship side West Brom for £2.5 million and striker Ryan Hardie (27) completed a move to Heidenheim for £2.2 million. Hardie was second in the scoring charts last season but manager Stones clearly did not expect him to develop enough to make a big enough impact in the Premier League. “Ryan did very well for us last season but I couldn’t guarantee him the amount of game time he was expecting. The offer from Heidenheim suited both him from a playing perspective and us financially, so we send him on his way with warm appreciation for his efforts last season.”
After an encouraging pre-season, as Plymouth won their tournament with two wins and a draw against European sides such as Freiburg, Almeria and Sassuolo, the manager seems pretty satisfied with his new squad. “It’s come together really well. The late arrivals will need more bedding in, but I’m really pleased with the new recruits and how they have fitted into our playing style.” Asked about the relative youth, he seemed unconcerned “these players are all good potential and they have demonstrated already that they can play at the level we need. Let’s wait and see. We do have some money unspent for January, if we think we need more experience.”
Argyle made a respectable start to life in the Premier League, with a hard-fought draw at home to Brighton, followed by an away win at Bournemouth. Young striker Lorenzo Battaglia created history with Plymouth’s first-ever goal in the top flight against Brighton; something that will stay forever in the history books.
Battaglia Celebrates with the Crowd
Ryan Hardie signed off life as a Plymouth player with the opener against Bournemouth before his move to Heidenheim, and Roberto Alvarado sealed Plymouth’s first ever win in the top division, as Plymouth established a half-hour lead that they never relinquished.
The league table does not mean much at this point, but Plymouth sit third behind Aston Villa and Fulham at the end of August.
Argyle advanced in the Carabao Cup courtesy of a 4-0 comfortable win at Home Park against Fleetwood Town, Samson Tovide continuing where he left off last season with a brace.
Bali Mumba could be the next player to depart Plymouth, after news emerged of a contract impasse. The agent for the player, a full back at the club, is said to have demanded an increase to around £65,000 per week, a sum manager Bobby Stones dismissed as “pure fantasy”. As a result, contract discussions for the player (23), who has two years left on his current contract have broken down with no meeting date set for more discussions. Mumba’s current contract is said to be worth around £4,000 per week.
Mumba’s agent was in combative mood. “£65k per week is the standard in the Premier League and I am determined to get what Bali deserves.
“The club is just being tight-fisted. We know that some players have had substantial increases already, so we are not asking for the world.”
Mumba featured in 35 games last season, mainly as a substitute.
Stones would not be drawn on the issue, other than to say “This is pure fantasy. We won’t discuss other players’ contracts, as they are confidential between the parties concerned, but £65k per week for a substiutute is simply ridiculous.”
He declined to confirm or deny whether the player has now been put on the transfer list.
The Pilgrims have made a flying start to life in the Premier League, topping the table at the end of September, winning all four matches during the month.
After a good win against bottom side and fellow promotees Watford, Argyle stunned Arsenal with a 2-0 win at the Emirates, making it two wins from two matches against the Gunners in the last 12 months. Argyle beat them 3-2 in the Carabao Cup quarter final last season. Young Argentine winger Valentin Galeano cut in from the wing and scored the opener after only 9 minutes, after which the Pilgrims launched a rearguard action until the 90th minute, when Lucien Devereaux scored from a breakaway.
Galeano Scores against Arsenal
Argyle topped that after the international break, with a mature performance against Liverpool at Home Park that left Jurgen Klopp totally lost for words. Again, Argyle had played Liverpool last season – twice – in the Carabao Cup and narrowly lost both. This time, despite Liverpool enjoying most of the possession, the Argyle defence restricted the big team to only 5 shots, underlining manager Bobby Stones’ philosophy of “possession with a purpose”, as Argyle managed 12 shots. “The [5-1] scoreline really flattered us, but we took our chances, and that was the real difference”, said manager Stones. The final goal was a breakaway from a Liverpool corner, which Kobbie Mainoo converted after losing the Liverpool defence.
Mainoo walks the ball into the net/Liverpool game stats
“They mugged us”, Jurgen Kopp said. “That was completely unexpected. Their defence was brilliant, not letting us get near their goal and they took their chances brilliantly. I think the league is going to have to reconsider this team. We certainly won’t get caught out again – I hope – but well played to them.”
It's getting a bit too easy for you, isn't it? Beating both Arsenal and Liverpool, the latter with 5-1... I assume you're playing on ultimate, but have you also tried to tweak the sliders to make it a bit tougher for you?
@JustinCase0110 I keep playing with the sliders, yes. It is getting harder as the season progresses. The thing is, these games are not as easy as they look from the scoreline. For most of the match, I couldn't get near Liverpool, but when I did get the ball, I managed to get forwards and score. The last two goals were comical, how suddenly poor the Liverpool defence became - as if they gave up. I don't know what EA have done to the gameplay with the latest update, but whatever it is, it's favoured how I play somehow. Unusually for me, the defence is pretty good. I have maybe got the hang of defending more...Arsenal had even more possession (61%) than Liverpool's 57% but I managed to keep them out, which is really unusual for me.
Bali Mumba has secured a move to FC Porto in January, Plymouth agreeing a £6.5 million fee for the contract rebel.
It is not known what wages Mumba will receive in Portugal, compared to the demand for £65,000 per week his agent was demanding from the Home Park club.
“It’s disappointing in some ways that Bali is leaving, but it’s his decision in the end and we don’t want players here who will not fit the system and culture of the club.” Said Manager Bobby Stones. “We hope he enjoys his time in Portugal.”
Tykes Dislike Pilgrims
Newcastle United are already sick of the sight of Plymouth Argyle, having lost twice to them in October.
The Pilgrims knocked the Tykes out of the Carabao Cup with an unanswered double from Freddie Issaka, the young academy graduate scoring twice before half-time.
Then the Pilgrims returned two weeks later to snatch three points, courtesy of a 4-1 scoreline that included a fine overhead kick from Luis Chavez in the 9th minute. Chavez executed a perfect shot from an incoming corner to set the Pilgrims on their way. The downside of the victory was a bad toe injury for key striker Lorenzo Battaglia which will keep him out for at least 3 months.
Chavez overhead kick
In between those matches, Argyle notched a narrow 1-0 win over Manchester City, with the only goal coming in the second half from Lucien Devaux. The rest of the match was a rearguard action, as City dominated possession as they normally do.
The departing Bali Mumba made headlines in the match against Luton Town with a goal from the half-way line. Losing 1-0 at the time, and with the match coming to an end, the Luton goalkeeper Tim Krul came up for a corner in the 92nd minute, which the Pilgrims cleared to Mumba on the right. As he stepped over the half-way line, he shot into the open goal, with Krul nowhere in sight.
The sequence of results keep Plymouth on top of the Premier League, having opened a gap to Fulham in second place. It is noticeable that the 'Big six' are largely absent from the top four of the league so far this season, as indifferent results all around are allowing teams like Argyle to take the limelight. for a change. How long this continues is an interesting question.
Although Plymouth top scorer Lorenzo Battaglia shares second place in the scoring charts, with six goals from as many matches, he will drop away with his 3-months absence through injury.
Unfortunate injury for your in-form striker there. But perhaps a welcome opportunity for others to fill the gap and take the spotlight. Looks like a goal of the year contender, that overhead kick. Brilliant.
