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Taylor's Uncomplicated Hoofball - Oh Do I Not Like That?


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3 hours ago, kevhamster said:

I think you'd have to start a new save for the German team fix to take effect.

I've downloaded and installed this fix: https://www.fmscout.com/a-fm19-real-names-license-fix.html

It says you don't need to start a new save for the fix to work. Hopefully their correct. I looked at the German squad after I installed it, and the fake names were still there. 

Hopefully it'll kick in when a new squad needs to be announced. It'll be a pain in the backside otherwise. 

I'll just have to crack on with trying to get Plymouth Argyle to the Premier League by August 2026, and hope the fix works. 

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Christmas and New Year 2022/2023

 

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17th of December 2022

 

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Wrexham beat us for the 2nd time this season, scoring 2 goals by the half hour mark. Their 19 year-old Centre-forward, Kieran Wynne gave them the early lead after only 2 minutes, when his direct free-kick beat McGill at the near post. And they went 2 up after 30 minutes, when Tobias Hayles-Docherty got in behind our defence and pulled it back from the byline, for the 17 year-old forward, Jason Walker to finish. 

A minute later, the ball was in the back of our net for the 3rd time, but it got ruled out, as Wynne was adjudged to be offside. 

Chris Parkin and Adam Lewis made their debuts for Plymouth Argyle in this match, when they came off the bench in the 2nd half. Unfortunately, they were unable to turn the scoreline around for us, and we left The Racecourse Ground empty handed. 

This defeat sees us drop 1 place in the League One table, back down to 8th place,  but still 4 points behind 6th place Northampton Town. 

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18th of December 2022

 

World Cup Final 2022

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Paulo Dybala lifted the World Cup trophy for Argentina in Qatar, after Cristian Pavon scored the games only goal in extra time. 

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Boxing Day 2022

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After a bad 1st half display by us, Jamie Proctor poked home the only goal of the match, 6 minutes into the 2nd half. Nyaupembe swung in high floating cross to the far post, Bloomfield got his head on it, knocking towards goal, and Proctor was there to prod it home. 

These 3 points gives 37 points in the table, after 25 matches. We remain in 8th place, 4 away from the playoff spots. 

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28th of December 2022

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Alex Whitmore has agreed to sign a new contract. His new deal expires in June 2025 and he’ll earn 2.7K a week. 

Both Okenabirhie and young defender, James O’Reilly have rejected a chance to extend their contracts beyond June 2023. Hopefully, we can get them to sign during the course of the rest of the season.

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New Years Eve 2022

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We ended 2022 on a high, as we beat Portsmouth 1-0 in Fratton Park, to enter the 4th Round Draw for the FA Cup! Mason Bloomfield scored the all important goal in the 57th minute, from the penalty spot, after Cameron Sangster was fouled on the edge box.  

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We’ll play another Championship club in the 4th Round of the FA Cup, as we were drawn to play Stoke City at home. Stoke are currently 6th in the Championship table, so they’ll be the favourites but with nothing to lose and a great record in Home Park, I’m hopeful of another upset, when we face them on the 21st of January 2023.   

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After the win in Fratton Park, the board decided to grant my wish and upgrade both the training and youth facilities at the club. Although they were reluctant at first, they granted my request when they considered the great season we’re having. In total, they’re investing 3.4 Million to upgrade the facilities. I believe it’s a wise investment, as we need to start producing our quality players to take us onto another level. 

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3rd of January 2023 

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In our 1st match of 2023, 19 year-old Bristol City Striker, Jack Robinson struck a late volley at the death to equalise. Earlier in the 2nd half, we scored twice in 2 minutes, to give us a 2 goal lead. Cameron Sangster nodded in Proctor’s flick-on at the back post in the 52nd minute. And only seconds later, Okenabirhie fired home to put us 2-0 up against our rivals, Bristol City. 

Jack Robinson, on loan from Everton, began a comeback in the 77th minute, when he ran onto Ryan Leonards through ball to score. And just when we thought we’d done enough to secure all 3 points, Robinson popped up again as the match entered added time, with a volley into the top corner. 

It was a devastating late strike, that prevented us from reaching the 40 point mark. We remain in 8th place in the table however, with 38 points from 26 matches, 5 points behind the play-offs, and 11 clear of relegation. 

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7th of January 2023

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We won our 1st away match in the league, since winning in Crewe on the 8th of October, when we traveled up North to beat Rotherham United 3-0. 

Making his very 1st starting appearance for Plymouth Argyle, Adam Lewis fired us in front after a quarter of an hour had gone, with a thunderous strike from just outside the box, deflecting up into the top corner. Jamie Proctor doubled our lead in the 24th minute, when he poked a Cameron Pring cross from the left into the bottom corner. 

In the 2nd half, just before the 60th minute, Mason Bloomfield completed a perfect away day, when he volleyed in Nyaupembe’s cross from the right flank. 

There’s still no change in our position in the table, however, we’re now only 3 points behind 6th place Oxford United.  

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Review

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Both on and off the pitch, we’ve had a good Christmas and beginning to the New Year. 

The planned facilities upgrade and the 1-0 win in Fratton Park, along with collecting a further 7 points in the 4 matches in League One, has given me a lot of optimism for the rest of 2023. 

 

Looking ahead to the rest of January, the standout match is 4th Round Cup tie against Stoke City on the 21st. Before that however, we have 3 League One matches to play. The first of these is on the 10th, when 4th place Reading visit Home Park looking for revenge for their defeat earlier in the season. Then after that, we have 2 consecutive away matches, when we visit Oxford United on the 14th, followed by another away match against Bristol Rovers on Wednesday the 18th of January. A week after the Cup match against Stoke, we complete the month, when Walsall visit Home Park on the 28th of January. 

 

With the transfer window still open, there may be a few comings and goings at Plymouth to report on, in the next few weeks too. And maybe we can continue our FA Cup adventure, while maintaining our push to sneak into the League One playoffs too?

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January 2023

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10th of January 2023
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After we took an early lead in the 10th minute, Reading equalised in the 2nd half, to come away with a point from Home Park. Mason Bloomfield opened the scoring for us, when his strike partner, Jamie Proctor hit a glorious pass in behind the Reading defence, for Bloomfield to use his pace and score. 

An error by Nyaupembe, while clearing the ball down the pitch, let 20 year-old Tottenham loanee, Bryan Barton in on goal to finish in the 63rd minute. 

The point moves us onto 42 points now, 8 more points and we’ll have reached the mysterious target of 50 points, the supposed number needed to avoid relegation. 
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11th of January 2023
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The night after our 1-1 draw with Reading, there were 2 matches of potential significance for us. Bradford City moved to within a point of us, after beating Mansfield Town 1-0 at home. And in the other nights match, Bristol Rovers drew 0-0 with Oxford United. We once again remain 8th in the table, 3 points behind the top 6. 

 

 

12th of January 2023
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After failing to agree terms with Wrexham, Joe Quigley has decided to go on loan for the rest of the season. The target man, who hasn’t scored this season, will travel across the Irish Sea to play for Shamrock Rovers in Dublin. They’ll pay all his wages, 1.3K a week, for the duration of the loan and we get him off our books, for the time being. 

 

 

 

14th of January 2023
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We ended our 5 match unbeaten run of form, when we faced Oxford United in Kassam Stadium. Attacking midfielder, Conor McAleny got the only goal of the match in the 28th minute, when he was at the far post to get on the end of a cross from the right flank. 

It was a disappointing performance where we never managed a shot on target, although Mason Bloomfield had the ball in the net, in the 40th minute, but it was ruled out for offside. 

We still remain in 8th place however, 4 points behind the 6th in the table, Northampton Town.  
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18th of January 2023
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We lost for the 2nd consecutive time, when we got beaten 3-1 by Bristol Rovers in the Memorial Stadium. 
Jamie Proctor gave us an early lead after 3 minutes, lashing the ball to net, after their Centre-half, Sonny Bradley failed to clear the danger effectively. One-nil up at half-time, away from home, I was happy and optimistic about our chances of holding onto the slender lead. 

All of that optimism disappeared in the 47th minute, when a long ball played in behind the defence by Man of the Match Reece Cole, allowed Antoine Semenyo to finish, first time to the back of the net. 
About a minute after Bristol Rovers had equalised, Proctor thought he had a 2nd goal, but it was ruled out for offside. In the 57th minute, centre-midfielder Reece Cole found the back of our net, with a strike from outside the box, that put Bristol Rovers 2-1 up. As the match edged towards the full-time whistle, the 20 year old attacking midfielder, David Noble scored a direct free-kick, to seal the 3 points for Bristol Rovers. 
The defeat means we drop one place in the table to 9th, with 16 matches left. 
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21st of January 2023
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The day before our 4th Round Cup tie against Stoke City, there were 8 League One matches played. Bradford City jumped ahead of us in the table, by beating Crewe 3-2 at home. Oxford United had a surprising defeat at home against bottom club Rotherham United, while there were also wins for Luton Town, Salford City, MK Dons, and Burton Albion. 
Northampton Town drew 0-0 at home against leaders Fleetwood Town, which keeps them in 6th place, five points ahead of us in 10th place.
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22nd of January 2023
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Stoke City beat us 3-2 in the 4th Round of the FA Cup, in front of a packed Home Park. It was raining goals in the 1st half of this one, as all 5 goals came in a frantic first 45 minutes. 

Stoke burst out of the traps early and scored their 1st after only 5 minutes, when Yakou Meite finished a fine move that involved several intricate passes on the edge of our box. Jamie Proctor equalised after only 12 minutes, by drilling a low shot from outside the box, to the corner of the net.  Two minutes after that Stoke City equalised, when young Manchester City loanee, Declan Roberts-Smith got his head on an in-direct free-kick. Stoke City appeared to be pulling away from us, when they got a 3rd goal in the 36th minute. Cameron Sangster deflecting in Benik Afobe’s header to make it 3-1 to the visitors. 
Just before half-time, we got back in it, when Mason Bloomfield scored to make it 3-2. 

It calmed down in the 2nd half, although we had the best chance of the half, when Okenabirhie raced in on goal, only to be denied by Stoke City goalkeeper, Joe Bursik. 
We exit in the 4th Round stage, after losing our 3rd consecutive match but we can be proud of our performance, despite defeat. 
After the match, it was announced that the club took in a record 400k in gate receipts. 
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I also completed the loan deal to bring Tyler Forbes for the rest of the season. Forbes, who I sold to Bolton Wanderers while I managed Newport County, is a right wing-back, who can also be just as effective on the right side of midfield. His contract runs out in the Summer, and I’m hopeful my Director of Football can convince him to make his stay in Devon, a more permanent one soon.  

 

 

24th of January 2023
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Tyler Forbes arrival in Devon, has meant Zak Mills, our now 3rd choice right wing-back, has moved to Rochdale for 10K. The 30 year-old, who only made 2 appearances this season, has slipped down the pecking order since Nyaupembe arrived last season. 

 

 

27th of January 2023
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Dan Butler has been sold to rivals Bristol City, for an initial fee of 46,500K, that could rise to 56K. The 28 year-old left wing-back, was in the final 6 months of his contract, so when the bid from Bristol City came in, it made sense for me to sell. Since Adam Lewis arrived at the club, we have 3 players who can play at left wing-back, so that was another reason to sell. 

On the same day, I loaned veteran midfielder Jimmy Ryan to Shamrock Rovers. He’ll link up with Joe Quigley for the rest of the season. And with his contract expiring in the Summer, it’s highly likely we’ve seen the last of him in a Plymouth Argyle jersey. 
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28th of January 2023
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We got back to winning ways, when we faced a Walsall team, managed by former Irish International Shane Long, in January’s final fixture. After 8 minutes, Alex Whitmore leapt highest to nod a corner situation in from close range. Mason Bloomfield scored our 2nd goal in the 42nd minute. Bloomfield ran onto a ball played down the left channel, beat his man while turning inside onto his favoured right foot and curled a shot, past the ‘keeper and in at the far corner. We were 3 up by the half-time whistle, thanks to a goal by left wing-back, Cameron Pring, only a minute later. 

Five minutes after the restart of the 2nd half, Bloomfield scored his 2nd to put us 4-0 up and out of sight. 
Our biggest win of the season sees us reach 45 points, only 2 points behind 6th place Bradford City. 
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With Jimmy Ryan loaned to Shamrock Rovers, I decided to recall 19 year-old midfielder, Loric Manga, from his loan spell with Cheltenham Town, and move him into the 1st team squad. Manga has scored 4 goals in his 22 appearances for the National League side this season, and I feel it’s time we gave him a chance. Although he was born in Plymouth, he already has 6 international caps for the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

 

 

31st of January 2023
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Just before the window closed, I agreed a deal with Oxford United to sell Fejiri Okenabirhie. He joined from Shrewsbury Town in January 2022, for 205K, and went on to score 9 goals in 39 appearances. Since he was entering the final 6 months in his contract and his agent had indicated his preference for a move to Kassam Stadium, I accepted the bid of 62K. 

Another late deal to go through, was Birmingham City snapping up the highly rated youngster, Michael Bennett, from our U-18 side. Since I’ve given control of all youth transfers to my Head of Youth Development, this came out of the blue to me. The 17 year-old, who was rated as our hottest prospect, moves for an initial fee of 49K, that may rise to 110K. Maybe we could have got more but at least we have 40% of profit included, should he move again. 
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The Squad
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Five players have left the club and the 1st team squad in this transfer window. And I now have a few new additions added to the 23 man squad, for the rest of the 15 remaining matches. 
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Review
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The win in the last match against Walsall, has taken the bad look off of our recent form, moving into February.  We’re two points behind the playoff places, going into the final third of this season, and I’m optimistic we can recover from those 3 consecutive defeats. 

Looking ahead, we’ve 4 matches in February, beginning on the 4th in Home Park,  when 7th place Northampton Town visit. It’s a big match against another club trying to make the playoffs. A week after that match, we travel to Yorkshire, to take on relegation troubled Rochdale. On the 18th of February, we’ll play another club who are fighting relegation this season, Mansfield Town. Our 4th and final fixture of February, takes place on the 25th, when my old club Newport County visit Home Park. 
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February 2023

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4th of February 2023
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We had a chance of moving of moving into top 6 with a win, but a 2nd half equaliser by Northampton Town, sees us drop one place in the table to 10th. After about half an hour, Jamie Proctor put us ahead from the penalty spot, when Tyler Forbes was tripped inside the box. 

Northampton equalised about ten minutes into the 2nd half, when their 24 year-old centre-midfielder, Lewis Hardcastle fired a shot from just outside the box, that flew into the top corner.  
We’re on 46 points now, 2 behind Northampton Town in 6th place. 
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8th of February 2023
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After several failed attempts, we finally got Dougie Nyaupembe to agree on a 1 year extension of his contract. The 23 year-old right wing-back, has assisted in 10 goals in his 25 appearances this season, so it’s good news to get him to agree to extend his deal. 

 

 


11th of February 2023
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We drew our 2nd consecutive match, when we travelled to play 2nd from bottom, Rochdale in the Crown Oil Arena. Mason Bloomfield put us 1 up in the 27th minute, when he ran on to a long pass and took it around the ‘keeper, who had come off his line, and scored from a very narrow angle. 
We were about to get ready to take the 1-0 lead into the halftime break, until Tommy Maja, the young 19 year-old striker on loan from Arsenal, scored from a direct free-kick in the 44th minute.

Chris Parkin made his 1st start for Plymouth Argyle in this match, because Jamie Proctor was serving the 1st of his 2 match suspension, for collecting too many yellow cards this season. 
This point away from home sees us in 9th place in the table, 4 points behind 6th place. 

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18th of February 2023
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Our Number 1 Goalkeeper, Thomas McGill was our best player in our 0-0 draw against Mansfield Town away. Mansfield had 9 attempts on target in this one, but couldn’t find a way past our 6’2” ‘keeper, who has now recorded 11 clean sheets this season. 

We could have nicked it late on, when Bloomfield put the ball in the net in the 84th minute, but the linesman raised his flag to cancel. 
Our 3rd consecutive drawn match, has seen us drop 2 places in the table to 11th, 5 points behind our rivals Bristol City, in 6th placed.  
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19th of February 2023
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Chelsea won the 2023 League Cup Final, by beating Manchester United in Wembley. Lewis Cook struck the winner for Chelsea in Extra-time, to prevent the final being decided on penalties. 

 

 


25th of February 2023
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For the 3rd time this month, we squandered a 1-0 lead and ended up drawing 1-1, when we faced my former club, Newport County in Home Park. We were 1-0 up at halftime, thanks to a goal by our Centre-half, Alex Whitmore, shortly after the half hour mark. Whitmore poked the ball home after Charlie Wakefield’s free-kick delivery, caused a goalmouth scramble inside the Newport County box.
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Newport equalised in the 86th minute, when 19 year-old Sheffield United loanee, Richie Rowett was at the far post to put a cross from the left, past our No.1 ‘keeper McGill. 
We’ve gone 5 without defeat now, and there’s only 4 points separating us from 6th place, but I can’t help feeling like we’ll regret turning at least some of these drawn matches into wins, come the season’s end. 
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Review
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February has been a frustrating month. Four draws in the four matches this month, has seen us drop to 12th in the table. And this has been made worse by the fact we took the lead in 3 of those 4 drawn matches, only to see it pulled back. It’s not all bad though, as we’re only 4 points away from the playoffs, with 11 matches left in our season. 

We’ve 5 league matches in March. The first match of the month is the West Country Derby against Exeter City. They are 2nd in the table, after winning 3 games on the trot, but I’m hopeful we can gain revenge for their win earlier in the season. Three nights after that, we take on Salford City in Home Park in a midweek fixture. Salford City sit 4th in the table, after a bad run of form saw them drop away from the automatic places. On Saturday the 11th, we face Crewe at home, who are not yet safe from relegation. 
A week after that, on the 18th, we travel up North to face Bradford City. Then we face Leyton Orient on the 25th of March in Home Park, in our final match of the month of March. 
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March 2023

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2nd of March 2023
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Two days before we are set to play Exeter City away in the West Country Derby, our top goalscorer, Mason Bloomfield is ruled out for up to 4-5 weeks, after picking up a hernia injury. 
Our youngster, Chris Parkin will get his opportunity to play 1st team football in Bloomfields absence.  
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4th of March 2023
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Local rivals Exeter City beat us 1-0 in St.James Park to continue their march towards automatic promotion. An unfortunate own goal our right wing-back, Tyler Forbes, in the 47th minute was the decisive moment of this local derby match. 
PNG: Unbeaten Run Ends
This defeat ends our unbeaten run of 5 matches and leaves us in 12th place, 7 points adrift of the playoff places with only 10 matches remaining in our season. 

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7th of March 2023
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In my 100th match in charge of Plymouth Argyle, Tom Bayliss struck twice for Salford City in our worst defeat of the season, 3-0 the final scoreline. Salford scored their 1st goal in the 35th minute, when Bayliss was in the right place at the right time to tap in, after a corner for Salford caused panic in our defence. 
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In the 2nd half, with about 20 minutes left, Paul Smyth thumped in a header at the far post to Salford 2 goals up. As the match approached the 90th minute, Bayliss scored his 2nd goal, a fine team goal that involved several passes in the build-up, to finish the match with Salford as deserved 3-0 winners.
Our 2nd defeat in 4 days leaves us in 12th place, now 10 points behind the playoff teams. With only 9 matches left in our season, it’s looking increasingly unlikely we’ll make those playoffs. 
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8th of March 2023
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With the club safely tucked into mid-table mediocrity, I began to prepare myself for next season. 
The new board have allowed me to study for a Continental C license. This will take around 4 months to gain, which means I should have it ready for the beginning of pre-season in the Summer.  


9th of March 2023
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This new board at Plymouth Argyle seem to like me so much, that they’re granting every wish I make. 
They’ve also agreed to extend my contract, which ran out in June 2024, for another year, which will bring it up to June 2025. Considering we’ve only won 1 in the last 11 matches, I’m surprised and delighted to be given greater job security. 


11th of March 2023
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Two days after extending my contract, we ended our 6 match winless streak by beating Crewe 1-0 in Home Park. Alex Whitmore headed in the only goal in the 13th minute, when the Centre-half got on the end of Charlie Wakefield’s in-swinging corner.

 
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The win has given me some sort of renewed hope that we can sneak into the playoffs. With us now 7 points behind 6th placed Oxford, however we’d need to go on a serious run of good form, in the remaining 8 matches, to stand any chance. 
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For those that care about this sort of stuff, I checked the German squad list again, and it looks like the fix I downloaded worked.
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18th of March 2023
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Two substitutes for Bradford City, both scored 2 late goals to win all 3 points. Only 7 minutes after coming on, right winger Nathan Tella, scored the first goal of the match in the 79th minute. Twenty year-old attacking midfielder, Steven Finn wrapped up the win for Bradford City in the 4th minute of added time.
After this defeat, we’re in 12th place now, 8 points behind the playoff teams, with 7 matches left until the end of the season. 
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25th of March 2023
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Leyton Orient were reduced to 10 men in the 58th minute, but we still couldn’t find the winning goal in Home Park. After a dangerous two-footed lunge at Flynn Downes, midfielder Ruben Sammut was shown the red card. A minute later, we brought on Mason Bloomfield, who had just recently returned from injury, and went all out attack. We had 10 shots on goal throughout the 90 minutes, but only 2 of those shots hit the target. 
This scoreless draw has effectively ended our hopes of reaching the top 6. We’re still 12th in the table, 10 points behind 6th place, with only 6 matches left in our season. 
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26th of March 2023
Oxford United won the 2023 EFL Trophy, beating Doncaster Rovers 3-1 in the final in Wembley. 
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Review
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After his injury earlier in March, we really missed Mason Bloomfield upfront, as we only scored once in the 5 matches in March. It’s at times like these, that I regret allowing Okenabihrie go to Oxford in January. Four points from a possible fifteen, sees us 10 points adrift of making the playoffs, with only 6 matches remaining. 
Looking at the positive side of things, we’re 13 points clear of relegation and we’ll more than likely be mathamathicilly safe within the next 3 fixtures. 
April begins with an away trip to take on Charlton Athletic in the Valley. Charlton are only 4 points above the drop zone, so they’ll surely be giving it everything to avoid relegation. 
We’ve another away match on Good Friday, when we travel to take on another relegation threatened side, Burton Albion. Then on Easter Monday, we face Peterborough United, who are currently 3rd from bottom, in Home Park.   
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Easter 2023

 

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1st of April 2023
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We went 2 down after the first 15 minutes but a 2nd half comeback earned us a point in the Valley. Charlton’s first arrived after 11 minutes, when Sam Dalby finished a cross to the far post, by young right full-back, Garry Troke. Only 4 minutes later, we were already 2 down, when a bad headed clearance by Tyler Forbes, allowed Arsenal loanee, Trae Coyle to capitalise. 

In the 2nd half, Jamie Proctor scored from the penalty spot in the 50th minute, after Charlie Wakefield was deemed to have been fouled in the box. Fifteen minutes from full-time, Chris Parkin nodded in the equaliser at the far post, his 1st ever goal for Plymouth Argyle, after a cross from the right by Forbes. 
That goal has earned us our 54th point of the season and we’re nestled safely in 12th position. 
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Good Friday 2023
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In our traditional Good Friday fixture, we drew our 3rd consecutive match in a scoreless draw against Burton Albion away. With only 4 matches left now, we’re only 1 win away from guaranteeing safety. 
And with us 11 points behind the playoff places, it’s looking increasingly unlikely we’ll make the top 6.
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Easter Monday 2023
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Only 2 days later, our 20 year-old Target Man, Chris Parkin scored twice in our 4-2 victory over Peterborough in Home Park. 
After a scoreless 1st half, Chris Parkin scored the 1st goal in the 47th minute, when he headed in a cross from the left flank by Adam Lewis. About halfway through the 2nd half, Parkin was the provider, when Mason Bloomfield nodded in his cross from the byline. With just under 20 minutes remaining, we went 3-0 up, when Adam Lewis fired in a shot. Peterborough refused to go away however, and scored twice in the final ten minutes, to put them back in with a shout of earning a draw. As the match neared the 90th minute, Chris Parkin rose highest on an Adam Lewis corner, to put us 4-2 up, and ease the nerves. 
The win has made us mathematically safe from relegation with 3 matches left in our season. 
We’re also now 8 points behind the playoffs and it looks unlikely still. 
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Review
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We’ve collected 5 points from the last 3 matches, to insure we achieved our target of avoiding relegation, with 3 matches left in our season. We still have a chance, although it’s very slim, of making the playoffs, and we’ll need nothing less than 3 wins from next 3 matches. Even at that, it might not be enough. 

The 1st of those final 3 matches, sees us travel to Kenilworth Road on the 15th of April, to take on a Luton Town side, who also have hopes of sneaking into the playoffs. 
A week after that, we’ll play our final home match of the season, when we face table toppers Fleetwood Town in Home Park. Fleetwood are already promoted, but will want to end their season as League One Champions. Our final match of the season takes place in Milton Keynes on the 29th of April. 
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April 2023

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15th of April 2023
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Mason Bloomfield and Adam Lewis both scored twice, as we came out as winners in a 7 goal thriller in Kenilworth Road. This win has earned us our 61st point of the season but were officially out of the running for the playoffs. 


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22nd of April 2023
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Even though there’s nothing much to play for now, I still wanted to win the last home match of the season against top of the table, Fleetwood Town. Two goals by loanee, Tyler Forbes, helped us to beat a Fleetwood side, who only needed a draw to be crowned Champions. This win guarantees us a top-half finish in League One this season. Heading into the final game of the season, there’s 5 teams battling for the remaining 3 playoff places. At the bottom end of the table, my old club Newport County is just 1 point away from safety, going into the final day.


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29th of April 2023
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In our final match of the season, we lost 2-0 to MK Dons. It means we have finished the season in 11th place in the table, after amassing a total of 64 points from the 46 matches. 
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Fleetwood were crowned League One Champions for 2023, winning the title ahead of our local rivals Exeter City, but only on goal difference. The playoffs will be contested by Reading, Salford City, Bristol City and Wrexham. And at the bottom of the table, Walsall, Rochdale, Peterborough, and my old club, Newport County, were all relegated to League Two. 
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2022/23 Season Review
Finishing 11th isn’t a bad season for freshly promoted side. Still though, I can’t help but regret that dodgy 2 months in February and March. If it wasn’t for those results we’d be in the playoffs now. 

Getting promoted next season is extremely important, if I want to reach the aim of having Plymouth Argyle in the Premier League by August 2026. With that in mind, the next transfer window is crucial.

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I’ll be looking to add a bit of depth in both defence and attack in the Summer, and I’ve already decided not to renew the contracts of 4 players in the 1st team squad. Liam Nolan, Matthew Platt, James O’Reilly and Jack Rhodes Hamilton will leave Plymouth Argyle. 

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I hope to be able to bring in, at most, 6 or 7 players on permanent deals. We need 2 new additions upfront, to add a bit of squad depth for our push for promotion. Another 2 or 3 defenders need to brought in too, as we lack a bit of cover there. And maybe a defensive midfielder would be a good idea too, if the right type of player becomes available. I also hope to be able to sign Tyler Forbes on a free, once his contract with Bolton Wanderers expires. 
All of that would mean I’d have about 25 players available at the beginning of next season.

Below is some of the team stats for the season just finished. We're at the bottom of the average possession stats table, and even more unsurprisingly, we top both tables in heading.

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We’re also bottom of the pass completion table as usual, while we’ve the best tackling success in the league, along with fouls made, which shows you we’re not afraid to get stuck in. 

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My next update will be a round-up of both the English and European Competitions. 

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The 2022/23 Season Round-Up

Plymouth Argyle F.C Awards
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Our big number 9, Jamie Proctor was again awarded the fans player of the season, at the Plymouth Argyle End of Season Awards. Our veteran midfielder, Jimmy Ryan won goal of the season for his strike against Wycombe Wanderers on the 30th of August. And Thomas McGill, our No.1 ‘keeper, was voted as the signing of the season, after he picked up 18 clean sheets this season. The young player of the season award was given to Dougie Nyaupembe, after he assisted in 12 goals this season. 
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The board have informed me, that they won’t be going ahead with the planned training and youth facilities upgrade, due to a lack of finance. It’s disappointing, although I kinda knew it wasn’t going to happen, as it was too good to be true. 


English Football 

Premier League
Liverpool, now managed by Pep Guardiola, ended their 33 year wait for a League Title this season. They finished 2 points ahead of rivals Manchester United, to claim their 1st ever title in the Premier League era. Chelsea and Manchester City claimed the remaining Champions League spots, by finishing 3rd and 4th. For the 2nd successive season, Brighton have qualified for Europe by finishing in 7th place, while both Arsenal and Tottenham, missed out on Champions League football again. 
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Ipswich Town only spent 1 season in the Premier League, before being relegated. The other 2 clubs to join them in next season's Championship are Crystal Palace and Swansea City. 

 

 

 

English Championship
Leeds United are back in the Premier League, after they finished top of the Championship table this season. Watford will join Leeds in next season’s Premier League, after finishing 6 points behind them in 2nd place. 
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Leicester City had to settle for the playoff route, after they finished 3rd in the table. They were eventually promoted though, as they went on to beat Derby County 3-2, in the playoff Final in Wembley.
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At the other end of the Championship table, Wimbledon, Preston North End, and Hull City were relegated to next season’s League One. 
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League One Playoffs
Reading were promoted to next season’s Championship, after they beat Salford City in the League One playoff final in Wembley. 
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League Two
Shrewsbury Town were crowned Champions of League Two, after they finished 1st, 4 points ahead of Lincoln City in 2nd place. Notts County were also promoted to next season’s League One, after they finished the season in 3rd place. 
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For the 2nd consecutive season, Barnet missed out on promotion, by losing  in the League Two playoff Final. Wycombe Wanderers beat them 3-1 in Wembley, to book their place in next season’s League One. 
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Both Scunthorpe United and Accrington Stanley were relegated from the Football League this season. 

 

 

 

National League
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Southend United will be back in the Football League next season, after they were crowned National League Champions. Torquay United will join them, after they gained promotion via the playoffs. 

At the other end of the National League table, Dulwich Hamlet, Eastleigh, Gateshead, and Boston United were the 4 relegated clubs this season. 
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National League North and South
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Telford United and Southport were promoted to the National League, from the National League North, while in the National League South, Boreham Wood and Woking were promoted into next season’s National League. 

At the bottom of the National League North, Scarborough, South Shields, and Warrington were relegated. 
While Hemel Hempstead Town, Hornchurch, and Concord Rangers were relegated from the National League South. 
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F.A Cup
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Guardiola has guided Liverpool to a double in his 1st season in charge, after the Merseyside club lifted the 2023 FA Cup.

 

 

European Football 

Champions League
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Atletico de Madrid lifted the Champions League Trophy, after beating Manchester United in a penalty shoot-out in the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam. 

 

 

Europa League
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Tottenham Hotspurs missed out on a chance to qualify for next season's Champions League, when they lost the Europa League final to RB Leipzig in Stade de France. 

 

 


Manager Movement
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Despite only losing the Champions League final in a penalty shoot-out, Jose Mourinho has been sacked from Manchester United. Only 1 year after lifting the Premier League title, Mourinho leaves, having spent 7 years at Manchester United. 

Two years after he was sacked as Manager of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp returns to English Football, as Manchester City boss. The German has spent the interim two seasons as Manager of Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga in both 2022 and 2023. He takes over a Manchester City side, that has the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Kylian Mbappe amongst its playing staff. 
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  • 3 weeks later...

Summer 2023
It has been a long and busy Summer in Devon, ahead of a make or break season…

Transfers In
I’ve made 8 signings in the months of June and July, with 5 permanent deals made, and 2 more joining temporarily on loan. 

9th of June 2023
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The first 2 players to join Plymouth Argyle this summer were Tyreeq Bakinson and Michael Phillips.
 
Bakinson, who was on loan to Newport County from Bristol City, when I took over them back in November 2018, joins from National League side Fylde for 110K. The 6’2” midfielder, who can play in the middle and on the right side, is my type of player, as he’s a hard-working physical footballer with an ability to strike a ball from distance.

Michael Phillips joins us from the League Two club, Sutton United, for a fee of 58K. The 6’1”, 25 year-old Centre-half, has good pace and acceleration, combined with excellent positional attributes, so he’ll fit nicely into a back 3, playing alongside Whitmore and Lavelle in the middle on cover duty. 
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18th of June 2023
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The 3rd acquisition this Summer was also a Centre-half. George Shelford will join us for the course of the upcoming season after Stoke City agreed to loan him out. The 18 year-old, who will turn 19 this summer, is strong, fast, aggressive, and excellent in the air. He’ll get his chance, whenever our captain Sam Lavelle is unavailable. 

 

 

1st of July 2023 
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Our 4th signing this Summer was the free transfer of Ike Ugbo from Charlton Athletic. Ugbo, the 23 year-old forward, only made 3 appearances from the bench for Charlton last season, but hopefully he’ll be a useful addition to the squad for the upcoming season. 

 

 

4th of July 2023
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For my 5th Summer signing, I resigned Harry Lennon from my former club, Newport County. The 28-year old becomes the 3rd Centre-half I’ve signed this Summer, after he completed his move from Wales to Devon, for a fee of 82K. 

 

 

6th of July 2023
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Another defender joined us on loan, when Middlesborough agreed to allow their young full-back, Matthew Gibbins to join until the 1st of January 2024. The 19 year-old, spent last season playing in League Two for Barnet, where he made 42 starts for the Bees. He’ll get his chance for us at right full-back, whenever I decide to play with a back four. 

 


13th of July 2023
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My 5th permanent signing this Summer also involved Middlesborough. Twenty year-old winger, Adam Pearce-Vince, joins us for a fee of 74K. Pearce-Vince, who is adept on both feet, can do a job for me on both flanks. He leaves Middlesborough, after failing to make a single appearance for them, since his move there from Peterborough United, in the Summer of 2022. 
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25th of July 2023
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I signed 33 year-old, Freddie Sears on a free contract, and also gave him a role on the coaching staff, making him the U-18 Manager in the process. His contract with Colchester United expired at the end of last season, and although he doesn’t have much pace, I feel his experience could be a help to the squad throughout the upcoming season. 

 


Transfers Out
Two 1st team players have been sold from the club this Summer, both of them defenders. 

18th of June 2023

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For a fee of 150K, Ryan Sweeney has joined the newly promoted Championship side Reading.
The 26 year old Centre-half, who was going into the last year of his contact, made it be known that he wanted to join Reading, so it made sense to accept the bid. Sweeney spent 4 seasons in Devon, making 96 appearances in his time with Plymouth Argyle. 

 


26th of July 2023
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For an initial fee of about 25K, Nathan McGinley was sold to Leyton Orient. The 26 year-old full-back, had been unhappy about the amount of playing time he got last season, when he only made 9 appearances.  

 

 


Players promoted to 1st Team Squad
I’ve decided to promote 2 youngsters, who spent last season out on loan, into the 1st team Squad: 
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Adam Morgan spent last season playing for National League side Fylde, where he made 24 appearances. With Nathan McGinley sold to Leyton Orient, I feel Morgan would be able to step into the role of defensive left full-back, when we play with a back four. 

The 2nd player to be promoted into the 1st team squad this Summer is Jordan Adebayo-Smith. He was loaned out last season to Torquay United, where he ended up as the topscorer in the National League with 22 goals. The 21 year-old only joined us last summer, after he was snapped up on a free by our Head of Youth Development, after his contract with Lincoln City expired. He’ll be a backup option to Mason Bloomfield upfront, but he can also do a job for me on the left wing too. I’m hopeful he carries last season’s form into the upcoming season for us.
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1st Team Squad
With the transfer window still open for another 10 days, there may be a few more comings and goings in that time. 
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My next update will preview the upcoming season, by looking at our pre-season form , the League One pre-season odds, the competition expectations set by the board, and our fixture list for August 2023. 
 

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The 2023/24 Season Preview

Coaching badges Upgrade
About a week into preseason, news came through, that I’ve finally upgraded my National A License into a Continental C License!
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Pre-Season Odds
According to the bookmakers we’re priced at 20-1 to gain promotion in the forthcoming season. 
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Our rivals Bristol City are ranked as the favourite for promotion, while Preston North End and Hull City are predicted to finish 2nd and 3rd in the upcoming League One season.
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Our Number 10, Mason Bloomfield, has been made 4-1 favourite, to be the top scorer in League One, by the end of the season.  
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Expectations
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The board announced their expectations for the season ahead. They expect us to at least finish mid-table in League One, while progress in both FA Cup and League Cup is expected this season. 

And the draw for the 1st Round of the League Cup, has seen us paired to play Forest Green in Home Park. It’s a favourable draw that I expect us to come through, comfortably. 
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We’ve played 7 friendly matches ahead of the new season. We won 3, drew 3, and had a bad result against Cheltenham Town, losing 2-1. 

The real thing kicks off on the 5th of August, when we face rivals and League One favourites, Bristol City, in Home Park. Four days after that, we have our 1st away match of the season, when we play Charlton Athletic in the Valley. The following Saturday, we face Leyton Orient at Home Park. And then, we take on Forest Green Rovers in the League Cup, on Wednesday night. We’ve 2 consecutive away matches then, when we face Oxford United on Saturday the 19th, before facing Crewe, on Tuesday night the 22nd. Our final fixture in August is on the 26th, when we host Burton Albion in Home Park. 
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Hopefully we can get off to a positive start, that’ll set us up for a promotion challenge this season. 
 

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August 2023

 

 

2nd of August 2023
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We’ve been placed alongside AFC Wimbledon, MK Dons, and Cardiff U23s in group C of the Southern Section in the Checkatrade Trophy. The first round of group matches begin in September, when MK Dons play us in Home Park. The board expect us to reach the knock-out phase, so it’s important we get off to a good start in that match. 

 

 

5th of August 2023
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We got off to a perfect start to the season, by beating rivals Bristol City 1-0, on the opening day of the new season. Adam Lewis struck the only goal of the match, in the 65th minute, which earned us all 3 points. Four players made their debut in the victory. They were left-back Adam Morgan, Adebayo-Smith on the left wing, Adam Pearce-Vince on the opposite wing as an inside forward, and Tyreeq Bakinson was brought on from the bench in the 2nd half. I opted to play with a 4-2-4 system, to counteract Bristol City's wing-backs in their 5-3-2 system. It did the trick, and now I look ahead to playing Charlton in the Valley, in our 1st away match of the new season.  

 

 


9th of August 2023
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I only made one change to the side that beat Bristol City, with Tristan Nydam coming into the team in the middle of the park, and Adam Lewis moving out to play on the left work. Unfortunately, it didn’t work, as Charlton ran out 3-1 winners. The home side raced into a 2-0 lead by the 22nd minute, after having a number of goal ruled out for offside. Sam Surridge scored the first goal in the 17th minute, and 5 minutes later, a free-kick by Man of the Match, Paulo Fernandes, found the back of our net, to put Charlton 2 up. 
Just before half-time, we had the chance to cut their 2 goal lead in half from the penalty spot, but Jamie Proctors shot was saved by Charlton keeper Josh Vickers. 
Seven minutes after the resumption of the 2nd half, Proctor redeemed himself for his earlier miss, when he nodded in a cross from the byline by Adam Lewis. We were pushing for a late equaliser, when Surridge got in behind our defence to score his 2nd goal, and wrap up the points for Charlton. 

 

 

10th of August 2023
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On the final day of the transfer window, Charlie Wakefield completed his move from Plymouth Argyle to Preston North End. The 23 year-old attacking midfielder, moves to the North-West club for a fee of 250K. 
Earlier in the summer, I refused a bid from Preston for him, as I didn’t want to sell him to a club in the same division. As a result, he became unsettled, so I agreed to sell him if a bid matching 250K came in. 
He’ll be a loss, but at least it’ll offer an opportunity to Loric Manga, who I’ve brought back from loan. 
Over the course of the Summer transfer window, we’ve spent 325K on players coming in, while taking in 425K, on players leaving. 

 

 

 

12th of August 2023
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Jamie Proctor was the hero, when we took on Leyton Orient in Home Park, as his 87th minute equaliser rescued a point for us. The O’s took the lead as early as the 5th minute, when Djed Spence turned in an indirect free-kick. It looked as Leyton Orient were going to hang on to all 3 points, until Proctor popped up in the 87th minute, to score his 50th goal for the Argyle. This hard earned point, means we’ve now collected 4 points from the opening 3 matches. 

 

 

16th of August 2023
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Thirteen minutes from time, Shay McCartan scored the only goal of the game, to dump us out of the League Cup in the 1st Round. We had our chances to take the lead earlier in the match but we were wasteful. Dougie Nyaupembe was forced off with an injury in the 53rd minute, and that’ll rule him out for a number of weeks. The disappointing shock exit, in a match I expected to win.
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19th of August 2023

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Three days after our exit in the League Cup, we travelled to Oxford and picked up a point. We got off to a perfect start, when Mason Bloomfield finished to the net in the 4th minute, after a corner caused a goalmouth scramble inside the Oxford United penalty area. 
Within 3 minutes of resumption of play, Oxford drew level, when their left winger, Deese Kasinga-Madia, headed in the equaliser in the 7th minute. 
Oxford were reduced to ten men in the 80th minute, when Liam Shephard picked up a 2nd yellow card. We went all out attack for the final stages after that, but couldn’t find a way to get the winner. 
We’ve now collected 5 points, from the opening 4 league matches. 

 

 


22nd of August 2023
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We had our 1st away win of the season, when we beat Crewe 3-1, despite playing with 10 men for three quarters of this match. Proctor headed in a cross from the left by Adam Lewis, in the 17th minute, to pus 1 up. Only 2 minutes after going 1 up, Tristan Nydam received a straight red for a 2 footed tackle, which forced me into taking off our 2nd striker, Mason Bloomfield. Cameron Sangster came on in his place, slotted into a 3 man midfield, and within fifteen minutes, put us 2 up, with a shot from the edge of the box. 
Crewe got their goal immediately after half-time, when Antoine Semenyo finished to the net, to give the home side hope of a 2nd half comeback. Cameron Pring scored his 1st of the new season, to put us 3-1 up in the 55th minute. This win sees us with 8 points from the opening 5 matches, and has given squad morale a massive boost in the process. 

 

 


26th of August 2023
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We ended the month of August on a real high, by demolishing, a Burton Albion side managed by Tony Pulis, 5-0. A hat-trick by Mason Bloomfield, combined with goals by Adam Lewis and Tom Purrington, saw us steamroller Burton in front of a crowd of 11,100 fans in Home Park. The win moves us into 8th place in the table, with 11 points from the first 6 matches of the new season. 
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29th of August 2023
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Only 3 days after scoring a hat-trick against Burton Albion, Mason Bloomfield has been ruled out for 6 to 8 weeks, with a lower back stress fracture. His replacement upfront will be Jordan Adebayo-Smith. 

 

 

30th of August 2023
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Our 1st group match in the Checkatrade Trophy has been postponed, due to international call-ups. The match was due to take place on the 5th of September, will now happen at a later date of the 20th of September. 

 

 

 

Review
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Apart from the shock defeat against Forest Green in the League Cup, we’ve had a decent and steady start to the new season. The last two wins have seen us rise to 8th in the table, and I’m hopeful we can continue that recent form into September. 

We play Wigan Athletic in Home Park on the 2nd, before travelling to Meadow Lane a week later, to take on Notts County. The following Saturday, we face AFC Wimbledon in Plough Lane. On the Wednesday night after that, we’ll play MK Dons in our 1st Checkatrade Group game. Shrewsbury Town visit Home Park on the 23rd, and then we’ll complete Septembers fixtures, with a trip to the KCOM Stadium, to take on the recently relegated Hull City. 
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September 2023

 

 

2nd of September 2023
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We began September as we ended August. A 4-0 demolition of Wigan Athletic, spearheaded by Jamie Proctor, who had a hat-trick of goals scored by half-time. Our Summer signing, Harry Lennon, also got a goal, his 1st for Plymouth Argyle, in a perfect first half performance by us. 
This win sees us rise up to 5th in the League One table, with 14 points from the first 7 matches. 
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6th of September 2023
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Freddie Sears picked up a hip injury in training, that’ll rule him out for 3-4 months. The 33 year-old, who only joined last summer on a free, is Manager of our U-18 team, but has failed to make an appearance in our 1st team, as of yet. 

 

 


7th of September 2023
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Our injury list is getting larger by the day. Our number 1 ‘keeper, Thomas McGill, has been ruled out for the next fortnight, with a hamstring injury picked up in training. He is the latest key player to have picked up an injury and he’ll join Bloomfield, Nyaumpembe, and Sears on the treatment table. McGill’s injury will give an opportunity to our 2nd choice ‘keeper, Sam Howes. 

 

 


9th of September 2023
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Two goals in the space of 4 minutes in the 2nd half, by Notts County central midfielder, Connor Kirby, helped the home side onto a 3-0 victory, in Meadow Lane. The defeat sees us drop down one place in the table, to 6th position. 
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16th of September 2023
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We moved up to 3rd position in the table, after beating AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in Plough lane. We got off to a flyer after only 7 minutes, when Jordan Adebayo-Smith scored his 1st ever goal for Plymouth Argyle, by heading in a cross from the right by Nyaupembe. 
We went 2 up only 5 minutes into the 2nd half, when Jack Fitzwater scored past his own ‘keeper. 
Wimbledon pulled a goal back in the 83rd minute, when Edward Caine scored from distance. 
Thankfully it was nothing more than a consolation goal, as we held onto the 3 points. 
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20th of September 2023
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After the match finished a scoreless draw, we won the penalty shoot-out, to bag an additional point, in our 1st EFL Cup match of the season against MK Dons. Our Goalkeeper Thomas McGill saved 2 of their spot-kicks in the shoot-out, which set Flynn Downes up, to score the winning penalty. 


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23rd of September 2023
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We were red hot favourites going into this match, at Home Park against Shrewsbury Town, but ended up getting beaten 3-1 by the visitors, in a disastrous performance. Goals by Jazz Clarke and Bradley Garmston, put Shrewsbury 2 up at the break. And when Leon Mendez capitalised on a mistake by our Goalkeeper, Thomas McGill, in the 53rd minute, it really was curtains for us in this match. 
Substitute, Chris Parkin, scored a late consolation goal in the 83rd minute, but the damage had already been done by that stage. As a consequence for this shock defeat, we drop down to 5th in the table. 
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30th of September 2023
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On the last day of September, we travelled to the KCOM Stadium and lost 3-1 to Hull City. Two goals by Victor Adeboyejo, and an own goal by our captain, Sam Lavelle, put Hull 3 up, with just under 25 minutes to play. Dougie Nyaupembe pulled a goal back for us in the 69th minute, but it proved to be no more than a consolation. We drop down to 10th place in the table, while Hull sit in 3rd position. 
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Review
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September has not been a great month for us, with two wins and three defeats in the five league matches, and a penalty shoot-out win against MK Dons in the EFL trophy. Our poor form has seen us drop down to mid-table, although we still have plenty of time to rectify that.

In October, we’ll be hopeful of getting back to winning ways, when we take on Wrexham at home on the 3rd. Four days later, we travel up to the North-West, to take on Preston in Deepdale. After that, we face the Cardiff U23s at home on Tuesday night, in the EFL trophy. The current League One leaders, Wycombe Wanderers, will visit Home Park on the 14th, looking to continue their excellent start to the season. We’ve another home match a week later, when Mansfield Town travel to Devon. 
The following Tuesday night, we take on Bradford City in the Valley Parade, before taking on Lincoln City at home on the 28th, in our final fixture of October.
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October 2023

 

3rd of October 2023
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We dropped further down the league table, to 14th place, after Wrexham beat us 1-0, in our first match in October.

Their central midfielder, Toby Edser, struck the only goal of the match, in the 69th minute, to inflict our 3rd consecutive defeat. 
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4th of October 2023
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Because we had 4 players called up for International duty, I asked to have our EFL Trophy match against Cardiff U23’s postponed.

The match, originally scheduled for the 10th of October, has been changed to Wednesday the 18th of October instead. 

 

 

7th of October 2023
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We put an end to our recent bad run, by coming from behind to beat Preston North End 4-2 in Deepdale. We got off to a bad start in the 3rd minute, when Sam Surridge got in behind our defence to fire Preston one up. We equalised eight minutes before the half-time break, when Jordan Adebayo-Smith dispossessed the Preston centre-halfs and scored his 2nd goal of the season.
In the 2nd half, with about 20 minutes left in the match, Jamie Proctor headed in a corner to put us 2-1 up. Preston didn’t waste time in equalising, as only 4 minutes later, Riley Doyle finished, making it 2-2  going into the last quarter of an hour. It looked as though we were headed for a draw, until Jordan Adebayo-Smith popped up at the far post, to score his 2nd goal of the match. Jamie Proctor sealed the 4-2 win in the 6th minute of added time, by heading in another corner. 
The shock win in Deepdale has seen us move up 5 places in the table to 9th. 
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14th of October 2023
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Two late goals against Wycombe Wanderers was enough to snatch all 3 points in Home Park. The deadlock was broken in the 86th minute by Jamie Proctor, who rose highest to head in a cross from the left by Cameron Pring.

After that, it was a matter of holding onto the 1-0 victory, but Adam Lewis doubled our advantage in the 3rd minute of added time and sealed the win. 
The win puts us up to 7th position in the table, a point behind 6th placed Notts County, while Wycombe have been overtaken at the top, by Northampton Town. 
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18th of October 2023
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Because AFC Wimbledon had beaten MK Dons a week earlier, we knew a win in this one would qualify us from the group, with a game left to play.

Alex Whitmore headed in 2 goals, one from a corner and the other from an in-direct free-kick, to leave us 2-0 up at the half-time break. 


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In the 34th minute of this match, we were forced to bring on our sub ‘keeper, after Thomas McGill innocuously managed to break his ankle.

It’ll rule him out for 3-4 months, which means Sam Howes will get his chance to prove himself again. 
Jordan Adebayo-Smith put us 3-0 up in the 2nd half, after the Cardiff U23s ‘keeper fumbled the ball into his path.

It’s nice to be able to take it easy in our final group game, knowing qualification is secured. 


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21st of October 2023
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Mason Bloomfield was the hero against Mansfield Town, as he came from the bench to strike a late equaliser in the 86th minute.

Earlier in the 2nd half, CJ Hamilton put Mansfield ahead in the 50th minute. 
Mansfield were in the drop zone going into this match, so it could be seen as 2 points dropped, instead of a point gained.

They’ve moved just out of the relegation zone, after earning a point in Home Park, while we drop to 8th place in the table, with 24 points from the first 15 matches. 
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23rd of October 2023
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We’ve been drawn to play AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup 1st Round.

It means we’ll play them twice at Plough Lane in early November, as we also must play them in the EFL Trophy. 

 

 

24th of October 2023
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Bradford City moved out of the relegation zone, after beating us 2-0 in the Valley Parade. 
Nathan Tella, their right winger, put them 1 up just before halftime. 
We were pushing to find the equaliser late on, when their young attacking midfielder, Steven Finn, unleashed a 30 yard strike to the top corner.

We drop down to 10th place in the table, after this defeat. 
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28th of October 2023
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The 1st half in this match was a goalfest, with all 6 goals scored in the opening 45 minutes. 
 We got off to a perfect start, with two goals scored in just 5 minutes.

Tristan Nydam was taking corners today, and it was his deliveries, that allowed both Jamie Proctor and Sam Lavelle to head us 2-0 up. 
Lincoln City got a goal back in the 9th minute, when Josh Ruffels fired to the back of the net from just outside the box, to make it 2-1.

With just under a quarter of an hour gone in the match, Jamie Proctor scored his 2nd goal, when he tapped in a cross from deep by Cameron Sangster, to make it 3-1 to us. 
Will Miller scored Lincoln’s 2nd goal in the 33rd minute, to make it 3-2. And just before half-time, another corner delivery by Tristan Nydam, allowed Jordan Adebayo-Smith to poke it in from close range.
There were no further goals in the 2nd half, as we managed to see out the win, that puts us 9th in the table. 
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Review
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It’s been an alright month, qualification for the knockout phase of the EFL Trophy and 10 points from a potential 18 points in October, keeps us in the hunt for promotion. 

Novembers fixtures begin by playing AFC Wimbledon in Plough Lane, twice in just 3 days. Our 1st match in Plough Lane is in the FA Cup 1st Round on Sunday the 12th of November, and then we’ll play them again on Tuesday night, in the meaningless final group match of the EFL Trophy. On Saturday the 18th of November, we’ll travel up to Yorkshire to take on Rotherham United in League One. A week after that, we’ve another away day, when we face MK Dons. Our final fixture in November is on the 28th, when we face Bristol Rovers in Home Park.

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November 2023

 

12th of November 2023
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After a 2 week break without a match, we beat AFC Wimbledon 2-1 in the 1st Round of the FA Cup.

The home side had a 1-0 lead at halftime, thanks to a goal by Hakeeb Adelakun. We responded immediately after half-time with 2 goals in the first 4 minutes of the 2nd half. 
Adam Pearce-Vince scored his 1st goal for Plymouth Argyle, when he equalised in the 48th minute, and a minute later, Jamie Proctor scored, to turn the match on its head and give us a 2-1 lead.
For the rest of the 2nd half, we held onto victory, to progress onto the 2nd Round of the Cup. 
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14th of November 2023
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Only 2 days after beating them in the FA Cup, we were back in Plough Lane to play AFC Wimbledon in the EFL Trophy. Only 5 players from the previous match started this match, as I made 6 changes to the starting line-up, for a dead rubber of an EFL Trophy match.

Eventually, we won the penalty shoot-out, after it finished 1-1, which means we have finished the group as winners. 
In the subsequent draw for the knock-out phase, we’ve been drawn to play Charlton Athletic, next month in The Valley. 
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18th of November 2023
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Because our away match against Rotherham United has been postponed until next month, due to International call-ups, we didn’t play in the League One round of fixtures. 
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22nd of November 2023
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We found out who our opponents in the FA Cup 2nd Round will be, after Carlisle United beat Cambridge United 1-0 at home in a 1st Round Replay.

We’ll make the long trek up to Brunton Park, on Saturday the 2nd of December, to face a Carlisle United side, currently 2nd in League Two. 
Our match away to Rotherham United, has been postponed again, after the 2nd Round draw created a fixture clash on the 2nd of December.

It will now take place on the following Tuesday night, the 5th of December, instead.  
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24th of November 2023
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After days of speculation in the press, linking me with the vacant managers job at rivals Bristol City, they’ve offered me an interview.

Ashley Williams, the former Welsh International, was sacked 10 days ago, after spending just under a year as Manager of the club.

He helped them finish 5th last season, but only 3 wins out their first 17 matches this season, has seen him fired. 
I will decline the chance to talk to them, because I have no real interest in turning my back on the challenge in Plymouth, to join rivals Bristol City. 

 

 

25th of November 2023
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MK Dons moved themselves out of the relegation zone, after coming back from a goal down, to win 2-1.
Cameron Sangster put us 1-0 up in the 5th minute, when he nodded in a corner taken by Adam Lewis. 
It looked like we were going to take that lead into half-time, but MK Dons equalised in the 41st minute, when their right sided midfielder, Tom Shepherd, lobbed our ‘keeper Sam Howes from way out on the right flank.

In 1st half stoppage time, MK Dons went 2-1 up, when their left midfielder, Luke Thomas, scored with a shot from distance that Sam Howes couldn’t keep out, despite getting a glove on it. 
Late into the 2nd half, substitute Jordan Adebayo-Smith, won a chance for us to snatch a late equaliser, when he was fouled in the box.

Jamie Proctor stepped up to the spot-kick, but saw his shot rebound off the post, and then cleared away by the MK Dons defenders. 
There’s no change in our position in the table after this defeat. We’re still 10th, but it’s a missed opportunity to move into playoff spots.  
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26th of November 2023
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After our 2-1 loss, I was interviewed to become the next Manager of Norwich City. Although I have no real intention of taking the job, I decided to take the interview and see what happens. Norwich sacked Patrick Vieira on the 11th of this month, after he spent nearly 2 years as Manager. He got them relegated from the Premier League last season, and a bad start to this season, has seen collect only 19 points from their first 18 matches. 

 

 

 

28th of November 2023
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In our final game in November, Adam Lewis got himself sent off, just after the half hour mark, after collecting 2 yellow cards.

We kept it at 0-0 up until the halftime break, but then Ben Morris was at the far post, to tap in the games only goal in the 55th minute.

Our 2nd straight defeat, sees us drop down 2 places in the table, to 12th position. 
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Review
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On the pitch it has been a relatively quiet month, with us only playing 4 matches this month. Apart from beating AFC Wimbledon in the FA Cup, it has been a poor month, with 2 defeats in the league, dropping us down to 12th in the table. Still though, it’s not all bad, because we’re still in 2 Cup competitions. 
It has been busy off the pitch though, with 2 job interviews offered.

I’ll wait to see if Norwich City offer me the job, although, going by the way the interview went, I won’t hold any high hopes. 

We’ll play 5 matches in two weeks in December. The first of these is the long trip up to Carlisle for the 2nd Round of the FA Cup. Only two nights later, we’ll finally get to play Rotherham United away, before hosting table toppers Northampton Town, on Saturday the 9th. After that, we face Charlton Athletic in the knockout phase of EFL Trophy, on Tuesday the 11th. Our 5th match will be away to Salford City, on Saturday the 16th of December. Hopefully we can get back to winning ways in the League, while maintaining our progress in both the FA Cup and EFL Trophy. 
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December 2023

 

 

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I wasn’t surprised to find out I didn’t get the Norwich City job. However, I was surprised to find out Andy Carroll, one of the best known Target Men in the game, has been given the job. He began his career at Crewe, guided them to promotion from League Two in 2022, then immediately left them for Millwall, where he has been managing until accepting the Norwich job. 

 

 

 

2nd of December 2023
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We were knocked out of the FA Cup by Carlisle United, after a disastrous 1st half performance, saw us 3-0 down and reduced to 10 men at the break. The home team went in front as early as the 7th minute, when their young 18 year-old Centre-half, Scott McKellar, nodded them ahead. Luke James scored his 1st of 2 goals in the 22nd minute, to put us 2 down. James got his 2nd in the 38th minute, to put Carlisle 3-0 up, and 2 minutes later, it went from bad to worse, when Michael Phillips got his marching orders for picking up a 2nd yellow card. Five minutes from the end, our club captain Sam Lavelle scored a consolation, but it was too big a mountain to climb. 
Our 3rd defeat in a row, crashes us out of the FA Cup in the 2nd Round, having been expected to at least reach the 3rd Round by our board. 
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5th of December 2023
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We ended our recent bad run of defeats, by coming from a goal down, to win 2-1, in the New York Stadium. Rotherham took the lead in the 11th minute, when Mark O’Hara was on hand to tap in from close range, after their midfielder Max Bird nodded a corner delivery towards goal. We equalised in the 20th minute, when Tyreeq Bakinson scored his 1st goal for the Argyle, after a Tristan Nydams cross deflected into his path. Mason Bloomfield scored our 2nd goal, and what proved to be the winning goal, when he intercepted a pass by Max Bird, dribbled past his marker Mark O’Hara, and finished from the edge of the box. That goal was enough to earn us a much needed victory, that moves us up 3 places in the table to 9th, after 20 matches. 
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9th of December 2023
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Northampton Town had their 4 point lead at the top of League One cut down to just 2 points, when they visited Home Park and lost 3-0. Five minutes before the half-time break, Jamie Proctor put us 1-0 up, with his 12th League One goal of the season.

In the 2nd half, 20 minutes from full-time, Cameron Sangster headed us 2-0 up. And then substitute Jordan Adebayo-Smith, put the icing on the cake in the 77th minute, by scoring a direct free-kick. Northampton’s day went from bad to worse, when their defender Scott Wharton was sent-off in the 88th minute. A great win over the League One leaders in Home Park, puts us in 8th place in the table, only 2 points behind 6th placed Hull City. 
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12th of December 2023
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I only made 3 changes from our 3-0 win against Northampton, for this EFL Trophy South 2nd Round match, and one of those changes opened the scoring for us in the 4th minute, when Chris Parkin got onto a long ball and finished. We went 2 up in the 23rd minute, when Alex Whitmore rose highest at the back post and nodded in a corner. In the subsequent draw for the next round of the EFL Trophy South, we’ve been paired to play Barnet, in a repeat of the 2022 League Two Playoff Final. 
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16th of December 2023
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Salford City came from 3-1 down in this 6 goal thriller, with the late equalising goal scored by Dan Ormsby, a young striker on loan from Sheffield United.

Bright Enobakhare put the home team ahead in the 20th minute, before Jamie Proctor struck twice before half-time, to put 2-1 up at the break. 
Five minutes after the restart of the 2nd half, Cameron Sangster headed in at the far post, to put us 3-1 up.

Six minutes later, Tom Bayliss scored for Salford City, to make it 3-2. Just when we thought we had done enough to earn all 3 points, Dan Ormsby struck a shot from distance in the 87th minute, to equalise for the home team. The late goal meant that, instead of moving into the top 6, we remain 8th in the table. 
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Review
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After getting knocked out of the FA Cup in Carlisle, we’ve recovered well and are now unbeaten in 4 matches. And if it wasn’t for conceding late against Salford, we’d have been sitting in the top 6 by now. 

Instead we’re 8th in the table, as we head into Christmas time. Two days before Christmas day, we’ll travel to Kenilworth Road, to take on a Luton side sitting currently 2nd in the table. Then on Boxing Day, we’ll face rivals Bristol City at Ashton Gate, before hosting the relegation threatened, Oxford City in Home Park. On New Year's day, we face another relegation threatened team in Home Park, when Crewe visit. The Christmas and New Year's schedule is completed on the 6th of January, when 4th place Charlton Athletic play us in our 3rd consecutive Home match. 

There’s some challenging fixtures ahead, so I’m hopeful of continuing our push for a playoff place. 
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Christmas and New Year 23/24

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A couple of days before Father Christmas visits, Burnley, a Premier League club, have offered me an interview. 

 

 

23rd of December 2023
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Two days before Christmas day, we travelled to Kenilworth Road and eked out a 1-0 win against 2nd place Luton Town. Our big number 9, Jamie Proctor scored the all important goal in the 9th minute, to maintain our recent good run of form and continue our push for a playoff spot. 
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Boxing Day 2023
Burnley opted to appoint Marco Silva instead of me, because they didn’t want my hoofball at the club.
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In the traditional Boxing Day fixture, we lost 3-0 to rivals Bristol City in Ashton Gate. The home side took the lead after a quarter of an hour, when Matt Grimes scored a direct free-kick. 
In the 2nd half, Keinan Davis doubled Bristol City’s advantage, by finishing at the back post. Only 4 minutes after that, the match was effectively over, when their Centre-half Matt Miazga got on the end of a free-kick delivery, to put Bristol City 3 up. Jamie Proctor had a goal disallowed, which summed up a miserable Boxing Day for us. Our 5 match unbeaten run comes to a crashing halt.  
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30th of December 2023
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We faced Oxford United in our final match of 2023 and drew 2-2. Just before the half hour mark Oxford took the lead, when their Irish central midfielder, Liam Kinsella,  hit a shot from outside the area that deflected past Sam Howes in goal. 
Ten minutes after the restart of the 2nd half, Jamie Proctor equalised after being set up by Man of the Match, Dougie Nyaupembe. Only a minute after our equaliser, Oxford United retook the lead, when Kinsella struck his 2nd goal of the match. Mason Bloomfield made it 2-2 in the 63rd minute, when he bulleted a header to the top corner, after an excellent cross by Nyaupembe. Unfortunately, that is how it remained, as we couldn’t find a winning goal in the final half hour. We move up 1 place in the table to 8th, with 38 points from the first 25 matches. 
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New Years Day 2024
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George Shelford, the young Centre-half on loan from Stoke City, has only made 2 appearances in Devon, so I’ve agreed to terminate his loan deal as requested. 

Callum Brittain has joined us from MK Dons for a fee of 38K. He can play in all the positions down the right flank, so hopefully he’ll be a good addition to the squad, as a rotation option. 
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On New Year’s Day, a late goal by Alex Whitmore salvaged a point for us, against another team struggling in the bottom half of the table, Crewe. They away side went in front after 11 minutes when Chris Todd capitalised on mix up at the back between Nyaupembe and our Goalkeeper Sam Howes. Whitmore equalised in the 88th minute, when he bundled the ball into the net, after Chris Parkin hit the post with a header on a corner.
The late goal was better than nothing, but I still feel it’s 2 points dropped.
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2nd of January 2024
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I have also talked to Premier League Southampton about taking over as Manager, following the sacking Paulo Foncesca on the 23rd of December. 

 


3rd of January 2024
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The following day, another Premier League club, Watford, have spoken to me about their vacant managerial position. Ernesto Valverde was sacked on the 23rd of December, following just over 2 years at Watford. I won’t accept either job if they offer it to me, because I still want to bring Premier League football to Devon by 2026. 

 

 


6th of January 2024
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Charlton Athletic moved to the top of the table, after beating us 2-1 in Home Park. 
Charlton had 1-0 lead at the half-time break, thanks to a goal by Sam Dalby in the 39th minute.
Paolo Fernandes put Charlton 2-0 up in 66th minute. And in the 89th minute, their 19 year-old Kosovan Centre-half, Rilind Krasniqi, misplaced his backpass to his keeper and scored an own goal. 
Charlton held onto the 2-1 victory, to go top of the table, while slide down to 11th position. 
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Review
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We’ve not had great results this Christmas and New Year’s, with only 1 win in the 5 matches. The 3-0 defeat in Ashton Gate seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of us and we barely scraped draws at home, against 2 clubs in the bottom half of the table. 

Hopefully, we’ll see an improvement for the rest of January, where we’ll have 4 consecutive away matches. The first of these is on the 13th, when we face Leyton Orient in Brisbane Road. On the Tuesday night after that, we’ll face Barnet away in the EFL Trophy, before facing Burton Albion away on the 20th. 
The final fixture in the month of January is another away match. We travel up to the North-West on the 27th, to take on Wigan Athletic in the DW Stadium. 
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January 2024

 

8th of January 2024

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Graham Taylor's old club, Watford, have decided against appointing me as Manager. Ben Wilkinson is the man who has been given the keys to Vicarage Road instead. 

 

 

 

9th of January 2024

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The day after I received the news of Watford's rejection, another Premier League club, Leicester City, have offered me a chance to interview for their vacant Managers job. They sacked former Dutch International, Mark Van Bommel, on the 30th of December. 

 

I also found out today that my interview for the Southampton job was unsuccessful. They’ve opted to appoint Alex Neil instead. 

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I’ve agreed a deal that allows our young 20 year-old midfielder, Loric Manga, to join Billericay Town until the end of the season. Manga had been complaining about his lack of 1st team opportunities recently, as I struggled to find a place for him in any of my systems, so he’ll play out the final months of the season in the National League.  

 

 

 

12th of January 2024

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Two more clubs have been in contact about the possibility of becoming their next manager. 

The Championships Crystal Palace and Premier League League Leeds United have offered me the chance to talk to them. Palace are without a permanent manager, ever since Ben Wilkinson left to join Watford.

And Leeds United are also without a permanent boss, since Alex Neil left his position to take up Southampton's job offer. 

 

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Flynn Downes has been sold to Hull City for 60K. The defensive midfielder was entering his final 6 months of his contract, so I decided to accept the bid for the 24 year-old. Downes has spent the last 18 months in Devon, where he made 71 appearances for the Argyle in League One. 

As a result of Downes departure, I’ve decided to promote 19 year-old Ben Bolton to the 1st team squad.

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13th of January 2024

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We got back to winning ways in the 1st of our 4 consecutive away games, by beating Leyton Orient 3-1 in Brisbane Road. Two 1st half goals from the partnership of Proctor and Bloomfield, left us 2 up at the break. Ten minutes from the end, Tyreeq Bakinson sealed the win with a strike from just outside the box.

Mohamed Eisa scored in the 90th minute for Leyton Orient, but it was no more than a consolation goal. 

This win ends our 4 match winless streak, while moving us up to 9th in the table. 

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16th of January 2024

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We exit the EFL Trophy, after losing out to Barnet in a penalty shoot-out. We got off to a great start and were awarded a penalty, which Jamie Proctor dispatched to put us 1 up. It only took 5 minutes for Barnet to equalise however, when their 19 year-old right midfielder, Razak Idrissu scored in the 10th minute. 

Shortly before the half hour mark, Barnet went 2-1 up, when Ricardo Santos scored. 

Adam Lewis struck the equaliser with just over 20 minutes left, after linking up well with Dougie Nyaupembe. We were unable to find the winner before the full-time whistle went and ended up losing the penalty shoot-out. We’re out of all cup competitions now, which is disappointing, but at least we can fully focus on getting ourselves on the League.  

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17th of January 2024

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Yet another letter of rejection was to be found in my inbox. This time, Leicester City informed me of their decision to appoint Steve Morison instead of me. 

 

 

 

18th of January 2024

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I signed Ntumba Massanka from Cheltenham Town for a fee of 98K. The 27 year-old is a 6’3” Target Man, who has spent the last 4 years playing for Cheltenham in the National League, where he scored 54 league goals, with 10 of those goals coming this season. The signing of Massanka leaves our young Target Man, Chris Parkin, looking for a loan , or else playing U23 football for the rest of the season. 

 

 

 

20th of January 2024

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We had a very easy and comfortable 3-0 win against struggling Burton Albion, as 1st choice ‘keeper Thomas McGill, finally made his return from a long-term injury. Another brace by the partnership of Bloomfield and Proctor, left us 2 goals up at the half-time break. Cameron Sangster added our 3rd goal in the 57 minute. And it went from bad to worse for the home side in the 73rd minute, when Billy Kee got sent off. We remain 9th in the table. Five points behind 6th placed Shrewsbury Town now. 

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21st of January 2024

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Another rejection. This time Leeds United have informed me of their decision to appoint Mark Van Bommel instead. 

 

 


 

23rd of January 2024

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Our big Number 9, Jamie Proctor, one of our key men will miss our next match in the DW Stadium against Wigan, after picking up an injury in training. This means our new signing, Ntumba Massanka, will make his 1st start for the Argyle in Wigan. 


 

 

 

24th of January 2024

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Championship club Crystal Palace are the latest side to inform me of their decision to appoint another Manager. Karl Robinson is the chosen one in Selhurst Park. The 43 year-old joins the club after leaving his post at Middlesbrough with immediate effect. 

 

A week before the transfer window shuts, Birmingham City have once again swooped in for one of our hot prospects. Our Head of Youth Development accepted a bid of 71K, that could rise to 165K, for our 17 year-old forward Rob Cooper. The kid had been impressive playing for our U18s, so it’s a disappointment to see him leave Devon. 

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27th of January 2024

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Our last match in the month of January was a 2-0 defeat to Wigan Athletic in the DW Stadium. As expected, due to Jamie Proctors absence, Massanka lined out for the Argyle for the very first time, but he was unable to really make an impact we wanted. Wigan had a 1-0 lead at the halftime break, thanks to a goal by Callum Lang in the 30th minute. 

In the 2nd half, their 17 year-old forward, Chris Jones, doubled the home side lead in the 54th minute. 

This defeat hasn’t damaged our position in the table, as we’re still 9th, but it has increased the gap between ourselves and the top 6 to 6 points. 

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30th of January 2024

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I decided to sell our 28 year-old Alex Whitmore to Championship side Birmingham City for 200K. 

Whitmore spent 3 and a half seasons in Devon, where he 152 league appearances for the Argyle, scoring 4 times. He was one of the three leaders in the dressing room, alongside Proctor and Lavelle, so his absence will be missed. I accepted the bid because I felt the price was too good to turn down for a 28 year old defender who lacks pace. However his departure leaves us now with only 3 centre-halfs in the 1st team squad, a situation that needs rectifying quickly, with the window shutting in 24 hours. 


 


 

31st of January 2024

 

We had a busy last day of the transfer window with 3 players coming in and 2 leaving. 

 

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Two players joined on loan for the rest of the season. Middlesbrough have agreed to allow Chris Todd join us until the end of the season, after only recently joining them from Crewe for 230K. The 20 year-old forward, who scored for Crewe against us earlier in the season, will be used in the pressing forward role, when we need to pressure the oppositions defence better. 

The 2nd loan signing on the final day of the transfer window was Luke Dreher. The 25 year-old defensive midfielder has only made 9 appearances for Northampton Town this season, but we needed someone to replace Flynn Downes. 

The 3rd and final acquisition on the last day of the transfer window, is the signing of Jack Lee from rivals Bristol City, for a fee of 43K. The 25 year-old Centre-half, has been handed Alex Whitmore’s old number 13 jersey and is a much needed signing for our defence. 

   

Only 6 months after joining Argyle on a free, Ike Ugbo leaves to join Tranmere Rovers for a fee of 12.25K, having failed to make a single 1st team appearance for the club. Signing Ugbo last summer was a mistake, as I failed to look at his player traits before confirming his free transfer. At least we made a profit from the transfer though. 

The 2nd player to be sold on the final day of the transfer window was Target Man Joe Quigley. He moves to Bury for 22K, only a month after returning from Ireland, where he spent a year playing for Shamrock Rovers. The 6’4” Centre-forward was part of our promotion winning squad in 2022. 

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A total of 6 players have left the club in January 2024, 5 permanently and 1 temporarily. 

I brought 5 players to Argyle this month, 3 permanent deals along with the 2 loan deals on the final day. 

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Review

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Our results have picked up slightly in the post-Christmas time, with 2 consecutive wins in the league away from home. Our last match in Wigan was disappointing, but we’re still clinging onto those hopes of sneaking into a playoff come the end of the season. 

 

We have 4 matches coming up in February, with 3 of them at home. The first of these is on Saturday the 3rd, when fellow playoff challengers, Notts County visit Home Park. The following Saturday, we’ve another match in Home Park, when the relegation troubled, AFC Wimbledon visit. A week after that, we’ll play our only away match in February, when we visit high flying Shrewsbury Town on the 17th. 

Our final fixture takes place on the 24th of next month, when we face 2nd in the table Hull City at home. 

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February 2024

3rd of February 2024
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Having only made 5 appearances so this season, our young left full-back, Adam Morgan, has been kicking up a fuss and wanting to go out on loan. He joins National League side Woking until the Summer. 

 

 

 

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We lost for the 2nd consecutive match, when Notts County visited Home Park. Noor Husin tucked away a penalty in the 27th minute, after Callum Brittain fouled on the edge of the penalty box. Jamie Proctor had returned to the side following his injury, but even he couldn’t help us find the equaliser. 
We’ve not scored in the last 2 matches now, as we drop down to 11th in the table again, 6 points behind playoffs. 
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10th of February 2024

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We move back into 9th place again, after beating AFC Wimbledon 3-1 in Home Park. We had the ball in the back of the net after only 4 minutes, when our Captain Sam Lavelle headed in a free-kick delivery. 
In the 2nd half, it was Lavelle’s new partner in central defence, who put us 2-0 up. Jack Lee was at the back post to head in his 1st goal for Argyle, after a short corner went to Adam Pearce-Vince, who put in a great cross. Wimbledon scored in the 85th minute, through 18 year-old forward, Kevon James. It was getting nervy after that, until a great counter attack involving Pearce-Vince, left Proctor with a simple finish to seal all 3 points in injury time. 
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15th of February 2024
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Brighton and Hove Albion are the latest Premier League club to offer an interview. They sacked Chris Hughton last week, after he had been their Manager for 9 years and 38 days. 

 

 

 


17th of February 2024
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In our only away match in February, we lost 2-0 to a promotion chasing Shrewsbury Town side. Shortly before the half hour mark, the home side took the lead, when their Centre-half, Luis Binks scored. And just before the halftime break, their 22 year-old Striker put the home side 2 up. 
Any hope of getting back into the match evaporated, when our new loan signing, Chris Todd, picked up a 2nd yellow card in the 76th minute. The win puts Shrewsbury Town in 3rd place in the table, while we drop back down to 11th position again now, 8 points behind Bristol City in 6th.
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22nd of February 2024
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A week after attending an interview to be their new boss, Brighton and Hove Albion have informed me of my unsuccessful interview. Dietmar Kuhbauer has been given the nod for the job. The 53 year-old Austrian, was sacked by Burnley only last December, and has previously managed both Southampton and Rapid Wien. 

 

 

 


24th of February 2024
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A 71st minute equaliser by Hull City’s Victor Adeboyejo cancelled out Mason Bloomfield’s opener in the 53rd minute of this match. The point at home means we drop to 12th place in the table now, 10 points behind the playoff places. After picking up a point in Home Park, Hull City are 2nd in the table, 3 points behind leaders Luton Town. 
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25th of February 2024
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Manchester United beat rivals Liverpool in the 2024 League Cup final.


Review
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Four points from the 4 matches in February and only one win in the last 5, has left us 10 points of where we want to be at the end of the season. We’ve only 12 matches remaining in our season and we need to start putting a run of wins together pronto. 

We will play half of our remaining season next month, when we have 6 matches to play. 
Our 1st match of March is away to 10th placed Wrexham on the 2nd. A week after that, we face Preston in Home Park, before travelling to play 7th place Wycombe away in a midweek match. Later that week, we face bottom of the table, Mansfield Town away, on Saturday the 16th. On the 23rd, we host Bradford City in Home Park. And then our final match in March will be on the 30th, when we face Lincoln City away in Sincil Bank.  

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March 2024

 

 

2nd of March 2024
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Mason Bloomfield and his partner up front, Jamie Proctor, both scored a goal each, to defeat Wrexham 2-0 at the Racecourse Ground. The 3 points puts us 10th in the table, 7 points behind Northampton Town in 6th. 
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9th of March 2024

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We couldn’t find the goal to give us all 3 points, when Preston visited Home Park. The disappointing draw at home, keeps us 10th in the table, 8 points adrift of the playoffs with now 10 matches left. 

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12th of March 2024
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We travelled to 5th in the table Wycombe on a Tuesday night, were 2 up at halftime, but let the lead slip in the 2nd half and ended drawing 2-2. Jamie Proctor put 1 up in the 4th minute. And when Tyreeq Bakinson scored in the 32rd minute, it left us 2-0 up and cruising at the break. 
Wycombe were awarded a penalty and a way back into the match, with half an hour to go. Their 24 year-old midfielder, Jake Taylor,stepped up and converted the penalty to make it 2-1. 
Just when it looked like we had done enough to earn the win away from home, Dan Happe equalised with a strike from distance in the 87th minute. This must go down as 2 points dropped and we remain 10th in the table, 8 points adrift of the playoff places, with only 9 matches left in our season.
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13th of March 2024
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Huddersfield Town are the latest Premier League club to offer me a chance to interview.

They sacked David Wagner two weeks ago, after he spent 8 years as the Manager of the club. 

 

 


16th of March 2024
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A brace of goals by our midfielder Tyreeq Bakinson, helped us to overcome bottom of the table Mansfield Town and continue our unbeaten run to 5 matches.

Mason Bloomfield got our 1st goal in the 10th minute, before Bakinson doubled our lead, with a direct free-kick just before the halftime break. 
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In the 65th minute, Bakinson scored his 2nd goal, to put us 3-0 up. Mansfield refused to give up however. They scored two goals in the final fifteen minutes. Eighteen year-old midfielder, Andy Scott, scored in the 76th minute, to pull one back for the home side. And when Ben Johnson scored their 2nd goal in the 87th minute, it set up a nervy end to the match for us. Thankfully we held onto all 3 points in the end.
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20th of March 2024
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A week after my interview with Huddersfield Town, the Yorkshire club have informed me of their decision to appoint Ernesto Valverde instead. The 60 year-old former Barcelona manager, has been tasked with the job of trying to save Huddersfield from relegation from the Premier League. 

 

 

23rd of March 2024
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Two 1st half goals by Bradford City Inside forward, Nathan Broadhead, in the space of 5 minutes, ended our 5 match unbeaten run.

 
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We’re still 10th in the table, 7 points adrift of Charlton in 6th, with only 7 matches remaining in our season. 
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30th of March 2024
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 In my 300th competitive match in Football management, Chris Todd struck his 1st goal for Argyle, in Sincil Bank against Lincoln City. 


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We are now 4 points behind 6th in the table Charlton, with only 6 matches remaining in our season.
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31st of March 2024
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Bradford City won the 2024 EFL Trophy, after defeating Wycombe Wanderers in the Wembley final.

 


Review
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Three wins and 2 draws in March, have revived hopes that we can sneak into the playoff places, come the end of this season. 


We begin April, by playing our 2nd match in just 3 days, when we play Rotherham in Home Park.

Our 2nd match in April is another home match, when MK Dons visit Home Park on Saturday the 6th.
The 1st of 2 consecutive away matches happen a week later, when we face Bristol Rovers on the 13th.
Our final away match of the season is another week later, when we face Northampton Town on the 20th.
And our final match in April happens on the 27th, when we face Salford City in Home Park.  
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April 2024

 

1st of April 2024
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Another January signing, Ntumba Massanka, scored his 1st goal for the Argyle, when he came off the bench to nod home a late winner in injury time.

It’s a massive goal for us, that moves us to within 2 points of 6th placed Notts County, who have a game in hand to play. 
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6th of April 2024
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Chuks Aneke scored the games only goal, to give MK Dons a 1-0 win in Home Park. The 30 year-old struck the winner in the 69th minute in a tight match that could have gone either way. This defeat at home, leaves us 4 points adrift of the playoff places, with only 4 matches left in the season. 

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9th of April 2024
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Wycombe Wanderers lost 3-1 to Wrexham in the first of their 2 games in hand. 
It’s a good result for us because it keeps the gap between ourselves and the playoff places to 4 points.

 

 

 

13th of April 2024
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We moved back to within 2 points of the playoffs, by beating Bristol Rovers, 3-1 away from home. 
Tristan Nydam scored, his 1st for Argyle, in the 40th minute, to put us 1 up at the break. Immediately after halftime, Adam Lewis added our 2nd goal. And then Jamie Proctor added our third goal, just before the hour mark. David Noble scored a consolation goal for Bristol Rovers in injury time, as we went onto claim the 3 points, that puts us back in contention for a place in the League One playoffs, with 3 games left.
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20th of April 2024
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We went into this match with a lot of optimism, that we could jump into the playoff places with a win. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out as planned and we got hammered 4-0. Alfie Boddy, the 21 year-old forward on loan from Ipswich Town, opened the scoring in the 10th minute. Scott Wharton, their 26 year-old Centre-half, doubled Northampton Town’s lead, 5 minutes before the halftime break. 
Late in the second half, Boddy got his 2nd goal to put the home side out of reach. And three minutes later, their 19 year-old forward, Ed Nisbet, on loan from Watford, made it 4-0 to Northampton. 
This result puts Northampton Town 6th in the table, with 2 matches left to play in their season. 
We are in 10th place, 5 points behind Northampton, which means we must win our remaining 2 matches and hope for a series of results elsewhere to go in our favour, if we are to reach the playoffs. 
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23rd of April 2024

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Wycombe Wanderers lost their 2nd game in hand, when they got beaten 2-0 by Preston North End. They are 9th in the table, level with us on 66 points.  

 

 

27th of April 2024
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In a must win match against Salford City in Home Park, we raced into a 3-1 lead, had a man sent off and eventually won 4-3, after Salford drew level. Chris Todd, on loan from Middlesbrough, opened the scoring in the 5th minute, with his 2nd goal for the Argyle. Only 4 minutes later, Salford equalised through their left full-back, Hayden Coulson.

A brace by Jamie Proctor put us 3-1 up by the 27th minute, before our left full-back, Cameron Pring, received a straight red on the half hour mark. 
We didn’t react well to the sending off and Salford City made it 3-3 at the halftime break, through goals by their Centre-half, Japhet Tanganga, and midfielder, Bright Enobakhare. 

In the 2nd half, Jamie Proctor scored his hat-trick goal in the 65th minute, to put us 4-3 up. 
Thankfully our ten men were able to see out the win from then.
This win has given us a chance of sneaking into the playoffs, after we learnt that already relegated, Burton Albion, had surprisingly beaten Northampton Town 1-0.

Elsewhere,  our next opponents, Luton Town were crowned League One Champions for this season.  

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Review
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We’re still there fighting. And we still have hope. Three wins out of the 5 matches this month, have given us a chance of qualifying for the playoffs, although we need results elsewhere to go in our favour. 

Looking at the permutations needed ahead of the final day of this season, we see that 5 clubs still have a chance of qualifying for the playoffs. Due to their superior goal difference, we need Wycombe Wanderers to lose their final match away to Wigan Athletic. We also need Northampton not to win their away match against Notts County and the match between Leyton Orient and Burton Albion to end in a draw or defeat for Leyton Orient. We need all of this, coupled with a win at Home Park, against recently crowned League One Champions Luton Town. Maybe it’s too much to ask for, but we’ll see what happens.  
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  • mylescattle changed the title to Taylor's Uncomplicated Hoofball - Oh Do I Not Like That? Or Do I?

May 2024

The Last Day of the 2023/24 Season

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In our must-win final match of the season against recently crowned League One Champions, Luton Town, Cameron Sangster struck a late winner, to give us the 1-0 win in Home Park. 
Unfortunately we knew his goal was futile, because Leyton Orient were winning 4-0 at home against Burton Albion. 
We end the season in 7th place in the League One Table, with 72 points from the 46 matches, 2 points behind 6th placed Leyton Orient.

It makes me think back to drawn matches in the season, that should’ve been wins. Especially the time we went 2 up away to Wycombe Wanderers, and let it slip. 
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5th of May 2024
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The day after the season ended, I signed a 1 year extension on my contract, that’ll keep me with Plymouth Argyle until June 2026.

This could be the last contact I sign with the club, if I fail to achieve back-to-back promotions in the next two seasons.

Part of signing the new contract was to agree to sign a higher profile player. Hopefully this will propel us forward to the Premier League within the next 2 years. 

 

 


Plymouth Argyle End of Season Awards
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At the Plymouth Argyle End of Season Awards, Jamie Proctor, our big number 9, won the fans player of the season award for the third consecutive season. It’s unsurprising really, considering he scored 27 goals this season. Jordan Adebayo-Smith won goal of the season, for his free-kick goal against Northampton Town last December. Adam Pearce-Vince won Signing of the Season, providing 7 assists  and 1 goal in the 22 starts he made this season. And Cameron Sangster won our Young Player of the Season award, after he scored 6 goals and provided 4 assists in 41 appearances, where he started 30 times. 

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Plymouth Argyle 2023/24 Season Review
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Proctors Season
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Jamie Proctor’s 25 goals in  League One this season, earned him the League One topscorer award. 
His fantastic season also earned him a place upfront on the League One players Team of the Season. 

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The 2023/24 Season Review


English Football

 

The Premier League
Liverpool won their 2nd consecutive Premier League title this season, finishing 7 points clear of Manchester City in 2nd place. It’s the 2nd League title won by Pep Guardiola, since he was appointed Liverpool Manager in 2022.

Their rivals, Manchester United, finished the season in 3rd place, while Chelsea piped Tottenham Hotspurs to 4th place, by a single point. Spurs will be joined in the Europa League next season, by Arsenal and Wolves, who finished 6th and 7th. 
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At the other end of the table, Watford, West Brom, and Huddersfield Town were relegated into next seasons Championship. 

 

 

The Championship
Stoke City were promoted back to the Premier League, after finishing the season as Champions of England’s 2nd tier.

They’ll be joined by Swansea City, who finished 2nd, and Crystal Palace, who finished 3rd and won promotion through the playoffs.
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Last seasons League One Champions, Fleetwood Town, were relegated back to the 3rd tier, after finishing bottom of the Championship.

They’ll be joined in next seasons League One, by both Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers. 

 

 

League One Playoffs
Shrewsbury Town won promotion to the Championship, after they emerged through the League One playoffs at the end of this season, beating Notts County in the Final in Wembley.

It’s the 2nd consecutive promotion for Shrewsbury, after they won League Two last season.
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League Two
Oldham were crowned League Two Champions for the 2023/24 Season.

Joining them in next seasons League One, are Yeovil Town, Carlisle United, and my old club, Newport County, who went up via the Playoffs. 
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Torquay United will return to non-league football next season, after spending one season struggling at the bottom of League Two.

They’ll be joined in next season’s National League by Swindon Town.

 

 

National League 
After last years relegation from League football, Scunthorpe United bounced straight back, by finishing the season as National League Champions.

Cheltenham Town will join them in League Two next season, after they won promotion via the playoffs this season. 
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Blackpool have slid into the National League North, after finishing this season bottom of the National League.

Halifax Town, Woking, and Southport will join them next season in the 6th tier of English football.

 

 

National League North and South
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Boston United and Hereford won promotion from the National League North, while Bath City and Wealdstone won promotion from the National League South. 

Spennymoor, Stourbridge, and Mickleover were relegated from the National League North, while Hungerford Town, Cambridge City, and Hendon were relegated from the National League South.
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2024 FA Cup
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Liverpool and Pep Guardiola were celebrating a double-double this season, after they beat Wolves in Wembley to claim the 2024 FA Cup.

It is the 2nd year in a row, Liverpool have achieved this double.


European Football 
 
The Champions League
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Manchester United won the 2024 Champions League, after beating Real Madrid on penalties. It is the 4th time Manchester United have been crowned Champions of Europe. 

 

 

Europa League
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Arsenal won the 2024 Europa League, beating Valencia on penalties in the final. 


Euro 2024


The European Championships were held in Germany this season...
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The reigning Champions, Wales, were knocked out by Spain in the Second Round, while Sean Dyche’s England exited at the Quarter Final stage of Euro 24, losing to Portugal in extra-time. The tournament hosts, Germany, progressed to the Final, where they met fierce rivals Holland.
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The host Nation beat the Dutch 2-0 in the Final.

After England's exit to Portugal in the Quarter Final, the FA decided it was time for change.
Sean Dyche leaves his job as England Manager, only 2 years after guiding them to a World Cup Final. 
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  • mylescattle changed the title to Taylor's Uncomplicated Hoofball - Oh Do I Not Like That?
  • 4 weeks later...

Summer 2024
During the months of June and July, we sold 3, let 1 go off on loan, and signed 2 players permanently. 

Transfers
Out
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My first decision of the Summer is to send my 3rd choice Target Man, out on loan to Cheltenham Town, who have been recently promoted to League Two.

Parkin, 21, hasn’t seen many minutes since Massanka arrived last January.  

Adam Lewis has been sold to Championship side, Fulham, for 525K this summer.

The versatile attacking full-back joins the Cottagers, after spending a season and a half in Devon, where he scored 9 goals in 75 appearances for the Argyle. 

Dougie Nyaupembe, our Zimbabwean attacking full-back, will play in League Two next season, after he joined AFC Wimbledon for 40k.

Nyaupembe, 24, joined the Argyle in January 2022. And help us achieve promotion that season from League Two.

His departure leaves us a bit bare in the right-wing back position, so I may need to convert Adam Pearce-Vince into that role. 

Mason Bloomfield has joined Danish club, FC Copenhagen, for 245K this summer.

The 27 year-old has spent 4 seasons in Devon, where he scored over 50 goals for the Argyle. 
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In
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Dominic Telford has joined on a free transfer from Bury, as a replacement for the departing Mason Bloomfield.

The 27 year-old has spent the last 6 seasons at Bury, where he has scored 62 goals. 
Telford’s main strengths are his pace, movement and work rate, making him an ideal replacement for Bloomfield.

Hopefully he can strike up a partnership with Proctor over the course of the coming season. 

Mal Benning, the 30 year-old attacking full-back, has also joined us on a free.

He has spent the last 9 seasons at Mansfield Town and he is a replacement for the departed left wing-back, Adam Lewis. 

Birmingham City have agreed to allow Otis Khan, the 28 year-old winger, to join us on loan for the upcoming season.

I’m hopeful his pace, flair, and ability to score goals from distance, will be a vital asset during the upcoming season. 

Middlesbrough have agreed to extend our loan deals for both Matthew Gibbins and Chris Todd, for the upcoming season.

Gibbins, the 20 year-old right full-back, made 18 starts for us last season, while Chris Todd, the 21 year-old forward, scored 2 goals in 10 appearances, since joining us on loan last January. 
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England Job
On the 21st of July, this bolt out of the blue appeared in my inbox...
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The FA offered me a 62K a week contract to manage England. This came as a total surprise. And although I was worried I might need to leave my project in Devon, I accepted knowing it was too good to turn down. From now on, I’ll be double-jobbing as both England and Plymouth Argyle boss. It is the first time England have hired a Manager working in their 3rd tier, since they appointed Kevin Keegan in 1999, so maybe it is not such a good omen. We’ll see how England get on with my hoofball approach. 


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This is the squad Sean Dyche used at Euro 2024, when they went out in the quarter finals to Portugal.
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My reign as England Manager kicks off on the 7th of September, when we face Belgium away in the UEFA Nations League. My 1st match in Wembley as England Manager is a friendly against Croatia on the 10th of September. The serious stuff won’t start until the draw takes place for World Cup qualification in December. 
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2024/25 Season Preview
In the draw for the 1st Round of the League Cup, we’ve drawn Gillingham away in the Priestfield Stadium. That match will take place on Tuesday the 13th of August. 
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The board expects me to repeat last years form, by finishing in the top half of League One, whilst also reaching the 3rd Round of the FA Cup and the 2nd Round of the League Cup. 
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The bookies have made Jamie Proctor 7-2 favourite to repeat last years heroics and become the topscorer in League One.

They don’t have much faith in the rest of the team however, having priced us at 35-1 to win promotion and 18-1 to get relegated. 
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We won 4 out of the 5 friendly matches in pre-season, including a 1-0 win over last seasons Europa League Champions, Arsenal.

Our only defeat was an unlucky 1-0 defeat to West Ham in Home Park.

We kick-off the season proper in Home Park, on Saturday the 3rd of August, when Charlton Athletic visit. On Wednesday the 7th of August, we travel to Bristol Rovers, before facing Notts County at Home on the 10th of August.

The Tuesday night after that, we’ll play Gillingham in the 1st Round of the League Cup, before facing Crewe away on Saturday the 17th. On Tuesday the 20th of August, we’ll be on the road again, to face Bolton Wanderers.

Later that week, we face Wycombe Wanderers in Home Park, before ending the month of August a week later, with another home match against Carlisle United. 

A total of 8 matches makes it a busy month ahead. And with 8 days left in the transfer window, there could be a few more incomings and outgoings ahead. 
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