Northernpilgrim Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 October means it's Qualifiers action as we visit Helsinki and then welcome Luxembourg to Wembley. Here's the squad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 Here are the lineups for the Finland game We won, but it should have been much easier as Finland were reduced to 10 men for 55 minutes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 Our next game was one we should win easily, against Luxembourg at Wembley and an easy win was what we got. Two players got hat-tricks, and six players scored in a rout but despite that win, we're still second, behind Wales, but the gap is only 1 point, and we still have a game in hand Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 15, 2019 Author Share Posted October 15, 2019 (edited) We had a nightmare start to October, losing the first four games, before ending the month with an impressive win but it could have been much better as we led Swansea 2-0 were 2-0 up against Sunderland and led Sheffield United with 3 minutes left and that horrible run has left us uncomfortably close to the bottom three Edited October 15, 2019 by Northernpilgrim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 November means it's time for the final two qualifiers, away to Poland and home to Wales, and this is our squad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 Here are the teams for the Poland game a win would mean we need a point from our game with Wales to qualify. Here is what happened, with our superiority only being rewarded in the dying minutes Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 Here are the teams for the decider against Wales. Jamie Lovegrove has been promoted from the U21s and wins his first cap after Stewart Kay-Vernon was ruled out by injury We ended up winning comfortably and that means we qualify automatically as group winners Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 Argyle did much better in the league in November and three wins from five sees us in mid table, but there is not a big gap to the bottom three Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 16, 2019 Author Share Posted October 16, 2019 The World Cup groups have been drawn, ahead of next summer's tournament in Germany Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 17, 2019 Author Share Posted October 17, 2019 December started with a defeat, but we ended it on a 4 match unbeaten run and we really shouldn't have lost to Notts County, as we led until the 89th minute but the league table now looks a lot better, as we occupy what would represent our best league finish since 2008, when we finished 10th in the Championship. The last time we registered a better finish than that was 1987 (7th) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 17, 2019 Author Share Posted October 17, 2019 (edited) On New Year's Eve, I received (and signed) a contract extension offer from Argyle. My previous wage was £2,400 per week The plan now has to be to get Argyle to the Premier League before the end of my new contract. Edited October 17, 2019 by Northernpilgrim 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 17, 2019 Author Share Posted October 17, 2019 January was a month of two halves. Three wins out of three to start, no wins in three to end but hopefully we are looking up rather than down still, as we are only 6 points off the playoffs Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 An unbeaten, and very nearly perfect, February Has fired us into the top 6 for the first time. The question now is can we stay there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 Youth intake time, and two players have been offered contracts Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 19, 2019 Author Share Posted October 19, 2019 March saw England return to action in a friendly against Uruguay at Wembley. Here is the squad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 19, 2019 Author Share Posted October 19, 2019 Here are the teams which ended in a comfortable England win, despite a missed penalty Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 19, 2019 Author Share Posted October 19, 2019 My Argyle side went through March unbeaten, so it's now more than 2 months, and 10 games unbeaten since we last tasted defeat Which leaves us in the playoffs with 6 games to go, 5 points ahead of QPR who are the other side of the dotted line, and astonishingly, just 6 points behind Fulham in 2nd. We couldn't, could we? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 (edited) If we don't make the playoffs, the first two games in April will be a large part of the reason why, although I can understand losing away at Bournemouth But remarkably, despite winning only 2 of the last five games, the playoff scrap will go to the last day and these are the final day fixtures. QPR entertain a Leeds side with nothing but pride to play for, and we entertain a Charlton side who secured safety with a win last time out. Hopefully they'll be on the beach already, and we get a favour from Leeds. Edited October 20, 2019 by Northernpilgrim 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 It's not going to plan at half time, but we are getting some help from Leeds, so if we can find a goal, we might just pull it off Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Things look better after an hour Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 And that was how it stayed until the end. But would it be enough? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Sadly not as, despite taking an 85th minute LEAD, Leeds fell apart faster than Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy, and they contrived to lose the game Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Time to round up the Argyle season, beginning with our club awards and stats The review of the season shows where we lost promotion, the slump in the middle third and wobble near the end Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 On to the Championship awards, beginning with Player of the Year, our own Archie Gordon Our top scorer Warren Butler came third in the Golden Boot and that earned him the Young Player of the Year award Archie Gordon was our only representative in the Team of the Year Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Time to announce the squad for the World Cup, before the warm up games start. Here it is Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Our first friendly was against Colombia and not really the result we wanted. We'll need to do better in the World Cup Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Next up South Korea at Wembley, our final match before we head out to Germany and we weren't much better in this one Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Our first World Cup group match was against Venezuela and we ran out easy winners Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Our next match was against Japan and it was a much closer game than I expected, but a win is a win and that means we top the group, going through with Japan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 20, 2019 Author Share Posted October 20, 2019 Our 2nd round match was against Ghana and we're through with an easy win Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Before our next World Cup game, I was offered (and refused) an interview Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 In the third round, our opponents were China and we went through easily Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevhamster Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Unlucky with Argyle, but an excellent first season after promotion really. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobby_McDonald Posted October 21, 2019 Share Posted October 21, 2019 Very close with Plymouth. Can you go all the way with England? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Ahead of the quarter final, where we'll face Germany, I've declined another interview Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Here are the teams for the quarter final against Germany and we fell to the Germans (again) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 That was to prove my final game as England manager, as the day after the final, which was won by Germany, I was sacked Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Despite my ultimate failure with England, Argyle had a great preseason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 We had a very busy summer in the transfer window too, making 7 signings, and seven players left which left our squad looking like this although hopefully there will be a couple of departures between now and the January window Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 10 hours ago, Nobby_McDonald said: Very close with Plymouth. Can you go all the way with England? No Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 What a start to the season! but it's only enough to lead the Championship by 3 points after 7 games Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 There were two more arrivals, and two departures, between the last update and the end of August Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoudini24 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 (edited) Nice progress in the league! Edited October 22, 2019 by BillHoudini24 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 September wasn't quite so good, but we did manage to end the month with a win after we had suffered back-to-back league defeats mid-month which left the league table looking like this, with Argyle clinging on to top spot Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 22, 2019 Author Share Posted October 22, 2019 2 hours ago, BillHoudini24 said: Nice progress in the league! Thanks BillHoudini24. The season preview had us down to finish 4th from bottom, so I was certainly not expecting to come flying out of the traps, and whilst I'm optimistic of a good season, I would bite your hand off for a top 6 finish at the moment. If we're in a similar position to this after the January window, then we can start to think bigger, but not before that. I've had too many seasons on FM (and CM before it) that have gone pear shaped after a decent start. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillHoudini24 Posted October 22, 2019 Share Posted October 22, 2019 Just now, Northernpilgrim said: Thanks BillHoudini24. The season preview had us down to finish 4th from bottom, so I was certainly not expecting to come flying out of the traps, and whilst I'm optimistic of a good season, I would bite your hand off for a top 6 finish at the moment. If we're in a similar position to this after the January window, then we can start to think bigger, but not before that. I've had too many seasons on FM (and CM before it) that have gone pear shaped after a decent start. I think that if you have the finances available to get 1-2 important players in January, maybe you can push through and get promoted. I managed to get promoted to the Prem in my second season in the Championship and I had to face Everton, Sunderland, Villa and Watford led by freaking M'bappe! A good run without crashing hard can be really beneficial after January. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 (edited) An unbeaten October, including a memorable League cup win over Premier League Blackburn Rovers and from clinging to top spot, we're now 7 points clear, with just 16 games played. At this rate we'll be safe by Hallowe'en Edited October 23, 2019 by Northernpilgrim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 13 hours ago, BillHoudini24 said: I think that if you have the finances available to get 1-2 important players in January, maybe you can push through and get promoted. I managed to get promoted to the Prem in my second season in the Championship and I had to face Everton, Sunderland, Villa and Watford led by freaking M'bappe! A good run without crashing hard can be really beneficial after January. I've got a transfer budget of £2m, but I'm £3k a week over on the wage budget. I'm probably going to try and get a loan player in if I can, but not sure about the finances and whether I should push it. I'm conscious that if we go up, it'd be worth it, but the board have rejected every budget related request I've made, so if we missed out on promotion, it concerns me they might slash the budget for next year. I will probably adjust the budget to ensure I'm under on wages before January, and see what that leaves me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 23, 2019 Author Share Posted October 23, 2019 We started November really well, but we end the month with back to back defeats although we do still top the table, losing to Sheffield Wednesday has cut our lead to 5 points Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northernpilgrim Posted October 24, 2019 Author Share Posted October 24, 2019 December's results were pretty good, but only tell half the story I was absent from the bench for the Forest Green game because of something I may have said in the press conference after the Huddersfield game and we had to play half of the Reading game with 10 men so, we go into the January transfer window top of the Championship, 4 points clear of Sheffield Wednesday, but crucially, 14 points clear of third placed Wolves Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now