Pilgrim's Progress [ Edited ]

[CO88LER5]

FA Cup Semi-Finalists!

Argyle navigated the tricky FA Cup tie against Arsenal at the Emirates, emerging as 3-2 winners, courtesy of three breakaway goals.  Luis Chavez opened the scoring as early as the 6th minute to send shockwaves through the Emirates, after which Arsenal failed to really recover, despite overwhelming possession and pressure on the Plymouth goal.  Chants of “Arg…yle” rang round the ground, as the Pilgrims recorded a signature win that sees them face Championship rivals Leicester City in the semi at Wembley.

Elsewhere, there was a mixed set of results in the league that saw Leicester open a gap at the top of the Championship, and Norwich City make up ground on Plymouth in second place.  The lead over Norwich looks comfortable still, but Argyle are dropping more points and a late charge from the Canaries might still derail the Pilgrims’ promotion bid.  The month opened with a draw against Stoke, two points being dropped courtesy of a late equaliser from Callum Wright, who moved to Stoke in the January window – ouch!

Injuries to two of Argyle’s promising youngsters rounded off a mixed month, with Kobbie Mainoo and Dan Gore picking up injuries in consecutive games; Mainoo (broken elbow) sidelined for two months at Milwall and Gore (broken toe; 3 months) in the Watford game.  Both will play no further part in the campaign.

Mainoo Injured at Millwall

No real change at the top of the scoring and assists charts, with Samson Tovide continuing to impress, now on 17 goals from 19 Championship matches.  The step up from League 2 really doesn't seem a problem for him.

[JustinCase0110]

Great job beating Arsenal to get into the semi final. Two championship sides there, that's something! Battling Leicester for the league win, and now for an FA Cup final too. Maybe a new rivalry forming there?

Speaking of stories in the story, I like the Stoke goal against you being scored by a former player. Maybe a few fans will also start to question the 'Mexican approach' forcing homegrown players out of the club. Especially if these players move on to do well in their new clubs, for instance by scoring against you, trying to prove the gaffer wrong. Obviously it takes more than that to threaten a manager on the verge of promotion, but it could be questioned more, if results go down or more HG players leave...

[CO88LER5]

@JustinCase0110
Yes, I thought that was poetic justice, because I didn't use Wright so much because of my freebies. He did play remarkably well against us during that match. He'll be good for Stoke, I think. That transfer was a swap, initiated by them, during which they offered me a right back - Junior Tchamadeu - who they bought in real life last summer from Colchester United. I thought that was an interesting coincidence given that I bought Samson Tovide from Colchester in this save. I really needed a full-back at the time, so it was a great fit.
Interestingly, of the 3 players I have promoted myself during this season, I've had to block approaches because I've been sick of the sheer number of transfer offers from other clubs.

[CO88LER5]

FA Cup Final Awaits!

Plymouth Argyle will contest the FA Cup final for the first time in their history, after cementing their place with a 4-2 victory over Leicester City.  It was a tense match throughout, with the veteran Jamie Vardy pulling Leicester back to level terms after an opening blitz by Argyle.  The Pilgrims sneaked ahead with a goal from captain Cesar Huerta and Samson Tovide added a further goal in stoppage time, to lend the result a deal of comfort that simply was not the case throughout the match.  They will face Manchester City in the final; a club looking to win it for the second season in succession.

In the league, it was a fraught month as they lost to Norwich 3-2 at Carrow Road, as the Canaries looked to steal the second automatic promotion slot.  That win took Norwich to within 5 points of Argyle, only for them to lose their next match whilst Argyle won.  A  defeat to Hull City at the end of the month could have been a problem, but Norwich only drew against Preston to leave them six points behind with two to play.  Leicester City clinched promotion in Championship round 42 and Plymouth will join them unless they lose both remaining matches, Norwich win both and there is a massive turnaround in goal difference.

Samson Tovide continues to fire Plymouth to the top tier, another five goals this month, including four in the league that moves him to second place in the Championship scoring chart.  He has now averaged a goal a game in his 21 matrches in the Championship this season; a scoring rate fer better than any other in that division.

Luis Chavez leads Plymouth's Championship assist table, with 10 from his 19 matches - an impressive rate of around an assist for every two matches.  Leicester's Mavididi leads the assists table as well as the scoring chart, but from a position of having played every game.  He is clearly going to be one to watch in the Premier League next season.

[JustinCase0110]

Looks like you've found a gem with this Tovide fellow. I didn't have the high hopes, when you brought in a teenager with no more than 61 OVR or something like that, also not even showing that high a potential either. But it really looks like he's coming through for you, with 21 goals in only 21 games. Haha, a @CO88LER5 classic, him only playing half the games of his competition. He should have a rather high stamina rating though. I wonder if he could actually play more regularly without fatigue issues?

Anyway; Man City in the FA Cup final. That could be a hard one.

[CO88LER5]

@JustinCase0110
I'm as surprised as you with Tovide. I bought him as an emergency cover when Buonanotte got injured soon after signing, so he was only ever going to be a backup. He's been incredible, which makes a bit of a mockery of the settings in the game, but I'm not complaining.
He's a typical old-fashioned lumbering centre-forward in many ways - what you'd normally see in the lower leagues. He's quite easy to get the ball off, as he's quite short on ratings for such things, but when he's in the box and receives the ball, he's utterly deadly. His OVR has already climbed to 67; most matches he plays, he's the highest rated player on my side, which I suppose is helping.
I think he can play more regularly, but it could be an even higher division next season, which would be more challenging for his level of player.
I guess it's a bit like Noah Chilvers, who I got from Colchester in my Blackpool career last season. He was incredible, too. Very strange, really

[JustinCase0110]

@CO88LER5 Yes, that's true. I remember Chilvers, just didn't realize they came from the same club. Funny coincidence... Perhaps one should send scouts to Colchester!

[CO88LER5]

Plymouth Hit the Big Time

Premier League, here we come!  For the first time in the club’s history, Argyle will play in the top division next season.  In front of a fanatical home crowd, the 3-2 victory over Coventry City sealed promotion with a game to spare.  It wasn’t without drama, though, as a trigger-happy ref sent off two Plymouth players in the first half hour, including captain for the day Macauley Gillesphey after only 12 minutes for what seemed like a fairly innocuous challenge.  The Pilgrims gritted their teeth and still managed the win, when a point would have done.

In the final game against Middlesbrough, Erick Sanchez signed off Argyle’s last Championship match with a fine hat-trick, including his third free kick goal of the season.  He has become the default taker of such dead-ball opportunities and is proving remarkably accurate.

So, Argyle finish second and therefore have automatic promotion to the top flight.  They and Leicester City will be joined in the Premier League by Watford next season, as the Hornets won the play-off final against Leeds United, having despatched third-placed Norwich City in the semis.  Norwich finished an incredible 22 points ahead of Watford, and probably feel quite aggrieved at what happened in their semi.

FA Cup Final

Argyle were well beaten in the FA Cup Final by the all-conquering Manchester City.  Despite the imminent Champions’ League final (which they later lost to Barcelona), the serial title winners sent out their best side for this tie, no doubt noting how Argyle had accounted for Arsenal in the quarter-finals.  An Erling Haaland strike on 19 minutes made life even more difficult for Argyle, and the own goal by goalkeeper Baker made an unlikely Pilgrims victory all but impossible.  A switch to 4-5-1 at half time did lead to more chances (one glorious opportunity on 85 minutes fell to substitute Samson Tovide, but Ederson saved well) and a more comfortable second half for the Pilgrims, but a famous victory was not to be.

Owner Simon Hallett can be well satisfied with his appointment of Bobby Stones at the start of this season.  He has totally changed the playing style, brought in some good players using his Americas connections, and powered Argyle to history.  Many of the players, however, are not Premier League standard and it will be interesting to see just what happens in the summer.  It could be a very active revolving door at the club.  Argyle won a staggering £104 million as a “promotion reward” and it will be interesting to see how much of that is made available to strengthen the squad.

[CO88LER5]

Busy Summer for the Pilgrims

Plymouth Argyle are preparing for life in the Premier League with a large turnover of players this summer.  9 of last season’s squad have departed for a total of around £13 million, as manager Bobby Stones upgrades his squad to face the tougher opposition Argyle will meet in the top division.

Meanwhile, 9 players have arrived so far, with more expected, for a total of £27 million, including three free players, as Stones sets about eating into the rumoured £70 million (including wages) budget.

In addition, we know of five players from the academy that have been promoted, indicating that Stones’ attempts last season to acquire prospects for the academy is starting to bear fruit.  It is rumoured that he has effectively emptied the academy of the brightest prospects and that the race is now on to find more for the coming season.

This activity takes the squad up to 36 in total, although there are expected to be further departures, and possibly arrivals, in August.

[JustinCase0110]

Branthwaite is one I thorougly enjoyed having in my squad last year, when I played with Sunderland. Good signing. At 22 he almost looks old compared to all the teenagers, who come after, haha... I've heard of Hato, and Koleosho is one who impressed me, when Burnley played Man United earlier in the season. The rest don't ring a bell to me.