Let’s take stock of where Plymouth Argyle sit after five games. Notwithstanding the quality of opposition, Argyle’s start has been about as average as it gets. Two wins, one draw and two defeats leave the Greens in midtable on seven points, with the verdict on that opening six coming down to the final game. Win, and it’ll be a good start. Lose? Whatever the mitigation, it’d have to be considered a poor opening.

Barnsley are the visitors to Home Park this weekend, making their first trip to these parts since Conor Hourihane’s side won 3-1 on the opening day of last season. Since then, Hourihane has been replaced by Daniel Stendel for his second spell at the club, and his team have had a similarly average start. Barnsley possess exactly the same record as Argyle, sitting just a place below the Pilgrims in the league table on goal difference.

Which of these sides, if either, can get another win on the board and allow their strong first six to provide a platform for the rest of the season?

Style of play

The first thing to immediately note is that Argyle should expect to face energetic opponents. This season Barnsley have been the youngest team in the league, and by a fairly significant margin. Weighted for minutes played, the average age of their team has been just 22.08 years.

The chart below shows the minutes played at each age across League One. Sure, there are spikes in places but, as you’d naturally expect, more minutes are played by players you’d consider to be in their “prime”, with the average coming out at just over 26.

At Barnsley, the story is totally different. The clear spike comes in the 20-22 range, and more minutes have been played by teenagers than over-30s. In fact, the only minutes played by anybody over the age of 28 are all from 31-year-old midfielder Cameron McGeehan, who has 435 league minutes under his belt thus far.

This can obviously bring positive and negative elements. Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley has been full of praise in his pre-match press conference, suggesting his side will need to be prepared for the “enthusiasm and fearlessness” of their visitors. However, it’s certainly possible that game management could be a problem for this Tykes side, and I wouldn’t be surprised if consistency proved a problem throughout the campaign – in many ways, it already has been.

Stendel has at least avoided complicating things for his young team with a funky shape. Rather, he started the season with a straightforward 4-2-3-1, the same shape with which Barnsley ended last year under Hourihane, and there are no indications that the German is minded to make a change.

That’s not to say that the style itself can’t be fluid. Tyrese Noslin, who was part of Curacao’s World Cup squad for their memorable tournament debut this year, has lined up both as a right back and right winger since joining Barnsley this summer. He’d offer a very attacking option if deployed in the defensive line. 18-year-old Arley Kay, meanwhile, can also play at right back, but was used on the left before Ziyad Larkeche joined on loan from Queens Park Rangers.

Since the departure of Josh Earl to Blackpool (more on him next week), Sam Gale and Connor O’Riordan have formed the central defensive partnership. Stendel may consider changing things after last weekend’s 5-1 drubbing by Stevenage, but his options in the area are limited. New arrival Isaac Smith is currently injured, whilst Jack Shepherd appears clearly out of favour.

Goalkeeper Cieran Slicker, on loan from Ipswich Town, has also been the victim of injury. As such, 20-year-old academy graduate Rogan Ravenhill has played the first five games of the campaign. He certainly hasn’t looked out of place, but it’s always worth testing a young goalkeeper early in these circumstances.

Barnsley’s “shoot-on-sight” policy in attack has seen them take more shots (91) than any League One side.

Barnsley certainly will – their “shoot-on-sight” policy in attack has seen them take more shots (91) than any League One side this season. Noslin has taken more than any other Barnsley player, but expect wingers Reyes Cleary and Luke Alker, number 10 Patrick Kelly, and striker Makenzie Kirk to snipe in efforts from range when given the chance.

Finally, we have the midfield double pivot. McGeehan has started every league game, captains the side and is the designated experienced head. Recently, he’s been lining up alongside Jonathan Bland. However, Luca Connell has been a key player for Barnsley for several years, and appears to have been working his way back to full fitness from the bench. After last week’s heavy defeat, it would make sense for him to feature from the start at Home Park.

Strengths

Cleary was the subject of rife transfer speculation over the summer, with several Championship clubs rumoured to be interested in his services. I must admit to being rather shocked he remains at Oakwell to this day.

That wasn’t for a lack of trying on the player’s part. He submitted an official transfer request late in the window, and a club statement confirmed they’d rejected seven-figure bids for Cleary. Is there an argument that keeping a player who doesn’t want to be there is counterproductive? Sure, but I admire Barnsley’s resolve, and there’s no doubt that they’ve kept a superb player for this level.

Cleary was a huge threat last season in a creative sense. His total of 13 assists was the joint-highest figure in League One, whilst he comfortably topped his club’s ranks for big chances created. He was exciting to watch as he did so too, with his totals for successful dribbles and touches in the opposition box – 52 and 174 respectively – also ranking favourably across the league.

They don’t always succeed, but I can certainly see why Cleverley was keen to praise Barnsley’s fearlessness.

Dribbling in particular has remained a strength into this campaign, both for Cleary and his team as a whole. Only Blackpool’s Josh Bowler (30) has attempted more dribbles this season than Cleary’s 26, whilst Barnsley’s collective total of 103 is the highest figure in League One. They don’t always succeed, but I can certainly see why Cleverley was keen to praise Barnsley’s fearlessness.

Really, there’s quite a lot to like about the way Barnsley attack. I mentioned earlier they’ve had more shots than any team in the league, and it doesn’t stop there. They also boast the third-highest average possession figure (58.9%), whilst their total of 190 touches in the opposition box is another league high.

Being on the front foot often means more set piece opportunities are developed. Indeed, Barnsley’s total of 45 corners is comfortably the highest in the league at this stage of the season. They haven’t scored from any of them, only have one set piece goal overall this year, and I generally believe they’ve been wasteful. However, I’ve no doubt they will at least develop dead-ball opportunities this weekend; it’ll surely lead to goals eventually.

Barnsley have caught their opponents offside 21 times this season, more than any other team in the division.

Certainly, their main strengths come in an attacking rather than a defensive sense. But that’s not to say there aren’t positives at the other end. Their total of 46 interceptions is beaten by only three League One sides, and Stendel seems to have got plenty of success playing a high line. Barnsley have caught their opponents offside 21 times this season, more than any other team in the division.

It could lead to a frustrating afternoon for the Pilgrims, given they’ve been caught offside themselves this season more than any other League One team (18 times). Combine that with the interceptions also cutting out moves before they develop, and the energy and endeavour within this Barnsley side, and it could well mean that patience is the order of the day for Cleverley’s men.

Weaknesses

Barnsley are surely one of the most frustrating teams to support in the country. They do a lot well, can be exhilarating to watch at their best, and have several talents within their ranks who clearly have bright futures in the game. However, key shortcomings at both ends of the field are, in my view, preventing this team from reaching its potential.

We’ll start with the attack. As we know, Barnsley have their strengths when it comes to dribbling, crossing and getting touches in the opposition penalty area. What they’re not doing, however, is converting those openings into consistent, high-quality chances.

For me, Stendel’s style of play should shoulder some of the blame. His shoot-on-sight policy can lead to one or two screamers flying in, but more regularly it means a wasteful shot is taken, rather than the ball being worked to a more presentable position. We can demonstrate this by looking at xG per shot, where Barnsley’s average of 0.09 at this early stage of the campaign is the third-lowest figure in League One.

You’ll notice from the chart that Argyle have a similar issue. You’d need to go to three decimal places to split the Pilgrims and Barnsley in this particular metric, with Argyle just about coming up on top by 0.092 to 0.089. Nonetheless, they should still take confidence. If Murphy Cooper even performs to par, there’s a reasonable chance he’ll keep a clean sheet, and Argyle can then go about exploiting weaknesses at the other end.

Those defensive weaknesses, incidentally, are worthy of a mention. Last season, Barnsley kept just four clean sheets in their 46 league games, by far the lowest total in the division. They have already kept one this season (in a 0-0 stalemate with Doncaster Rovers) but it is just the one, and they still look decidedly leaky at the back. Stevenage, hardly the most attacking team in the third tier, took full advantage by putting five past them last week.

Running at the defence is a good way to force open the door. On that basis, Oliver Irow must surely start.

Tackling is a particular defensive skill Barnsley seem to carry out badly. On the face of it, their total of 68 tackles this year is below average, but generally fine. However, only Notts County (41) have been dribbled past more often than Barnsley’s 35, giving the Tykes an implied tackle success rate of 66%. That’s the lowest figure in the league, and suggests that running at the defence is a good way to force open the door. On that basis, Oliver Irow must surely start.

Barnsley’s weakness in the tackle is part of a wider problem when it comes to duels. They currently rank dead last in League One for their ground duel success rate of 41%, whilst their aerial duel success rate of 43% is only good enough to place 22^nd. Overall, Barnsley have won 255 of the 607 duels they’ve contested this season, with the resultant 42% success rate again the lowest in the league.

Again, this is an area where Argyle have their own struggles. In fact, Barnsley are the only team to have posted a lower total duel success rate than the Greens’ 45%. Against this team though, in front of their own fans, Argyle have to back themselves. They must be up for the fight, enter their battles with confidence, and trust that it’ll be enough to win the game.

Prediction

It’s difficult to know which Barnsley team will show up. At their best, Stendel’s side can be more than a match for any team at this level. However, they’re never too far away from a calamity, and that inconsistency will surely hold them back across the course of the season. This weekend, it wouldn’t particularly surprise me to see either side run away with the game.

In what could therefore be considered a deviation from all logic, I’m going to back neither. Rather, I’m going for a draw to leave both teams with the distinctly average record of two wins, two draws and two defeats from their first six.

Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Barnsley

We are proud to be working with Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) as Argyle Life’s Official Charity Partner for the 2026/27 season. You can learn more about CHSW’s work by clicking here, and supporters who would like to make a contribution can do so via our JustGiving page.

Preview: Doncaster vs Plymouth Argyle

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Argyle Life will face off for Best Club Content Creator against the likes of Sunderland AFC’s long-standing independent fanzine A Love Supreme, Tranmere Rovers’ podcast A Trip To The Moon, Sheffield United’s Blades Ramble, Swansea City’s OnlySwans, Birmingham City’s longest-running podcast The Tilton Talk Show, and even fellow Plymouth Argyle fans The Block 9 Podcast, among others.

While Best in Social sees us up against some very big hitters, including SPORF, Troll Football, OneFootball and the PFA, alongside fellow independent fan platforms like This Is Anfield, Empire of the Kop and Spurs Only. United Zone have 1.7 Million followers on Twitter (well, X, sorry Elon) on its own! It’s an incredibly tough field by scale alone, but being named among them is a real mark of how far our social output has come.

Created in 2012 to highlight the best of online football media nationwide, the awards have been dubbed by some as the “Oscars of the Football Content Industry.”

Last year saw Dan Ellard, Sam Down, Adam Price and I travel to Leeds United’s Elland Road to pick up the Bronze award for Best Club Content Creator in the Football League. This year we’re back to see if we can go one better, this time at Liverpool’s iconic Anfield Stadium in November.

Podcast Progression

Our YouTube channel has now passed over 4,000 subscribers, hitting nearly 750,000 lifetime views and over 133,000 hours of watch time – that equates to over 15 years’ worth of some poor soul’s life had they been watching Sam Down monologues non-stop since birth – with more than 6 million impressions across nearly 400 uploads and streams.

Our post-match podcast, going out live on multiple platforms to thousands the day after every game, has done much of the heavy lifting but we have thrown the odd vlog or two your way too – although the club ruined our summer of fun by not opting to play abroad this season; previous visits to Spain with Wayne Rooney and his family, followed up with a trip to Innsbruck in Austria with M̶i̶r̶o̶n̶ ̶M̶u̶s̶l̶i̶c̶ Tom Cleverley have been major highlights following our club.

Continuing on that theme, our Green & White Podcast has now topped over 225,000 audio listens across 151 countries (we see you, regular listener in Mauritius). Spotify’s own Wrapped figures showcase that just shy of a thousand of you had us as one of your top podcasts last year. Across Spotify we amassed over 842,000 minutes of listening, with a 163% increase in new audience in 2025 alone. Socials have also hit respectable numbers amassing over 7,000 followers on Twitter/X and 15,000 on Facebook.

We’ve also been very lucky to have collaborated with some huge hitters in the world of sports media; from the likes of BBC Sport and Local BBC Radio stations to featuring on ITV West Country, BBC Spotlight, Sky News’ ‘This is Why’ Podcast and Greatest Hits Radio while Sam Down found viral fame, again, battling Ally McCoist on Jeff Stelling’s talkSPORT Radio Show. Joe Bell also stepped up to host his own Sports Radio show on Ocean City Radio; often bringing in fellow podcast panellist Graham Clark to help discussions flow. While Adam and Sam were also invited up to London to represent Plymouth Argyle in front of the nation as they held their own in the talkSPORT Cup.

David Friio, Peter Reid, David Norris and Danny Mayor are some of the headline names among those who’ve featured on our ‘My Argyle Life’ Podcast series which has also included the likes of Paralympian Silver Medalist Krysten Coombs, Bastille Drummer Chris ‘Woody’ Wood, local legend Plymouth Live’s Chris Errington and CWU’s Chris Webb.

Written Content

Beyond the pod, Adam Price has continued to provide incredibly detailed, statistically-driven match previews before seemingly every Argyle game in living memory, along with genuinely incredible in-depth analysis (OK, I’m biased, so what?) of every incoming signing detailing their strengths and weaknesses while our Transfer Centre remains the place Argyle fans turn to for news they can trust — Adam independently verifying every rumour before ranking it for its likelihood saw the blog rack up over 75,000 views this summer window alone.

We have also had the honour of answering the fan questions for FourFourTwo’s illustrious season previews, with Jon Allsop taking the mantle from me this season – a genuine career highlight of his, I’m sure.

Our partnership with The Plymouth Chronicle saw exclusive written content delivered to over 90,000 homes in the city and surrounding areas. Predominantly led by Sam, our articles covered a host of talking points we were yet to discuss in minute detail elsewhere, from Seb Campbell’s record breaking goal to how the Women’s team could create a footballing legacy in Plymouth and beyond.

On that, we have also held the club to account where we felt it necessary to take a collective editorial stance on multiple issues such as their treatment of the Women’s team, dismissing them all by blanket email in the summer, calling for change during both Ian Foster and Wayne Rooney‘s reigns and to ask for those in charge of the club, and Simon Hallett in particular, to show leadership. Though we take no credit, all four were followed up with a reaction by the club, the latter seeing Derek Adams’ return to Home Park.

More Than Just Content

2026 saw us step outside of just creating content. Launching our charity partnership with Children’s Hospice South West is something I am personally very proud of. Our first donation drive came through our Charity Fantasy Premier League, which saw us raise over £1,000 within our first month.

We also partnered with a local up-and-coming kit manufacturer, Mezzala, designing and launching our own shirt (in less than 2 days!) for a charity football match in honour of Plymouth Argyle fan Daniel Willis, helping to raise funds for Mental Health Support Services Mind and Man Down.

We are also proud of our efforts alongside PAFC Displays to help fund some of the fan-made flags and tifos that make Home Park what it is on matchday. The vast overwhelming majority of these flags are actually designed by Argyle Life’s own James Curno – not that you’d know it as he doesn’t get anywhere near enough credit!

Anfield Awaits

While a panel of judges thoughts and considerations make up half of the result, fan voting is still so incredibly important and that’s why we need your help.

If you’ve ever enjoyed any of our output we’d love it if you could vote for us: here.

Reminder, we are up for both Best Club Content Creator – Football League and Best In Social.

Voting closes at 23:59 on October 13th 2026. 

Being announced as a finalist is a huge endorsement of the hours we’ve spent discussing our love of Plymouth Argyle, and of our listeners and viewers, without whom none of this would be possible. As always, every view, read, like, comment, subscription, and now vote, is hugely appreciated. Thank you.

UTBAL 💚

The post Argyle Life Nominated For National Football Media Award – Three Years Running! appeared first on Argyle Life.

For all their faults, and there are plenty of them, Leicester remain a ridiculously large club for the third tier. Premier League champions so famously a decade ago, and FA Cup winners in 2021, Russell Martin’s side have several players signed for eight-figure sums in the recent past. But they didn’t outplay Argyle. The Greens were more than a match for their illustrious opponents, but a lack of composure and mental fortitude saw them succumb to a 2-0 defeat. Massively frustrating.

In these circumstances, it’s always nice to have an immediate opportunity to put things right. Argyle do. Tom Cleverley’s side will worm their way up the country to South Yorkshire to play Doncaster Rovers this weekend. Encouragingly, the Greens have won on their last two visits to these parts, despite conceding the opening goal on both occasions.

Grant McCann’s Doncaster come into this one on the back of three consecutive draws, which were themselves preceded by a 2-1 defeat to Mansfield Town on opening day. They’re still looking for their first league win of the campaign, and may view this as a good opportunity. Argyle may be similarly encouraged though, given this appears to be their easiest league fixture on paper so far. Which way will the game go?

Style of play

In truth, this is a difficult section to write. And that’s for a couple of reasons. First of all, Doncaster didn’t particularly stand out for any stats indicative of a clear style of play last season – they ranked 11^th for average possession (50.4%) and 10^th for long passes completed per game (24.3). Additionally, unlike Martin on Tuesday, McCann doesn’t seem to have an obviously preferred shape. The versatility of those at the back can make it appear pretty fluid at times.

Through the spine of the side, there are at least some constants. Stoke City loanee Tommy Simkin has started every league game in goal, whilst both Jay McGrath and Neill Byrne have been consistently lining up at centre back. Robbie Gotts has been similarly consistent in midfield whilst Alfie May, returning to the club on loan from Huddersfield Town, will surely continue to start up front. Elsewhere though, things are trickier to predict.

There are players I think are sure to start, but there is no guarantee as to where. Jack Senior has lined up as both a full back and a wing back on the left, and the same is true of Jamie Sterry on the right. Sean Grehan has been both a centre back and a right back at this early stage of the season, and club captain Owen Bailey, a central midfielder by trade, was also deployed at right back for last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Stevenage.

The versatility of many of those in the defensive line means the shape can easily prove interchangeable.

That’s what I mean about the fluidity. On paper, McCann’s selection on Saturday will probably feel like it’s got four at the back. However, the versatility of many of those in the defensive line means the shape can easily prove interchangeable depending on whether Doncaster have the ball. It hasn’t worked too well so far this season, but I can certainly see why it could if perfected.

At the other end of the pitch, Doncaster will look to cross with regularity. That is one area where they did stand out last season, as their average of 5.2 crosses completed per game was topped by only two League One sides. In terms of those delivering the crosses from the wide areas, Hakeeb Adelakun, Jordan Thomas and Tommi O’Reilly (no, he really spells his first name that way) are all in contention to start.

As for the strikeforce, May is by far the likeliest starter. Doncaster did loan James Collins from Lincoln City on deadline day, but he’s not expected to be fit until November (weird signing, right?). Alongside May, Brandon Hanlan is an option having scored the opener in this fixture last year, whilst Isaac Hutchinson’s inclusion would suggest he’ll sit deeper and the shape on paper may be closer to a 4-2-3-1, though he has also played on the wing this year.

There are others I’ve yet to mention who could play a role. George Broadbent, for example, often features in midfield in some capacity. Leon Ayinde, signed this summer from Ipswich Town, is a regular from the bench out wide. Where the hell is James Husband? Again, he’s only emerged from the bench after joining from Blackpool. He may be in line to feature more heavily this weekend, but he was sent off when he last faced Argyle for the Tangerines.

It’s perhaps more beneficial for Argyle to focus on themselves, and travel with the intention of playing the game on their terms.

Leicester’s game plan was easy to pinpoint in advance of kick-off, but with Doncaster it’s anything but straightforward. With that in mind, it’s perhaps more beneficial for Argyle to focus on themselves, and travel north with the intention of playing the game on their terms, not Doncaster’s.

Strengths

As a data analyst for a living (have I ever mentioned?), Doncaster have always fascinated me. They’ve never appeared to pull up any trees since returning to League One in 2025, and at times they’ve actively struggled. However, a look at their underlying data would suggest this team did an awful lot right last year, and the trend may be set to continue into this season.

We’ll start with their attack. Despite finishing in the bottom half, Doncaster’s xG of 66.5 was easily enough to rank within the league’s top ten. And the picture becomes even better when we look solely at big chances. McCann’s men had a total of 116 Opta-defined big chances in League One last season, a total only beaten by Cardiff City (132) and Argyle themselves (130).

The numbers at the other end were also strong. Again, their xG against was enough to rank in League One’s top ten, with only seven sides posting a better figure than Doncaster’s 54.4. I think a lot of that is to do with the fact that the defence were active in preventing the opposition getting shots away. Doncaster made 1,668 clearances over the course of last season, with only three teams – Leyton Orient, Blackpool and again Argyle themselves – making more.

As such, it’s no surprise that Doncaster placed higher in the expected points table than they did in the actual league table. Early indications suggest that may continue. Despite failing to win any of their first four league games, their total xG against currently sits at just 3.4. That’s the second-best figure in the league, beaten only by Reading who have played a game fewer.

Argyle should expect to come under some pressure, and it perhaps explains why Doncaster have taken the lead the last four times these sides have met.

Argyle cannot expect to have everything their own way this weekend. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll lose the game; as I’ll explain in the next section, I think there are plenty of reasons to believe the opposite may be true. However, they should expect to come under some pressure, and it perhaps explains why Doncaster have taken the lead the last four times these sides have met.

In terms of individuals, left full back/wing back Senior is actually Doncaster’s top league goalscorer at this early stage. His two strikes came against Mansfield and Stevenage, with the latter a particularly impressive finish from range…

Overall though, it’s clear that Bailey is the key man. He played every possible minute for McCann’s side in the league last season, and he hasn’t missed a minute in the early stages of this one either. Bailey was easily Doncaster’s top league goalscorer last season with 13 (nobody else reached double figures), and he’s a huge threat from set pieces. He isn’t bad in the build-up either, with his total of 11 big chances created last season also ranking solidly.

It isn’t a case of “stop Bailey and you’ll win”. After all, he didn’t contribute to either of the two goals Doncaster scored against Argyle last season. However, it’d certainly aid the Pilgrims’ cause if they were able to negate his threat once more.

Weaknesses

In the previous section, I outlined how Doncaster ranked in the top ten on an xG basis for both their attack and defence. So why did they finish 14^th, having been in relegation trouble for a significant portion of the campaign?

I don’t think their underperformance can be attributed to one end of the field. In the league last season, Doncaster underperformed their attacking xG by 16.5 goals (50 scored from 66.5 xG) and their defensive xG by 14.6 goals (69 conceded from 54.4 xG against). Both were among the largest underperformances in the division. Clearly, they’ve been failing to take their chances at one end, and conceding soft goals where they shouldn’t at the other.

As ever, there needs to be a game state caveat when considering xG underperformance. When a team regularly falls behind in a game, as Doncaster often did last season, they will naturally have more of an incentive to push forward, and they can generate more xG as a result.

In the 360 league minutes they’ve played, Doncaster have only been in the lead for 30 of those.

I think we’ve seen early signs of that happening again this season. Yes, Doncaster’s defensive xG numbers are strong. However, in the 360 league minutes they’ve played, they’ve only been in the lead for 30 of those. Their defence, therefore, hasn’t come under quite as much pressure.

I also believe there are clear mental frailties in this Doncaster side. I know that’s rich coming from a fan of Argyle, who showed a complete lack of mental fortitude in Leicester just a few days ago, but this has been a problem for a while. Whenever Doncaster have taken the lead this season, they’ve been swiftly pegged back, and it’s a problem that has carried over from last season.

Their games against Argyle act as perfect examples. Take this exact fixture last December; Doncaster took the lead after just four minutes, but just 20 minutes later they’d collapsed and were 3-1 down. They never recovered.

The reverse fixture in March painted a very similar picture. Look how quickly Doncaster went from being ahead on both xG and the scoreboard to falling well behind on xG, with the score eventually catching up.

I can certainly see a circumstance where Argyle do to Doncaster what Leicester did to Argyle in midweek. McCann has his side doing a lot of good things, and they can look strong between both boxes. However, as Tuesday proved, games tend to be won inside both boxes, and that’s where Doncaster tend to struggle. If Argyle keep their composure this time, and are as clinical with their chances as they were in this fixture last season, they should win.

For more specific weaknesses, I’d possibly look towards the players Doncaster have lost over the summer. Elliot Lee, for example, scored a stunner when these sides met in March, but he returned to parent club Wrexham over the summer (and is now a free agent). Meanwhile, key creator Luke Molyneux, who had more assists, expected assists and key passes than any Doncaster player last season, left to join high-flying Salford City. The new wingers may be able to replace his output eventually, but thus far they’re not quite there.

Finally, a quick note that Doncaster conceded nine penalties in the league last season, with no League One sides conceding more. Indeed, they conceded one in each game against Argyle last year, with Lorent Tolaj scoring his spot kick in Doncaster and Ronan Curtis having his saved at Home Park. It may help Argyle to have a designated penalty taker heading into the weekend, and a quick bit of practice on the training ground certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Prediction

Argyle have played Doncaster 27 times since the start of the 1980s. They’ve kept just four clean sheets in that time. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything, but I’ve always been a fan of omens as well as pure stats – I feel it’s surely likely that Doncaster will get on the scoresheet on Saturday.

That’s not to say I think they’ll win though. On the contrary, I think they’re a side with a soft underbelly ripe to be exploited, and Argyle have the quality to do just that. I’m not expecting them to steamroller their hosts, as they did in this fixture last season, but I am going to back an outcome that sends the Green Army home happy.

Doncaster Rovers 1-2 Plymouth Argyle

We are proud to be working with Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) as Argyle Life’s Official Charity Partner for the 2026/27 season. You can learn more about CHSW’s work by clicking here, and supporters who would like to make a contribution can do so via our JustGiving page.

Preview: Leicester vs Plymouth Argyle

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Tom Cleverley’s Pilgrims faced one of the toughest possible tests at this early stage of the season. They took on Bradford City, the only League One side to boast a 100% record from their opening two games of the campaign. Whilst it wasn’t an encounter full of chances, Argyle had the edge, won the key moments, and secured the win through two excellent left-footed finishes from Julio Pleguezuelo and Harvey White.

It was timely. Not only does it lift Argyle out of the relegation zone (as much as that’s relevant in August), it also provides a boost in confidence heading into two away games in the space of a few days. A trip to Doncaster Rovers will come at the weekend, but that’s preceded by Tuesday night’s visit to Leicester City, champions of the land just a decade ago and FA Cup winners in 2021.

Leicester are now in the third tier for just the second season in their existence, and naturally this was one many looked out for when the fixture list was released back in June. In theory, Leicester’s illustrious recent past should make this one of the most difficult games of the season. Will it be? Let’s delve in.

Style of play

When a club changes its head coach over the summer, it can occasionally be difficult to pinpoint their exact style in the first few games of the campaign. This is not one of those occasions. Russell Martin has shown throughout his managerial career that he has clear and distinct preferences, and he’s showing no sign that he intends to change his ways.

In all situations they will pass, pass and pass some more.

Leicester are going to try and keep the ball. In all situations they will pass, pass and pass some more, hoping that extreme patience will eventually allow them to create openings. Yes, it’s early, but the Foxes’ average possession of 72.6% is easily the highest in League One. Additionally, five of the league’s top ten players for passes completed per 90 minutes all play for Leicester.

That desire to keep possession starts right from the back. Martin lines up with a back four but, as weird as it sounds, that can look like a back five when Leicester have the ball. That’s because the goalkeeper is expected to step up and offer a passing option, with Martin believing the ‘keeper’s presence in attacking moves allows his team to consistently have an extra man. 36-year-old Alex McCarthy has struggled with the role, which perhaps explains why Jakub Stolarczyk started Saturday’s draw in Milton Keynes.

The centre backs will be expected to follow that pattern, with Martin requiring them to pass short rather than lumping it downfield or playing long balls into the channels. Harry Souttar seems a likely starter, provided he hasn’t been sold before kick-off. Alongside him, Caleb Okoli will probably get the nod if fit, with Luke Thomas switching from his familiar left back role if he isn’t.

The full backs – Thomas or Christian McFarlane on the left and Jayden Joseph or Olabade Aluko on the right – will of course be expected to follow that passing game. However, they can do so from a more advanced position, with both known to invert regularly.

It can lead to them forming a bank of three alongside a deep-lying midfielder. Oliver Skipp would usually play that role, but his red card against Burton Albion means he’s suspended here. Therefore, expect to see either Hamza Choudhury (though he too is linked with a move away late in the window) or Louis Page playing from the start on Tuesday night.

Martin’s shape on paper is a 4-3-3, allowing for two creative attacking midfielders to sit ahead of the single pivot. Academy graduate Sammy Braybrooke has played every minute there in the league so far this season, with other options including Liam Cullen and former Argyle loanee Bobby De Cordova-Reid. Conor Chaplin, however, is unlikely to be available, given he went off injured in the first half on Saturday.

Finally, there’s the front three. Wes Burns appears to have the edge over Brighton and Hove Albion loanee Harry Howell on the right, whilst it’s a straight fight to start on the left between Will Alves and Tommy Watson, another borrowed from Brighton. If Martin wants to line up with a focal point up front (and he probably should), Admir Bristric is likely to lead the line. If not, we may well see De Cordova-Reid taking on this role.

It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Greens’ possession figure come in below 25%.

Argyle know exactly what to expect. They need to be prepared to work hard without the ball, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see the Greens’ possession figure come in below 25%. Given what we know about this team, and the away wins they’ve secured in the past, they won’t mind that in the slightest.

Strengths

When assessing what makes Leicester strong, and the reason why many had them as League One title favourites before a ball was kicked, we should take some time to appreciate the individual quality in their ranks. With Tuesday’s game also coinciding with the transfer deadline, Leicester’s squad may have altered by the time you’re reading this. However, there will still be incredible strength in their ranks this season regardless.

Souttar played every minute in Australia’s run to the round of 32 at this summer’s World Cup.

Let’s start at the back and work our way forward. In the heart of defence, Souttar is a player I’ve often admired. He was the subject of a £15 million transfer when he joined the Foxes back in 2023. Arguably, he hasn’t been quite the same player since rupturing his Achilles tendon on loan at Sheffield United, he still played every minute in Australia’s run to the round of 32 at this summer’s World Cup. He’s clearly too good for League One.

Then there’s the quality in midfield. Skipp, bought for £20 million just two years ago, may be suspended, but it’s not as if Choudhury is an inadequate replacement. The tough-tackling Bangladesh international featured in the successful FA Cup final in 2021, has over 50 Premier League appearances to his name, and played in the top flight as recently as 2024. If he is indeed the man chosen to feature on Tuesday, Argyle should expect a difficult evening.

For me though, Leicester’s individual quality is most apparent in attack. The Foxes have an embarrassment of riches in the forward areas which is surely the envy of every other manager in the division.

Despite his numerous loan spells at Home Park now being over a decade old, Argyle fans know all about De Cordova-Reid. His total of Premier League appearances dwarfs Choudhury’s, with the Jamaica international playing over 150 games in the top flight. Across his career, De Cordova-Reid has a total of 102 goal contributions (65 goals, 37 assists) in England’s top two tiers. It seems remarkable that he may not even start on Tuesday.

Another player with absurd quality for this level is Burns. He played Premier League football as recently as 2025, with his run in Ipswich Town’s team that year only ended by a serious knee injury. Nonetheless, he returned to the fold, and barely four months ago scored a crucial goal against Southampton as the Tractor Boys won promotion back to the top flight. Now, Burns is back in the third tier.

Watson is another player with experience of scoring key goals for teams chasing promotion to the Premier League. It was he who scored a last-minute winner for Sunderland in the Championship play-off final at the end of 2024/25. That was his last act for Sunderland before moving to Brighton for £10 million. In normal circumstances (by which I mean dealing with a club without an absurdly large budget), the fact he’s spending the season in the third tier would be seen as astonishing. In many ways, it still is.

All of this is before I even mention Wout Faes, who played for Monaco last season, and Stephy Mavididi, two more players who are far too good for League One. Both are still on the books at Leicester, but Martin hasn’t been playing them, with the expectation that both will be sold by Tuesday’s deadline. However, he hasn’t ruled out one or both staying either; if acceptable offers aren’t forthcoming, the game against Argyle could be the ideal opportunity to reintegrate them into the side.

Leicester have the biggest budget in the league, and on paper their squad is by far the strongest. It’d probably take a generational clown to fail to win promotion working with these abundant resources. Which brings us onto…

Weaknesses

It’s possible that Russell Martin is a generational clown. And no, I don’t mean that about the man himself. I admire him for his charitable work, and he’s clearly batting above his average on a personal level. As a football manager though, I think there’s a reasonable argument that the game has evolved beyond his methods.

Some managers are unfairly accused of not having a plan B, but for Martin that is a completely reasonable criticism.

It’s one thing to have courage in your convictions, and it’s an admirable trait in many circumstances. In Martin’s case though, it can quickly become damaging stubbornness. Some managers are unfairly accused of not having a plan B, but for Martin that is a completely reasonable criticism.

Take his Leicester team as a good example. They’ve completed more passes than anyone, they keep the ball with lovely little triangles between their goalkeeper and centre backs, and often have their opponents chasing shadows for the vast majority of the game. They’ve also scored just twice in 270 minutes of third-tier football.

And it’s not as if Leicester can claim that underlying data is in their favour, and that things are set to turn around in time. Sure, their 3.6 xG is above their number of total goals, but it still only ranks 11^th in League One. Additionally, only two teams in the league – Burton and AFC Wimbledon – have had fewer Opta-defined big chances than Leicester’s three. For a team with such talent on the books, it isn’t nearly good enough.

There is a fine line between playing thrilling “tiki taka” style football and being dull and impotent. Right now, Leicester fall firmly into the latter category. The club’s goal will be for the team to gel over time, and eventually see Martin’s methods pay dividends; he’s undeniably had some success in the past. In the immediate future though, it could be a good time to play the Foxes.

Leicester’s attacking issues are compounded by problems at the back. They’re clearly instructed to invite the opposition to press and play around them, and at the moment there are teething issues. Leicester have already made five mistakes leading directly to shots across their first three league games. If that rate continues, they’ll end up making around 77 such mistakes across a 46-game season. For context, Argyle made 23 in the league last year.

Football goes through phases, and there’s every chance Martin will have success in the future, but at the moment it looks like the sport has left his style behind.

Martin will have absolutely no desire to make a change, and that stubbornness has cost him in the past. His refusal to adapt his style of play led to his Southampton side looking completely out of place in the Premier League, and he predictably lost his job. Meanwhile, his 123-day spell in charge of Rangers in Scotland was an unmitigated disaster. Football goes through phases, and there’s every chance Martin will have success in the future, but at the moment it looks like the sport has left his style behind.

However it works out for Martin long-term, Argyle know their job in the immediate future. They’ve played teams like Leicester before and won, so they know they can soak up pressure and pounce on any mistakes. Do that, and they’ll give themselves every chance of securing what would be another famous victory against the Foxes.

Prediction

I have two very distinct schools of thought on this game, and they are in direct competition with each other. On one hand, Leicester have so much quality in their ranks that they will surely thrash someone in this league eventually, and it could well be Argyle. Alternatively, Martin’s style of play feels tailor-made for this Argyle side to take advantage of and win.

Ultimately, I’m torn between a 3-0 victory for the hosts and a 1-0 triumph for the travelling Green Army. And in these circumstances, why not let delirium and optimism come out on top?

Leicester City 0-1 Plymouth Argyle

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Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs Bradford

The post Preview: Leicester vs Plymouth Argyle appeared first on Argyle Life.

Argyle may have lost, but they gave Premier League Coventry City a strong game on Tuesday night. The Greens recovered from a nightmare start to draw level with their top flight opponents before the Sky Blues eventually got over the line. Add in the additional depth provided by Tyreek Bakinson and goalscorer Oliver Irow, a solid debut for academy graduate Joe Mwaro, and injury news for Malachi Boateng being far better than feared, and suddenly things don’t seem so bad. Right?!

The relatively good mood is perhaps an indication of how a week can be a long time in football, and how one performance can swiftly change perspectives. With that in mind, how Tom Cleverley’s side perform this weekend may do plenty to set the mood ahead of Tuesday’s transfer deadline. An easy game would be appreciated in these circumstances…so of course, Argyle will be taking on the league leaders.

Bradford City are in fact the only team in League One to have won both league games this season. And I think there’s a general expectation they’ll be in for a good year. Their run to the play-offs last season surprised many, but after a good summer they appear well-placed to launch another assault on the top six. Maybe even beyond.

Their start has brought great encouragement, and going three from three with a win at Home Park would provide a significant boost. What can we expect from the Bantams?

Style of play

I certainly don’t foresee any surprises in terms of the shape. Graham Alexander joined Bradford as manager in November 2023, and he’s almost exclusively lined up with a back three in the three years since. Given it’s won him a promotion and been a key part of his side making the play-offs last season, he’s hardly going to be minded to change shape now.

So far in the league, that back three has been unchanged. We’ve seen Macauley Gillesphey, formerly of Argyle, Matthew Pennington, perennially linked to Argyle, and Aden Baldwin, who as far as I can see has no links to Argyle. Bradford did sign another former Argyle loanee in the goalkeeper position over the summer, with Cameron Dawson joining from Rotherham United. However, he seems firmly second-choice right now behind another new arrival: Jon McCracken (no, really) from Dundee.

The defensive line isn’t necessarily set in stone. Baldwin missed the excellent Carabao Cup win over Burnley in midweek, with Reece Welch (another rumoured Argyle target of years gone by) playing the full 90 minutes. The noises would suggest Baldwin is set to be fit again for the trip to Home Park, but Welch, Callum Connolly and Joe Wright offer alternative options.

The three teams to complete the highest number of long passes in League One last year have all faced Argyle in their first five games of the season.

Playing out from the back isn’t generally part of Alexander’s style, so it isn’t crucial for the defenders to be ball-playing. In fact, it’s notable that the three teams to complete the highest number of long passes in League One last year – Bradford, Exeter City and Stockport County – have all faced Argyle in their first five games of the season. The Greens therefore ought to be suitably prepared.

Alexander tends to play a 3-4-2-1, so it’s likely those long passes will take two routes: balls into the channels for the two “inside forwards” to chase, and long punts towards a central striker. From the start, that striker is likely to be Jake Beesley, who has started every game since joining from Burton Albion over the summer. However, I’m not sure he’ll last the 90, with Nick Powell coming on as a second-half substitute for Beesley in all four games thus far.

Behind the striker, Will Swan appears to be in favour at the moment. He bagged the crucial equaliser when these sides last met back in April, and scored more goals per 90 minutes in the league last season than any other Bradford player. Other options include Bobby Pointon, Kayden Jackson and Adam Phillips, the latter of whom made his full debut for the club against Burnley on Wednesday.

The exact makeup of the attack could depend on who needs to “fill in” across other roles. For example, Josh Neufville started three successive games as the right wing back, but was absent on Wednesday night, so Jackson stepped back into the role. I expect to see Ibou Touray start on the other flank with former Green Tyreik Wright injured. Though, given these previews have explicitly ruled out Cauley Woodrow and Daniel Bentley across the last two games, and both featured, I don’t know what to think anymore.

It can lead to a 4-2-3-1 shape emerging by proxy at times, with Touray sitting back and one of the inside forwards pushing out to the left flank to attack.

Whoever plays in the wing back roles, the right side would be considered the more attacking of the two. Whilst Touray is classed as a more conventional left back, Jackson and Neufville are both attacking players. It can lead to a 4-2-3-1 shape emerging by proxy at times, with Touray sitting back and one of the inside forwards pushing out to the left flank to attack.

That leaves the deep midfield roles, where both players appear to be slightly out of position. Connolly, probably more of a centre back by trade, has been playing in midfield since joining from Rochdale over the summer. As has Antoni Sarcevic, yet another player with Argyle connections. We’re probably more used to seeing him in attacking areas, but he’s perhaps following the route of dropping deeper as he reaches the twilight years of his career.

At this rate, he’ll win yet another League Two promotion as a centre back at the age of 39.

Strengths

There is so much to like about the way Bradford defend. As mentioned, the Bantams are they the only side in League One to have won both league games so far this season. They’re also the only team not to have conceded a single goal. That record extends to the cup too, with Bradford keeping clean sheets against Rochdale and, impressively, Burnley in their route to qualifying for the League Cup third round.

Naturally, the entire Bradford defensive unit is worthy of praise. Baldwin, for instance, has started the season in superb style, winning over 75% of his aerial duels and scoring the winner away to Sheffield Wednesday on matchday two.

And special praise, in my view, ought to be reserved for goalkeeper McCracken. He joined the Bantams on the back of a strong season of shot stopping for Dundee. Post-shot xG data suggests he prevented 5.61 goals in the Scottish Premiership, as he conceded 56 times from the 61.61 xG on target he faced. And McCracken seems to be going from strength to strength. Early on this season, he’s yet to concede, despite facing shots worth 3.58 on the post-shot xG scale across his four games.

He’s obviously not unbeatable. In recent history I remember no opposition player scoring against Anthony Patterson in the first four games of the 2024/25 season, before Argyle put three past him and his Sunderland side when they visited Home Park. They’ll aim to do the same to Bradford and McCracken this weekend, but there’s evidence they’ll need to be clinical with their shooting.

Bradford’s strengths in defence are not a flash in the pan. They come into this campaign on the back of a season where their defending, more than anything else, provided the platform for their top six finish. 51 goals conceded marked one of the league’s better defensive records, and Bradford’s total of 14 clean sheets was in similar territory. Most impressively, their total xG against of 45.9 was lower than any other team in the division.

Bradford are the sort of team who will refuse to give you time on the ball. For instance, they made more tackles last season (828) than any other team in League One. And that defensive intensity starts right at the front, with only Luton Town winning possession in the opposition’s final third more times per game last season than Bradford’s 4.1. When it works, it creates the perfect cocktail. Bradford will keep things tight at one end of the field, but exert pressure and create openings as a result at the other.

All in all, the data suggests Argyle will struggle to score this weekend. That’s not to say they definitely won’t, and naturally I hope they score a hatful. However, they’ll need to work hard in order to do so, and perhaps have a bit of luck fall their way.

I can’t help but think back to this fixture last season. Yes, it came in what was a disastrous first half of the campaign, but it was one of the better Argyle performances under Cleverley before the turn of the year. Still, Bradford remained resolute, kept a clean sheet, and eventually won the game. A repeat here wouldn’t come as a shock.

Weaknesses

Regular readers of these pieces will probably have an idea where this is going. I’ve just spent practically the entire previous section praising the way Bradford defend. Their weaknesses tend to come at the other end.

The basic attacking metrics tell a clear story. Yes, Bradford did well to finish fourth and reach the League One play-offs last season. However, their total of 58 goals was only the 14^th-highest figure in the division. Their attacking xG stats weren’t much better. Bradford’s total xG was 62.5 last season, barely enough to rank within the top half.

For me, the Bantams didn’t capitalise on the openings they developed. They had a solid number of touches in the opposition box, with their total of 1,080 enough to rank in the league’s top six. Did they make the most of that? Not for me. As well as their relatively average xG statistics, Bradford’s total number of shots on target and big chances also fell within the 10^th-11^th range.

It’s arguable that Alexander’s men had a creativity problem last term. And that may now get even worse due to a lack of power. Literally. Max Power, another player with a tenuous Argyle link, left this summer to join Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee. Power created more big chances (12) and made far more key passes (73) than anyone in Bradford’s ranks last season. Sure, they’ve made a strong start, but that’s an awful lot to make up for over the course of a whole year.

Elsewhere, and this may come as a surprise given everything I said in the previous section, I do want to pick up on a potential weakness at the other end. Obviously, Bradford defend remarkably well in general, and that extends to multiple facets of the game. I do, however, think they have a slight issue dealing with set pieces.

With the work Argyle put into dead-ball situations, they’ll surely fancy themselves to notch at least once using that method.

Last season, the Bantams conceded 18 set piece goals in the league, with only five teams conceding more. And that becomes even more alarming when you consider that Bradford didn’t concede many goals overall, meaning set pieces made up a significant proportion of their goals against. With the work Argyle put into dead-ball situations, and the structure of their lineup often reflecting this, they’ll surely fancy themselves to notch at least once using that method.

Finally, a quick note that Bradford aren’t exactly the cleanest team in the league when it comes to discipline. They picked up 105 bookings last season, the second-highest figure in League One. The only side to pick up more? Argyle, with 119.

Patience could be key for both sides here. A number of bookings could lead to patterns of play being broken up, while substitutions could become necessary to avoid the risk of red cards. It certainly isn’t out of the question that this game will be won from the bench.

Prediction

I appreciate the xG graphics used in this piece took data from last season, but plenty may carry over between campaigns. The data shows one team excellent going forward and average in defence, and the other excellent in defence and average going forward. That really does add a layer of unpredictability.

Are Bradford due a goal against? Arguably so, and conceding one could see the floodgates open as they did against Sunderland two years ago. Statistics don’t work that way though, and I suspect the most likely outcome here is a tight encounter. So tight, in fact, that I think I’ll back the score draw.

Plymouth Argyle 1-1 Bradford City

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Oliver Irow: What to Expect?

The post Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs Bradford appeared first on Argyle Life.

Briefly, it looked as though Michael Baidoo would be the man to fill Dale’s void on the left flank. The Ghanaian, once Argyle’s record signing, had been a complete disaster ever since joining in January 2025. But with no other clubs keen to take him (and Argyle CEO Paul Berne bizarrely saying the sale of Lorent Tolaj allowed Argyle to keep Baidoo around), he joined the team in pre-season and looked decent…before his injury against Bristol City ruled him out of action for several months.

It’s taken a while, but Argyle have finally signed a wide man. It’s not Dale, but rather Oliver Irow, who joins on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. The 20-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at Mansfield Town, and now prepares to spend a full campaign in League One with the Greens.

My immediate instinct is that we’re in the territory where writing this sort of piece is difficult. Irow’s 17 league appearances at Mansfield last season were the only senior league appearances he’s made in his career, and ten of those were from the bench. As much as it pains me, I’ve had to include the six times he appeared for Tottenham’s academy side in the pizza cup to increase the size of the stats sample.

Still, that at least gives us 850 minutes of football to work with. We can at least get some brief ideas about the man Argyle have drafted in.

Assessing attacking output

Is Irow going to offer enough going forward to satisfy Argyle’s needs? Well, it must be said that the early signs are incredibly positive.

Between Irow’s arrival being announced and me having the opportunity to write this piece, he has already played his first Argyle game. He looked incredibly lively, and crucially also scored in the Pilgrims’ League Cup encounter with Coventry City. In doing so, Irow equalled Dale’s goal tally at Argyle, across his 32-game spell, within 21 minutes.

Irow is no stranger to well-taken right-footed goals. In fact, he isn’t even a stranger to well-taken right-footed goals at the Barn Park End. He’s scored against Argyle before, with a huge pizza cup caveat attached, by notching a late consolation for Spurs’ academy in their 6-2 defeat at Home Park last season.

It must be said, however, that Irow isn’t the sort of player who can only score one type of goal. He caught the eye of many last year by scoring a brace against Port Vale during his first game for Mansfield, in what was technically his professional debut. Any sumptuous curlers like his second goal that day would be hugely welcome in a green shirt.

Overall, we have six goals on record for Irow before joining Argyle: two in the pizza cup for not-technically-Tottenham, and four in League One during his spell with Mansfield. Distributed over his 850 minutes, that gives him an average of 0.64 goals per 90. In the league, Bim Pepple was the only Argyle player to beat that figure last term.

Irow seems to be the sort of player who gets himself in positions to shoot regularly. Across his career, he’s taken an average of 2.75 shots per 90. That’s more than anyone to have regularly played as a winger for Argyle managed last term. Indeed, Irow’s 2.75 figure was only beaten by Pepple and Lorent Tolaj.

Obviously, there are huge caveats attached to this data. 246 of the minutes played (just under 30% of Irow’s total) came in games which cannot reasonably be considered senior competitive fixtures, regardless of what you think of the competition as a whole. And even if they were, Irow only has 850 minutes on record across his entire career. It’s a sample size which, when combined together, doesn’t even make up 10 full games of football. Any stats, therefore, must be taken with a significant helping of salt.

What they can do, however, is offer indications, which we can compare to the evidence we’ve already seen. On Tuesday night, Irow gave the impression that he’ll offer a significant amount when pushing forward from the left flank. His stats, limited though they may be, back up that impression.

A genuine wide solution?

So far, we’ve at least got decent evidence that Irow will get himself into the opposition’s penalty area regularly, and he’ll get plenty of shots away as a result. That’s all well and good, but Argyle haven’t signed him as a striker. Irow, as his debut and the entire transfer saga would suggest, has been brought in as a wide player, and he’ll need to be adept at several facets of a traditional winger’s game. In assessing whether he is, I’d suggest the initial signs are mixed at best.

To Irow’s credit, he certainly doesn’t appear to be shy when it comes to running at his man. He’s attempted an average of 3.18 dribbles per 90 across his career, which would have ranked third at Argyle last season behind Tegan Finn (4.84 with an even smaller sample size) and Xavier Amaechi (4.68). The way he ran at defenders who’ll be playing Premier League football this season on Tuesday night should give us encouragement for the remainder of the campaign.

Where I am slightly more concerned, however, is what he does at the end of those dribbles. Whilst he does appear to have a strength in finishing chances himself, he’s struggled more when it comes to creating those chances for others. Take Ronan Curtis, who could prove a useful comparator given that he may well play on the opposite flank to Irow for much of the campaign. Curtis completed an average of 2.77 crosses per 90 in an Argyle shirt last season. Across Irow’s career, that figure is 0.85.

That’s also reflected when looking at chance creation more generally. Irow’s average of 0.42 key passes per 90 is lower than any Argyle winger managed last season bar Freddie Issaka, who didn’t register a key pass in 41 minutes of league football…

…and it’s a very similar story when it comes to big chances created.

So, those are the signals when Irow is in possession. But what about when he doesn’t have the ball? The best place to start would probably be with defensive actions, and again those numbers aren’t particularly strong in Irow’s case.

Across his career, the 20-year-old has completed an average of 1.69 defensive actions per 90. That would have ranked dead last against those to have played on the flanks for Argyle last year. Ok, the inclusion of some on the list may seem harsh – Matty Sorinola, for example, is a completely different player. However, Irow’s figure is poor regardless of the lens used. It’s comfortably lower than the figure Amaechi, who often faces criticism for his defensive contribution, managed last year.

I think we may need to be realistic about the player Argyle have signed. Irow looks to have talent, is clearly fancied by several in the game, and could make an impression at Home Park this season. What he doesn’t appear to be, however, is someone who can comfortably slot in on the left of Argyle’s 4-4-2, particularly to directly replace Dale, who appears to be a completely different type of player.

Either Irow will need to play in a different position (possibly as one of the front two?), the shape itself will need to be changed, or the player himself will need to adapt quickly.

Warning against firm conclusions

I am obviously an obsessive, and can’t help myself when taking a look at any numbers a player posts. That’s true no matter how relevant or convincing they may be. However, I do wish to take a moment to add (or, more accurately, reiterate) key caveats, and explain why drawing firm conclusions here is more problematic than it may be for other players.

The first problem is the sample size point. I know I’ve already mentioned it, and I’m sure we’re already getting bored of me mentioning it, but I’m going to mention it again anyway because it’s so important in the context of Irow as a footballer.

A significant minority of Irow’s “professional” minutes came in a tournament where he was representing an academy side.

850 minutes, across an entire career, isn’t really sufficient to make any firm judgments on any player. Before his injury, Malachi Boateng would probably have played more than that for Argyle in the first two months of the season. That a significant minority of Irow’s “professional” minutes came in a tournament where he was representing an academy side adds further discolouration to already muddied waters.

It’s not completely useless information, hence me relying on it for the majority of this piece, but in an ideal world I’d much prefer to have more data to investigate.

It’s particularly problematic when we’re considering metrics with small numbers in the first place – goals, for example, happen far more infrequently than successful passes. Had he scored one more goal across his career, he’d comfortably have scored more goals per 90 than any Argyle player last term. One fewer? He’d barely slot into third. The numbers can be that erratic on this scale.

Additionally, and perhaps more subtly, Irow’s short career may provide some mitigation to his perceived weaknesses. For example, Irow hasn’t got a proven track record of offering enough defensively as a wide player in a 4-4-2…but there’s no clear evidence that he definitely can’t do that either. As far as I can tell, it’s not a formation Irow has played in, so it’s entirely possible he’ll slot straight in perfectly and take a few by surprise.

Irow only turned 20 in May.  He’s barely two months older than Issaka, and is several months younger than Caleb Roberts.

Finally, the profile of player Argyle have signed needs to be taken into account. Irow only turned 20 in May.  He’s barely two months older than Issaka, and is several months younger than Caleb Roberts. Players at these ages can experience changes in their ability levels rapidly. Even if we had a sample size of 8,000 minutes rather than 800, there’d be no guarantee Irow would be the same player this season as he was last season.

There is always a great unknown with deals of this kind. The sample size for young Premier League loanees is invariably small, and the speed of their development means they can look like very different players from one spell to the next. I’ve identified things I think Irow will do well, as well as some potential areas for improvement, but it’ll be on the pitch we find out exactly where his talents lie.

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Tyreeq Bakinson: What to Expect?

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I can only imagine the conversations behind the scenes leading to the conclusion that Plymouth Argyle were set to bring Tyrese Fornah back to Home Park. But no, Argyle are not re-signing Fornah, a defensive midfielder who was on loan at the club during the 2020/21 season largely played behind closed doors due to COVID. They have, however, completed the signing of Tyreeq Bakinson, a defensive midfielder who was on loan at the club during the 2019/20 season curtailed due to COVID.

It’s fair to say Bakinson’s return has taken many by surprise. I have no doubt that Derek Adams had the player on his mind as soon as a decent offer came in from Salford City for Brendan Wiredu. It would make sense for Bakinson to cover Wiredu’s backup role, and free more funds to fill other holes in the squad. After the worrying development of Malachi Boateng’s injury, however, Bakinson may be required to play a little more than first anticipated.

This summer, I’ve made a point of not writing a “deep dive” piece into players who have returned to the club after loan spells. After all, we already knew what to expect from both Wes Harding and Alex Mitchell. I’m making an exception for Bakinson though; when he last signed for Argyle few knew what a coronavirus was, the club found itself in League Two and Steven Schumacher was just a humble assistant manager. So, what can we expect from a man making his return after six years?

Deciphering the midfield profile

Think back to Bakinson’s initial Argyle spell. He was never someone you’d consider an attacking midfielder. Rather, he was always used as the “1” in Ryan Lowe’s 3-1-4-2, or as one of the two in the deep double pivot in a 3-4-3.

Obviously, that was a prerequisite to act as a direct replacement for Wiredu, who himself was far more of a combative midfielder than an attacking one. Boateng’s injury, though not exactly part of the plan when the Bakinson deal was agreed, simply increases the need for a midfielder who can hold his own defensively.

It’s therefore worth us looking at his numbers to consider whether Bakinson is still that sort of player. Pleasingly, his most recent season at Leyton Orient provides us with a decent sample. He played 43 games in all competitions, culminating in 2,883 minutes overall. 2,585 of those came in the league, which is more than the 1,982 Wiredu played for Argyle in League One. I think that provides an appropriate basis for making reasonable comparisons between the two.

I absolutely have the mental image of Adams hearing of Salford’s offer for Wiredu, then searching the database for a similar profile of player, and Bakinson immediately standing out.

When making those direct comparisons, I can’t help but be drawn towards their tackling. Wiredu and Bakinson made practically the same number of tackles per 90 minutes as each other last season, and the success rate of those tackles was basically identical too. I absolutely have the mental image of Adams hearing of Salford’s offer for Wiredu, then searching the database for a similar profile of player, and Bakinson immediately standing out on this basis.

It’s a slightly different story when it comes to duels. As we explored when looking at Harvey White, Wiredu contested a good number of duels last term. His average of 7.96 ground and 3.41 aerial duels contested ranked fourth when compared with Argyle’s midfield options last season. For Bakinson, those numbers were slightly lower; he posted figures of 6.15 and 3.22 for ground and aerial duels contested per 90 respectively. Both would have placed around mid-table in Argyle’s midfield ranks.

The success of those duels also doesn’t jump off the page. Bakinson was successful in 51% of his ground duels last season, and 55% of his battles in the air. By definition, those are above average, but they aren’t necessarily outstanding for a player in his position. Wiredu, by contrast, had a 60% success rate in both types of duels.

Where Bakinson does seem to excel a little more is in his passing. Herbie Kane and Law McCabe were the only Argyle midfielders to complete more passes per 90 last year than Bakinson’s 30.22, both from a significantly smaller sample. As for the success of those passes, his total success of 74% should be considered relatively strong, whilst I was particularly impressed with his long passing.

Bakinson’s long pass success rate of 35% is comparable to some of Argyle’s more technically gifted midfielders last term, and well clear of Wiredu. In terms of raw numbers, he also completed more than anyone.

Given his previous experience at the club, and the player he’s replaced, we have an impression of Bakinson as a combative midfielder. Personally, I don’t think he’s as strong in duels as many may believe. However, his broader range of skills does make him more of an all-rounder than Wiredu, and arguably more suited to a midfield two.

More forward-minded?

Given what we’ve just explored, it’s reasonable to ask whether Bakinson may be able to offer more going forward than we perhaps initially anticipated. To successfully replace (and even potentially improve upon) Wiredu, Bakinson will need to do two things: replicate his set piece threat, and offer enough in other areas to be effective.

I’m not hugely concerned on the first point. Bakinson is slightly shorter than Wiredu, and statistically worse in the air, but he’s still a physical presence. Let’s not forget his first goal for Argyle in his first spell came from a set piece, as he scored decisively in a 1-0 win over former club Newport County.

As for his open play attacking exploits, I’d look towards both goals Bakinson scored in the league last season. One, against Peterborough United, saw Bakinson finish a swift counter-attacking move from the edge of the box, in a similar area to where Wiredu scored his final goal for Argyle against Northampton Town.

The other was also from a similar position, as Bakinson scored a late volley to seal Orient’s comeback victory over Exeter City. This one is pleasant to watch for all sorts of reasons.

When it comes to build-up play, I wouldn’t necessarily say Bakinson is a particularly creative midfielder. However, I wouldn’t have said the same about Wiredu either. In fact, last season Bakinson had a slight edge on Wiredu in creative metrics. He made 0.78 key passes per 90 to Wiredu’s 0.76, and created 0.16 big chances per 90 to Wiredu’s 0.14. Those aren’t huge differences, but another statistical similarity to convince Adams that Bakinson was the man for the job.

The best-case scenario would see Bakinson seamlessly replacing Wiredu’s bite in the midfield whilst also offering more going forward, all while saving the club money. I think a lot would need to fall into place to make that happen, and realistically I don’t believe it to be the likeliest outcome. However, I absolutely accept that the pieces are there, and Bakinson could pleasantly surprise.

A nomadic career

Considering he was only at Home Park for a brief part of one season, which itself was curtailed, it’d possibly be reasonable to assume Bakinson’s previous Argyle spell was merely a fleeting part of his overall career. In the main, that’d obviously be correct. That said, it certainly hasn’t become uncommon for Bakinson to have a short spell at a club before moving on swiftly.

Let’s go back six years. Bakinson first joined Argyle on loan from Bristol City. He’d been on loan the previous year too, making 42 appearances in all competitions for fourth-tier Newport. After a few months back at his parent club, Bakinson’s loan spell at Argyle started in January 2020. He appeared 14 times for the Pilgrims, scoring twice before the pandemic curtailed his stint.

2020/21 was something of a breakthrough campaign for Bakinson. He played over 2,000 minutes in the Championship, and by the end of the year the future looked bright for a player still aged only 22.

With almost the entire season played behind closed doors, 2020/21 was something of a breakthrough campaign for Bakinson. He played over 2,000 minutes in the Championship, and by the end of the year the future looked bright for a player still aged only 22. Alas, he wasn’t able to build on that promise. By the end of 2021/22, he was back out on loan, this time with Ipswich Town for their penultimate season in League One.

It was a permanent deal for 2022/23, with Bakinson joining Sheffield Wednesday. And whilst he was only really a squad player at Hillsborough, he was part of a strong year for the club as the Owls achieved 96 points and won promotion through the play-offs. It’s a familiar tale though; by the second year he proved unable to build on the first, and he was out on loan again, this time to League One Charlton Athletic for the second half of 2023/24.

We’re not even done. Wednesday released Bakinson in the summer of 2024, and he ended up signing for Wycombe Wanderers for the 2024/25 campaign. It would once again be a one-season affair. After a year, he joined Leyton Orient for an undisclosed fee ahead of the 2025/26 season. From there? You guessed it: one season at the club before an eventual loan, this time back to Argyle.

Why am I telling you all this? Well, I think it’s notable that Bakinson hasn’t spent two full seasons at a club ever since joining Argyle back in 2020 (and in fact for a little longer when his Newport spell is considered). Look at the list of clubs mentioned: most, if not all, would fancy themselves to be in the “upper League One, lower Championship” range. He’s clearly fancied as a player at this level, and he’s had a lot of managers willing to buy into his talents, but he’s never been able to sustain any success.

Argyle will need to ensure that he’s given the best environment in which to thrive; other clubs have clearly struggled.

It creates an intriguing dynamic for his latest move. If he needs to come to Argyle and do a job on loan for a year, before the club can afford an upgrade next summer…I guess he probably can? Argyle will still need to ensure that he’s given the best environment in which to thrive; other clubs have clearly struggled.

And let’s think back to the moves for Mitchell and Harding, and how they became permanent. If the club are hoping to do the same and make Bakinson a long-term success, they’ll need to find a way to break his career trend.

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Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs Coventry

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On the face of it, it isn’t the worst result in the world. A point away to a team I expect to be challenging at the right end of the League One table shouldn’t be seen as a disaster, and may well be seen as a good result in time. Indeed, I predicted a loss! That being said, it’s always disappointing to lead for a significant portion of the game and not come away with the three points, and Argyle’s wait for a first league win of the campaign goes on.

You’ll notice I specified a “league” win. That is, of course, because the Pilgrims have already secured a victory in the Carabao Cup, and will look to go two for two in the competition on Tuesday night. The test is an awful lot greater this time around; rather than local cloggers Exeter City, Argyle will be facing Premier League newcomers Coventry City.

Argyle have faced Coventry in the league regularly across the last decade, so this doesn’t quite have the feel of a glamour tie against top flight opposition. Nonetheless, it’s clear that much has changed at both clubs since they last met in April 2025. Let’s take a look at what we may expect.

Style of play

Precisely 100% of the time, clubs promoted to the Premier League face a debate around whether they’ll change their style of play. Coventry have only played one league game since promotion (a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on Friday night), so it remains to be seen how their style will evolve throughout the campaign. For this piece, we’ll assume manager Frank Lampard will aim to use the style that saw them promoted from the Championship to defeat lower-league opposition.

In truth, I can’t envisage the shape being much different between seasons regardless. Lampard arrived at Coventry following the surprise sacking of Mark Robins, and took a little while to put his own stamp on the side. Since gaining the necessary bravery, he’s almost exclusively lined up using a 4-2-3-1 shape.

Last year, that shape tended to involve a midfield double pivot with captain Matt Grimes (as an Exeter academy graduate, you assume he’ll be keen to play in this one) alongside one of Frank Onyeka and Victor Torp. Against Arsenal there was a subtle change. Grimes was the deepest of a midfield trio, with Onyeka lining up alongside Caleb Yirenkyi, the club’s new record signing having joined from Danish side Nordsjaelland for a fee which could reach over £26 million.

Argyle know they will face three midfielders in some capacity, a back four, two wingers and a central striker.

Whether Lampard opts to stick with that or move back to 4-2-3-1, it shouldn’t Tom Cleverley’s preparations a great deal. Argyle know they will face three midfielders in some capacity, a back four, two wingers and a central striker. It’s certainly something to prepare against.

In those attacking roles, I suspect we’ll see more expansive and expressive wide play than we may see from Coventry in the league this year. Expect to see a good number of minutes for the likes of Ephron Mason-Clark and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto. Starts for the likes of Brandon Thomas-Asante and Loum Tchaouna would suggest that Lampard is taking the Carabao Cup extremely seriously.

Ellis Simms and Haji Wright are both familiar names in the Coventry strikeforce, though the latter is currently injured and could be out for a while. For this one though I’d expect to see Taiwo Awoniyi, who only joined the club last week, to be given his first start for the Sky Blues. This encounter could also act as a good opportunity to give minutes to Jack Rudoni and another new arrival in Gus Hamer, who rejoined the club this summer from Sheffield United on a permanent deal.

Playing out from the back is an important part of the system. Coventry posted an average possession figure of 55.2%, the fourth-highest in the Championship, last season, and that emphasis goes all the way back to the goalkeeper. Who starts in goal is a mystery, with four ‘keepers on the books. Carl Rushworth is first choice, but it’s perhaps more likely that Ben Wilson or Oliver Dovin will play in the cup. One player we can rule out is new arrival Daniel Bentley, who is cup tied having played for Wolverhampton Wanderers in round one.

The defenders will also need to be comfortable on the ball. New arrival and Swiss international Aurele Amenda will probably be rested, but Bobby Thomas, Liam Kitching and Joel Latibeaudiere provide strong options. In the full back roles, it’ll probably be one of Jay Dasilva and Jake Bidwell on the left, and one of Milan van Ewijk and former Argyle loanee Kaine Kesler-Hayden on the right.

Lampard hasn’t given any clear indications about how seriously he’ll be taking this competition.

The exact lineup is difficult to call. At the time of writing, Lampard hasn’t given any clear indications about how seriously he’ll be taking this competition. That being said, the style itself is something Argyle should be able to predict, and you’d like to think they’ll be suitably prepared.

Strengths

Coventry built their promotion on a stunning attack. Across a range of metrics, the numbers are eye-watering for any defence preparing to come up against the Sky Blues.

Coventry’s xG of 87.3 was by far the highest across the 92. Nobody else broke 80.

Lampard’s side scored a total of 97 league goals last season, the highest figure in England’s top four tiers. That was no fluke, with their xG of 87.3 by far the highest across the 92. Nobody else broke 80. They were indisputably the best attack in the Championship, and arguably the best in the country depending on how much credit you give York City’s exploits in the National League.

Coventry had a total of 1,353 touches in the opposition box last season. A good figure, but still only ranking second in the Championship behind Middlesbrough. However, Lampard’s side were better than anybody at turning those openings into chances – they had comfortably the highest number of shots on target in the division – and they tended to be clinical once those chances were developed.

Perhaps most impressively, Coventry’s attack can’t be accused of being overly-reliant on one player. Wright was their top scorer in the league with 17, but four other players (Simms, Thomas-Asante, Mason-Clarke and Torp) all reached double figures. Add in Rudoni and Sakamoto, and you have seven players to have scored seven goals or more in the league. Their ability to spread around the goals, and the threat, was superb last year.

Looking at those attacks, crossing seems to be a key weapon. Coventry completed an average of 5.5 crosses per game last year, second only to Millwall (6.0) across the Championship. And many of those threatening crosses seem to come from the right flank. Nobody in Coventry’s ranks got more assists or created more big chances last year than van Ewijk, who spent the vast majority of the campaign playing at right back.

That, specifically, feels like it has the biggest potential to hurt Argyle. Unless there are any developments on the fitness front, we can probably assume that Cleverley’s strategy of playing four centre backs across the defensive line will continue. The idea of Alex Hartridge needing to deal with a winger and an overlapping attacking full back is giving me the wrong kinds of shivers.

These are no longer the days of a Mustapha Bundu-inspired Argyle putting Lampard’s Coventry to the sword under Miron Muslic.

Ultimately, there has to be an acceptance that Coventry are just a stronger side than Argyle. Perhaps if Argyle had been well-run at executive level in the last three years, they too could have followed Coventry’s trajectory. But they haven’t been. These are no longer the days of a Mustapha Bundu-inspired Argyle putting Lampard’s Coventry to the sword under Miron Muslic. Coventry are a top flight club now, and Argyle are in the third tier.

Whoever gets the chance to play, Coventry are likely to have the greater quality all across the pitch. It’s up to Cleverley and Argyle to negate that as much as possible.

Weaknesses

There is one point I consistently make when previewing a cup game against higher-league opposition. It may be lazy, but you better believe I’m going to be raising the same point again.

At this stage, we have no idea how seriously Lampard intends to take the Carabao Cup. Bottom-half Premier League sides can often see the domestic cup competitions as a genuine opportunity for silverware. Winning this competition would, of course, be a historic occasion for Coventry, and if they do get deep into the tournament we may see Lampard take things seriously. For now though, the mood music from Coventry supporters suggests this game will be an opportunity for a few players to build up their fitness.

It could mean we see a starting eleven with little (if any) experience of playing together, and it can prove difficult to adapt.

That won’t necessarily make Coventry a poor team immediately. As I mentioned in the previous section, I expect them to be the side with the greater on-field quality whoever starts. However, it could mean we see a starting eleven with little (if any) experience of playing together, and it can prove difficult to adapt; ask Brentford and Liverpool.

On a more technical point, I’d perhaps turn towards their defensive metrics. Last season, their total number of 635 tackles was the fifth-lowest number in the Championship, their total of 1,110 clearances was the second-lowest, and no team in the division made fewer interceptions than Coventry’s 331.

Obviously, there is a huge caveat around those numbers. Coventry’s attacking strengths and general dominance meant they didn’t need to do as much defending as many of their challengers. I therefore certainly wouldn’t say this acts as evidence that their defence is poor, but there’s an argument it was relatively untested last season. Argyle need to act under the impression that it could crack if they exert enough pressure.

It puts the Coventry defence in the “good” category, rather than the “undisputed best in the league” category you’d use for the attack.

Coventry’s xG numbers may lend credence to this theory. They had a total of 50.2 xG against them last season, which was the fifth-lowest figure in the league. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, and many teams in the Championship would have snapped your hand off for such a number. However, I’d say it puts the Coventry defence in the “good” category, rather than the “undisputed best in the league” category you’d use for the attack.

And let’s take a moment to discuss that attack. As I hope I’ve made clear, Coventry were outstanding going forward last season. I think they did well to ride a wave of momentum – creating several chances week in, week out allowed a certain fluency to develop in the attacking areas. That’s not going to be quite as easy this year.

Coventry effectively need to start again, and facing some of the best defences in the world every week will make that tricky. Take the Arsenal game, for example, where Lampard’s side only had one shot on target and produced an xG of 0.20. Sure, Arsenal may well be the most boring successful side in the history of the game, but it does act as evidence that Coventry’s attack may take a little while to regain last season’s fluency.

Argyle must take encouragement from these things. This won’t be an easy game, and if the Coventry of last season turn up there’s every chance they’ll sweep their hosts aside. If they’re still waiting to reach their peak though, and Argyle play up to the occasion, who knows what may be possible?

Prediction

There is a part of me that feels this sort of game could suit Argyle. They’re at home, but the onus won’t be on them to attack against Premier League opponents. We’ve certainly seen this team play incredibly well in the past when counter-attacking against teams who rarely play the ball long. Add to that the mystery surrounding Coventry’s selection, and the game could well be closer than many anticipate.

For me, it’s got the feel of Crystal Palace’s visit to Home Park in 2023. I suspect Argyle will be in the game for long periods, and may even take the lead. However, the likelihood is Lampard will bring on some of his big hitters eventually to wrestle back the initiative. Coventry may even get another goal late on to add some flattery to the scoreline.

Plymouth Argyle 1-3 Coventry City

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Preview: Wycombe vs Plymouth Argyle

The post Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs Coventry appeared first on Argyle Life.

I also suspect some will already be travelling in hope rather than expectation. After all, Plymouth Argyle have already lost their opening league game to an excellent Stockport County side, and comments from the board at a fans’ forum the previous day did little to allay any financial fears. The cheerful mood surrounding Home Park following a 2-0 Devon Derby win over Exeter City has been quickly extinguished.

On the pitch at least, I believe some of that has been overblown. Yes, Stockport comfortably outplayed Argyle, but it was only one game. Over time, perhaps Tom Cleverley will evolve his shape following the changes to his squad across the summer. But suggestions that he should completely rip up his favoured 4-4-2 formation on the back of one game feel a little premature, particularly after how much success it brought last season.

Nonetheless, it does bring heightened interest on Argyle’s first away game of the season. Wycombe Wanderers, like Stockport, are a team who will fancy their chances of challenging at the right end of the table this season. It’s therefore a tough and important test – how the Pilgrims perform here may give us a key indication of how they’re set to react to their early setback.

Style of play

Argyle’s experiences over the years have given us all our own perceptions of Wycombe’s style of play. Some of those still apply, whilst others are slightly outdated and stuck in our view of the Gareth Ainsworth era.

One thing has remained consistent: direct play. Wycombe are still more than happy to go long when the situation requires, with only three League One teams completing more long passes last season. They made 30 in their opening day draw with Blackpool, again ranking fourth in the division across the weekend.

The style of those long balls may depend on Wycombe’s selection up front. Stoke City loanee Emre Tezgel started the Blackpool game, and he strikes me as the sort of player who can run onto long passes into the channels and in behind. Bradley Fink, meanwhile, stands at 6 foot 4 and is much more of a target man for traditional direct football.

Last season, first under Mike Dodds and later under current manager Michael Duff, the Chairboys curated a much more patient and possession-based approach.

However, that is no longer Wycombe’s only method of attack. Last season, first under Mike Dodds and later under current manager Michael Duff, the Chairboys curated a much more patient and possession-based approach. It surprised me, for example, that Wycombe averaged 53.6% possession in the league last season, enough to rank within the top six.

My initial fear is that this makes Wycombe strikingly similar to Stockport, who were patient at times but always had a killer ball in them. Like Jimmy McNulty, Duff is no stranger to playing three at the back, and he could do so here if he aims to do exactly the same job on Argyle. However, Wycombe’s gaffer generally tends to prefer a 4-2-3-1, and I suspect that’s what we’ll see on Saturday.

My immediate thoughts go to the midfield roles. Last season Luke Leahy topped the league assist charts at Wycombe, and he’d often play alongside Aaron Morley. However, Leahy missed the first two competitive games of the season, only returning for a pizza cup tie with Reading in midweek. Meanwhile, Morley started the game against Blackpool in the number 10 position…and went off injured before half time.

As such, it’s possible we’ll see Josh Scowen alongside Ewan Henderson form the double pivot, or perhaps Caolan Boyd-Munce will slot in to allow Henderson to play a more advanced role. Out wide, last season’s top scorer Fred Onyedinma seems certain to start on the right, whilst on the left it appears to be a straight fight between summer signing Silko Thomas and Junior Quitirna.

The defence seems settled, given Duff has lined up with the same back four and ‘keeper in both the league and Carabao Cup this season. Connor Taylor forms a solid-looking central defensive duo with Steve Cook, still going strong at the age of 35. Meanwhile, Daniel Harvie has been playing at left back, with Swansea City loanee Sam Parker on the right. I wouldn’t describe them as ultra-attacking full backs, but both will be expected to overlap their wingers occasionally.

Finally, there’s the goalkeeper. Diplomatically, I’ll just touch upon Conor Hazard here and no further. Depending on your view, his form and his mindset, he could easily fall into both the strengths and weaknesses section of this piece.

Strengths

As much as this is no longer an Ainsworth side, it can still be tough to go to Adams Park. Argyle’s record there isn’t terrific, and very recent history doesn’t give the travelling Greens great hope either. Many will remember the scenes after Argyle’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Wycombe last year. It was at a time when the Cleverley era at Home Park looked doomed.

The elephant in the room here is that Argyle did win on their last visit to Adams Park, much to the surprise of Sam Down’s hair. However, it must be conceded that it was something of a smash-and-grab. It’s never this simple, and there are plenty more factors to consider, but our xG simulation (based on 100,000 simulations of the chances both sides had) put the Greens’ chances of winning that day at less than 6%.

Of course, it’s important to remember that Argyle won in actuality that day. Indeed, it was one of several key away victories marking the start of Cleverley’s revival. However, it does act as evidence that Wycombe can prove difficult to contain in front of their own fans, and you’d expect them to be able to develop several chances on Saturday.

I think Duff must take plenty of credit. Good teams at this level either have outstanding individuals who can hurt any team, or come together to prove greater than the sum of their parts…and the real top teams have elements of both.

Wycombe fall into the second category. I wouldn’t say there are any true League One superstars in their ranks, at least at the moment, but Duff’s style and man management ought to be enough to have them challenging for a place in the top six.

Wycombe effectively say “we do the basics well, we do them better than you, and we’re going to win the game.”

The style he’s developed is fairly basic. I don’t necessarily say that disparagingly, given that Argyle lined up with the most basic shape of all in the second half of last season to great effect. Wycombe line up in a standard 4-2-3-1 and effectively say “we do the basics well, we do them better than you, and we’re going to win the game.” When it works, it can be tough to stop.

This all rings true in Wycombe’s attacking metrics. Crossing was a particularly potent weapon last season, with the Chairboys ranking in the league’s top six for their average of 4.9 crosses completed per game. They also ranked sixth for their number of shots on target, seventh for their total xG, and only three teams had more touches in the opposition’s penalty area than Wycombe’s 1,134.

And, as much as I said there were no standout individuals, I will add a quick word for Onyedinma. He’s technically in his fifth spell with the club, and his ten league goals was more than any Wycombe player managed last term. Additionally, his decent aerial duel success rate of 45% suggests he offers a useful wide outlet when going direct. He’s also already opened his account this season, scoring in Saturday’s draw in Blackpool.

It used to be the case that Wycombe would aim to beat you physically. These days, they’re technically and tactically proficient. Yes, Argyle will need to be up for the fight, but Cleverley must also have a strong game plan.

Weaknesses

It may sound surprising, given all the assumptions we make about Wycombe, but I don’t necessarily think they’re particularly strong defensively. That isn’t generally the case when defending set pieces; Wycombe conceded fewer goals from set pieces last season than all but one team in the League. However, from open play, Wycombe have been lacking in several key defensive metrics.

In fact, I don’t think there was a single individual defensive metric in which Wycombe ranked well last season. Their total of 337 interceptions only ranked 18^th across League One. For tackles, their total of 654 ranked 22^nd. Worst of all, only one team made fewer clearances in the league last season than Wycombe’s 1,280.

There is mitigation at play. Wycombe’s high average possession meant they didn’t need to do as much defending as other teams. However, that’s only part of the story, and it can’t totally negate their low rankings across the board. I’d certainly suggest the fear factor that used to surround Wycombe’s defence doesn’t exist to the same level nowadays.

Their league opener with Blackpool was a good example. The Chairboys escaped Bloomfield Road with a 1-1 draw, and “escaped” is indeed the operative word, with their hosts creating 2.37 xG on the day. It’s only one game, just like Argyle’s clash with Stockport is only one game, but it does act as an example that this Wycombe defence can be targeted, and you can certainly create chances.

No longer are they a bunch of big burly blokes who’ll look to beat you off the park. Sometimes literally.

Let’s view this through another lens: last season Wycombe committed an average of 10.5 fouls per game. Only four teams in the league committed fewer. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does show how much of a change they’ve been through in recent years. No longer are they a bunch of big burly blokes who’ll look to beat you off the park. Sometimes literally.

I can scarcely believe I’m saying this, but is it possible Wycombe have become a soft touch? Too nice? I can certainly see the argument.

Away from that, I think this could well be a good time to play Wycombe. Two reasons spring to mind. First of all, it seems clear they still intend to complete significant transfer business this month; it’s widely reported that they had a bid rejected for Exeter’s Jayden Wareham this week. Wycombe’s squad could be stronger in a fortnight’s time, let alone a few months, but it doesn’t look as though any business of that nature will be done by Saturday.

Cauley Woodrow is definitely out this weekend, and could well be missing longer-term.

The second reason is on the injury front. As I mentioned earlier, Morley was substituted early against Blackpool last week. Whilst Duff has said his injury “isn’t as bad as we first feared”, it’s unlikely he’ll be back for the weekend. There’s also Cauley Woodrow, who scored both goals in Wycombe’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Argyle last season. He’s definitely out this weekend, and could well be missing longer-term.

Wycombe are likely to be tough to beat this season. The opportunity to do so early, before additional strengthening and the return of some absentees, shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Prediction

Despite Wycombe’s less than ideal defensive numbers, Argyle don’t score many here. Their pattern of goalscoring in recent games at Adams Park is 1, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1. Scoring has been binary for the last six matches, and Argyle haven’t netted twice in a game in these parts for 11 years.

The omens, therefore, would suggest that Argyle will need to keep a clean sheet to secure a victory here. That’s not impossible, but I suspect Wycombe have it in them to score at least once. And, whilst I’d stress that Wycombe’s strengths mean it won’t necessarily be time to panic, I do have them down as the more likely winners.

Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 Plymouth Argyle

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Preview: Plymouth Argyle vs Stockport

The post Preview: Wycombe vs Plymouth Argyle appeared first on Argyle Life.

Argyle beat local rivals Exeter City 2-0. Both goals came in second half stoppage time, with the first scored by an Exeter academy graduate who had faced abuse from the visiting supporters all game. Delicious. Carabao Cup or not, a win in those circumstances is always welcome.

The Pilgrims beat Exeter 3-0 in their first home league game of the 2014/15 season. However, for an opening day game of any kind, you’d need to go back to 1997 for the last time Argyle had anything like a local derby on opening day. There, Mick Jones’ Greens could only manage a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers, and by the end of the season Argyle were relegated from the third tier by a single point.

In short, Monday night was historically great. It acts as the perfect preparation for Saturday afternoon, when Argyle’s 2026/27 League One campaign gets underway. That comes with the visit of Stockport County, a side who agonisingly missed out on promotion to the Championship last season, and are now under new management after losing the play-off final to Bolton Wanderers.

Both sides are looking to build on a 2025/26 season in which they faced bitter disappointment on the final day. Can Argyle continue their flying start to this campaign, or will Stockport stop them in their tracks?

Style of play

As I mentioned, Stockport have been through a change of management since the end of last season. After a highly successful spell lasting just under five years, Dave Challinor departed by mutual consent after last season’s defeat at Wembley. He’s yet to find a new club. Stockport have hired Dominic West’s character in The Wire Jimmy McNulty as their new head coach, after he led Rochdale to a dramatic promotion from the National League.

I’m curious to see how much of Stockport’s style carries over between managers. As always in these circumstances, I expect some elements to remain, whilst others gradually change as the new man begins to leave his mark on the team.

Evidence from the Hatters’ League Cup tie with Doncaster Rovers would suggest McNulty is set to switch back; he deployed a 3-4-2-1.

One particular area of interest is the formation. Challinor generally lined up with a back three. In theory, given McNulty exclusively did the same to win promotion with Rochdale, he’d be perfect for continuity. However, Challinor switched to a back four at the back end of the campaign, including for the entirety of the play-offs. Evidence from the Hatters’ League Cup tie with Doncaster Rovers would suggest McNulty is set to switch back; he deployed a 3-4-2-1.

A key curiosity of mine is how Stockport’s passing operates this year. They had the fourth-highest average possession figure in League One last season (55.3%), but they were also happy to go direct when necessary. No other side in the league completed more long passes, and they have many players who are comfortable spraying the ball across the park.

Chief among them is captain Ollie Norwood, who is sure to line up as one of the deep midfielders this weekend. I’m keen to see if his role will remain the same this season, given the new management and the fact he’s likely to line up a little more alongside Lewis Bate, who had an injury-disturbed 2025/26. Given Stockport had 73% of the ball against Doncaster, the early indications suggest they’ll be more inclined to keep it short and control games where they can.

In previous Stockport teams, the attacking midfielders and wingers were less likely to create opportunities for themselves, but positioned more to set up chances for the central striker. I suspect that’ll continue, with two of Jack Diamond, Harry Wood, Jason Adigun and Lewis Fiorini in those roles. Up front, last season’s top scorer Kyle Wootton is likely to get the nod again, with Adama Sidibeh supposedly injured and Mikael Mandron only recently signed. Wootton, of course, scored at both ends in this fixture last season.

In defence, the centre backs will be expected to be comfortable with the ball. I believe they all are. Ethan Pye played every possible minute in the league last season, so he’ll surely start again on Saturday. The most likely pair to join him at the back are Eoghan O’Connell and Kyron Gordon, signed over the summer from Barnsley and Rochdale respectively.

Another player to follow McNulty from Rochdale is goalkeeper Oliver Whatmuff (no, really). I suspect he’ll start this weekend, particularly given the alternative option is Luca Ashby-Hammond.

That just leaves the wing backs, where there are a few selection issues. Most notably, Josh Dacres-Cogley is suspended after being sent off in the play-off final. That means Tayo Edun is highly likely to start on the right, with two Ryans – Glover and Rydel – seemingly in a direct fight to play on the left.

Whoever gets the nod, expect the wing backs to invert when necessary to help create overloads against Argyle’s midfield. It’s part of what can be a particularly fluid system at times. Argyle’s key advantage may be that McNulty hasn’t had long to perfect his style on the training ground.

Strengths

For many, I think Wootton is the most obvious place to start. He led Stockport’s ranks in several attacking metrics last season, most notably goals. In fact, Dom Ballard of Leyton Orient was the only player to score more goals than Wootton in League One last season. He’s recently moved on to join Lorent Tolaj at Bristol City in another seven-figure deal.

Wootton is such a complete player. His shooting is one of his key strengths; last season his league xG came in at 13.88, but his post-shot xG figure outperformed that at 16.71, a sign of quality finishing. Impressively and entertainingly, he’s also able to fill in as an emergency centre back when required. Stockport probably turned to him after investigating his aerial duel success rate. At 61.9%, it was higher than any other League One striker last season.

Argyle are one of Wootton’s favourite opponents. He has scored four goals in as many games against the Pilgrims across his career, only scoring more against Chesterfield and Sutton United. He’s played significantly more games against both those sides.

One of Wootton’s goals against Argyle came for Scunthorpe United during the final game of the 2018/19 season. It’s a match best remembered for Scunthorpe’s other goal that day, scored by Josh Morris.

And, as much as we can happily joke about Wootton scoring at both ends last season, he’s also scored much more significant goals against Argyle. It was he who scored both Stockport goals, including a late headed winner, when these sides last met at Edgeley Park in January.

Plenty to fear from Wootton, then. However, I believe there’s a reasonable argument that he isn’t even Stockport’s best player. For my money, that title goes to midfielder Ollie Norwood.

Norwood is now 35. Though it may seem a lazy point given their comparable ages, it’s clear that he plays a Barry Bannan-style role in this Stockport side. Norwood is the playmaker in the ranks. Whilst Stockport have several players comfortable spraying passes around the pitch, Norwood is the expert.

Last season, the former Sheffield United man completed an average of 7.23 long passes per 90. That was comfortably the highest figure in the league. Lee Evans of Bradford City, second on that particular list, managed an average of 5.67 per 90.

No League One player created more big chances than Norwood, whilst his total of 93 key passes was also the highest in the division.

Norwood is a key creative force, and last year stood out in several relevant metrics. Only three players in the league got more assists than Norwood’s 11, whilst Wigan Athletic’s Fraser Murray was the only player to top his expected assists figure of 10.65. Additionally, no League One player created more big chances than Norwood, whilst his total of 93 key passes was also the highest in the division.

He also plays a key role in one of Stockport’s more general team strengths: crossing. Last season, only Bolton (5.7) made more successful crosses per game than Stockport’s 5.3. Several players will contribute. Naturally, Norwood has a good delivery and is a threat from set pieces, but the two attacking midfielders will also be expected to cross. And, whilst they will invert at times, both wing backs will of course find themselves in positions to put in occasional deliveries.

I expect Argyle’s box to be peppered with crosses throughout the game. If Mathias Ross is indeed fit to start, he and Alex Mitchell will need to be on song from the first minute.

Weaknesses

We need to start with the upheaval in Stockport’s ranks. Challinor’s departure shouldn’t be seen as a standard part of the managerial merry-go-round.

As I alluded to earlier, he spent the best part of five years at the club having initially joined them in the National League. He oversaw two promotions, including their first league title since 1967, and was a game away from securing a third. His exit should be seen less as the end of a spell and more as the end of an era.

Tthe struggles of Alex Ferguson’s successors at Manchester United show how difficult a task this can be, particularly when the departed manager remains out of work.

McNulty faces a difficult task to restart the forward momentum, particularly with such a successful predecessor. It’s clearly not nearly to the same level in terms of standard or length of tenure, but the struggles of Alex Ferguson’s successors at Manchester United show how difficult a task this can be, particularly when the departed manager remains out of work.

In the long term, I believe McNulty has the ability to succeed. He’s certainly got experience of dragging his players through adversity and towards success. Last year it looked as though Rochdale’s promotion dreams had been crushed on several occasions, but they managed to pull through. McNulty has the talent, but it’s a difficult thing to do from the off, and this game falling on opening day could aid Argyle.

McNulty’s job is made even harder by the fact there has been significant change on the pitch as well as on the sidelines. By my reckoning, Stockport are one of only five League One clubs to have a double-figure total for incomings this summer, and one of just two – alongside Leyton Orient – to have been in this league last season. Their list of outgoings is similar.

If I’m to identify a potentially weak area of the pitch, I’d look at the goalkeeping department. That’s not because Whatmuff is poor – frankly I don’t know enough about him to judge either way – but because Stockport have had to replace their entire goalkeeping department this summer.

Yes, Argyle have done the same, but their new first-choice ‘keeper is a player who has already made 91 EFL appearances. Whatmuff, albeit a Manchester City loanee, has never played above National League level.

I wasn’t particularly enamoured by any of Stockport’s goalkeeping options last year, and it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve all moved on. Corey Addai has been loaned to Burton Albion, Max Metcalfe was released, and Ben Hinchcliffe has retired and is now a goalkeeping coach at the club. Whatmuff may mark a clear improvement, but he’s only 18 and the trip to Home Park will be his first real test at this level. “Get shots away early” would probably be my message.

Finally, I think it’s worth pointing out that Stockport weren’t the most well-behaved last season when it comes to discipline. I know that’s rich coming from a fan of Argyle, the League One side to pick up more cards than any other. However, Blackpool and Wigan were the only teams in the league to have more players sent off than Stockport across 2025/26.

Argyle played against opponents reduced to ten men on the opening day last season, when Jack Shepherd was sent off for Barnsley. I wouldn’t bet against something similar happening this weekend.

Prediction

There are never any guarantees in football, and that’s particularly true on opening day.

Stockport are a good side, and they clearly have players in their ranks who would get into most teams (if not any) at this level. I definitely think they’ll be dangerous – both teams scored on both occasions these sides met last season, and my suspicion is we’re likely to see that happening again.

Given the momentum heading into the game and the lack of upheaval in their ranks compared to their opponents, I’ll back Argyle to get the job done.

Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Stockport County

We are proud to be working with Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) as Argyle Life’s Official Charity Partner for the 2026/27 season. You can learn more about CHSW’s work by clicking here, and supporters who would like to make a contribution can do so via our JustGiving page.

Will Evans: What to Expect?

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