TT BLOG

Ben Wade

PLYMOUTH POSITIVITY

Tuesday night was a success for all. Argyle had a good following with many making the journey through South Devon to support the ‘Green Army’ at Plainmoor on a warm evening in the Bay. However, the performance from a much-improved TUFC side made it extremely tough for a League One team to break through and make it anywhere close to the 6-0 defeat last year. There was an assuring stubbornness from our defence and midfield with our attacking players unable to make the most of promising situations. Another noticeable point to look at from Tuesday is the two styles of play that Jimmy Ball used, incorporating the different players in the squad. For the first half, a front three of Callum Morton, Deon Moore and Isaac Westendorf was used which is a trio that can be used to be more direct and have a battle. After the break, the likes of Dyan Morgan, Jordan Young and Louis Dennis were involved showing a more dynamic offensive setup that will be used in more of an open encounter throughout the season. This match-up showed the flexibility Jimmy Ball has signed and is going to have on offer when the competitive stuff gets under way.

PAY WHAT YOU WANT AT PLAINMOOR

For this 12.00 start at home to Cardiff City Under-21s, the club have launched an initiative where you can choose how much you pay for entry to the game. While some may take this to extremes, hopefully this will make the match have a good attendance and be accessible for all. Some bog donations will help the club make this worthwhile. Let’s hope that ‘Pay What You Want Plainmoor’ gets packed out on another sunny Saturday with once again a positive performance on show.

SQUAD DEPTH

As already evident in our multiple friendlies that have already happened, the squad depth of the ‘Yellow Army’ is looking very promising. Numerous options are available in all positions which will undoubtedly give Jimmy and the staff a selection headache ahead of the start of the season. For instance, Moore, Westendorf, Cooke (when fit), Fish and potentially Morton and Dennis are all contenders for a striker role with just 1 or 2 forwards to play in that position. This is a great problem to have though because what with injuries and illnesses among other reasons that sideline players, all the squad will be contributing over the course of the season whether it’s from the bench or starting lineup.

THE OPPOSITION

Cardiff City Under-21s side are a youth/development side that develop younger players and attempt to feed the first team with young talent. The ‘Bluebirds’ have played a number of preseason friendlies ahead of the campaign with a win over Bath City, a 1-1 draw against Poole Town and narrow defeat vs Yeovil Town.