| |
|
|
|
Manager:
|
|
Paul Sturrock |
|
Ground
Name:
|
|
Home Park |
|
Capacity:
|
|
20,134 |
|
Last
Season Prediction:
|
|
18th in the Championship |
|
Last
Season Position
|
|
10th in the
Championship |
|
Official
Web Site:
|
|
www.pafc.premiumtv.co.uk |
|
Unofficial
Site:
|
|
Rubofthegreens.com |
| |
|
|
| |
|
| To Win
the League |
50/1 |
| To Get
Promoted |
16/1 |
| |
|
Jason Puncheon (Barnet)
Karl Duguid (Colchester)
David McNamee (Coventry)
Yala Bolasi (Floriana, Malta)
Graham Stack (Reading)
| Date |
Opponents |
Score
|
| 14th July |
Tiverton
Town |
1-0
|
| 16th July |
Weston
Super Mare |
1-1
|
| 17th July |
Kidderminster |
2-2
|
| 22nd July |
SV Furth |
1-1
|
| 25th July |
FC Unirea
Alba |
2-0
|
| 29th July |
Yeovil |
0-1
|
| 30th July |
Truro City |
1-0
|
| 2nd August |
Dundee
United |
0-1
|
| 4th August |
Swindon
Town |
0-3
|
| |
|
|
Perhaps the highlight of last
season for some Plymouth fans was to see Ian Holloway's dream of
managing a bigger club end in tears. It was a year of change though
at Home Park and one that has left them in a vulnerable position.
They started the season well and
were again a side challenging for the playoffs during the first
half of the season with the likes of Ebanks-Blake, Buzsaky and Halmosi
the stars of the side.
The star names were sold off one
by one as Buzsaky, Hayles, Ebanks-Blake, Connolly and David Norris
all left as well as Ian Holloway who walked away from the club after
pledging his future to the club. A move that didn't go down too
well as you can imagine.
Some expected Plymouth to crumble
without Holloway but in came Paul Sturrock and he proved to be the
steady pair of hands they needed to guide them to a decent top half
finish.
When a club loses so many quality players
it is hard to see how they can do anything but struggle. The departure
this summer of Peter Halmosi was perhaps the last straw for many
Plymouth fans and a season of struggle is expected.
The club have brought in plenty of money
through the sale of players but the clubs smallish fan base means
the money has gone back into the running of the club rather than
on replacements. That's not to say Paul Sturrock has spent nothing
this summer.
He has strengthened the squad and the
arrivals of Jason Puncheon from Barnet and Karl Duguid from Colchester
look decent signings to me. Puincheon is a player many clubs have
looked at and this could be a big chance for him to shine at a higher
level.
Jermaine Easter will also be hoping
for a long run in the side as he looks to take his goalscoring for
Wycombe into the Championship and he did show signs at the end of
last season that he is adapting to this level.
The potential arrival of Simon Walton
will add steel to them but they have the look of a side that will
struggle this season in a division boasting far more quality than
last time out.
I hope they stay up as I've a soft spot
for them but I fear this could be the end of their five year stay
in the Championship.
Prediction:
22nd in the Championship
I asked fans on the Rivals message board
for views on the new season and here is what they had
to say.
How do you think
Plymouth will fare this season?
Bottom six but just staying
up
Who are your players
to watch out for?
We've not
got many left
Is your Manager the right
man for the job?
He's fighting
a losing battle at the moment having to sell so many players but
I think he'll do well to keep us up.
Which three teams will
be promoted this season?
Reading
and Birmimgham then take your pick for the rest of the division
for the playoffs
Which teams will be relegated?
Doncaster,
Southampton and Preston
How do you think QPR
will fare this season?
Top six
By the time this goes online Simon Walton could be
a Plymouth player but I'll stick with the others for now.
Akos Buzsaky joined Plymouth from Porto in 2005 and
was a star for them before joining QPR last season. Buzsaky had
an instant impact at QPR scoring in his second game for the club
and he ended the season as top goalscorer with ten goals and all
of them were spectacular.
Ian Holloway managed both clubs and will get different
receptions should he ever return. He's still popular at QPR for
the job he did at helping win us promotion and establish us back
in the Championship.
He joined Plymouth in 2006 and guided them to a top
half finish and the FA Cup quarter finals. Last season he was on
course for another top half finish before the ambition of the club
was called into question following the sale of players and Holloway
jumped ship to join Leicester, a decision he probably regrets now.
Rangers have faced Plymouth several
times in recent years and have built up a friendly rivalry between
the two sides. In the 2002/03 season Rangers faced Plymouth at Loftus
Road days after lifelong QPR fan Daphne Biggs died.
The club held a one minute silence before
the game and it was brilliantly observed by the Plymouth fans which
is something QPR were very grateful for.
The game itself was a cracker. Plymouth
went into a two goal lead but goals from Jerome Thomas and a last
minute screamer from Richard Pacquette got us a point.
The away game came as we were in the
middle of a decent run to put us back in the playoff picture and
Plymouth away was a big test. Pacquette got on the score sheet again
and despite Lee Cook being sent off we held on for a 1-0 win.
Last season the two sides met in top
of the table battles. At Loftus Road Plymouth were top of the tree
but two goals from Gallen and one from Thorpe got us a big 3-0 win
and leapfrogged us over Plymouth to take us to top of the league.
The game was voted best home match of the season on this web site.
Away from home was another crunch game.
A win for us would have put huge pressure on Plymouth whilst a win
for them not only won them promotion but would win them the league.
Plymouth won 2-0 and many of the 1,900
QPR fans stayed behind after the game to applaud Plymouth as they
celebrated winning the league.
in 2004/05 with both sides now promoted
the games were again very close. When we met at Loftus Road it looked
like it could be Ian Holloway’s last game in charge as pressure
was mounting for the QPR manager. Ramon Diaz was being linked to
the job and after a poor start Holloway needed a win to ease the
pressure. Things didn’t start well when David Friio continued his
habit of scoring against QPR with an early opener.
The QPR fans were in great voice though
and roared the team back into it when Paul Furlong equalised before
half time. In a tight game, Rangers grabbed the lead when Furlong
got the end of a long ball and lobbed the keeper from outside the
box. A great run and cross by Kevin McLeod made the third goal as
Kevin Gallen got on the score sheet. Plymouth pulled a late goal
back but it wasn’t enough as Rangers seven match winning run was
underway.
The return game was on Boxing day, not
the best one for travelling QPR fans and our away form was at rock
bottom. An unstoppable shot from Coughlin gave Plymouth the lead
before both sides had a player sent off. Micky Evans made it 2-0
after the break before Paul Furlong fired in a free kick to get
us back in the game. It wasn’t enough though and Plymouth took all
three points.
In 2005/06 season it was Plymouth who
came out on top. At Loftus Road Rangers trailed to a wonder goal
from Buszacy with Plymouths only attack of the game. Kevin Gallen
kept up his good record against Plymouth scoring a penalty to earn
us a point.
The return game was a easy win for Plymouth
who were 3-0 up without breaking sweat against a lacklustre Rangers
side. Shabazz Baidoo's first senior goal was the only highlight
for QPR that day.
In 2006/07 we faced Ian Holloway for
the first time and on both occasions the games were drawn. Dexter
Blackstock scored his first goal for QPR in a 1-1 draw at Home Park
and during an emotional homecoming for Ian Holloway at Loftus Road
we again drew 1-1 with Lee Cook scoring his last ever goal for QPR.
Last season we didn't fair as well.
Plymouth ran out easy winners at Loftus Road with a 2-0 win. The
return game on Boxing Day saw SimoN Walton make his full debut and
Rowan Vine gave Rangers a first half lead. We blew it though losing
the game to late goals from Sylvain Ebanks Blake whilst a sending
off after the final whistle for Leigterwood saw him banned for the
next four matches.
Click on the match for a report of
the game from this web site.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Queen's Park Rangers wins
|
draws
|
Plymouth Wins
|
| League Game |
17
|
4
|
23
|
| Cup Games |
0
|
0
|
0
|
| Total |
17
|
4
|
23
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|