Exclusive: Sky pundit reveals “problem” Plymouth Argyle face – It could relegate them
Even though Plymouth Argyle has just defeated Sheffield United and Norwich City at home, Don Goodman has acknowledged that it is “hard to imagine” them escaping the drop.
Although Miron Muslic has undoubtedly made improvements to his Pilgrims team since joining in January, they are still very much in danger of relegation because Argyle is currently at the bottom of the standings with 40 points.
They had hope of surviving after defeating the Canaries 2-1, and their comeback victory over the Blades, who were vying for promotion, only strengthened those credentials.
Muslic’s team put up a fierce fight on Saturday afternoon, defending well to hold the score at 1-0 before throwing two late sucker punches at United. The winner was scored by Muhamed Tijani, who scored just his second goal in green and white with a stunning volley into the bottom corner after Jack Robinson’s botched clearance. The initial goal was scored by the always dependable Ryan Hardie.
With four games left, Argyle still has a real opportunity of making a spectacular comeback, even though many fans and commentators had written off their chances of surviving early in the season.
Don Goodman still unsure of Plymouth’s survival credentials
In an exclusive interview with Football League World, Don Goodman discussed whether he thinks Plymouth has a realistic chance of surviving after their victory over Sheffield United over the weekend.
It was an obvious solution to him. He believes Argyle will find it too difficult to earn the points required to avoid relegation in the remaining games, even with their recent comeback.
“It was a fantastic victory over Sheffield United,” Goodman told FLW. “The fortitude and courage they displayed to win that after initially giving in. It goes without saying that they defeated Norwich in the last home match.
“The issue for them is that they have two home games left against Coventry City and Leeds United, both of whom are fiercely competitive.
“The other issue is that they have a really awful away form. They have away games against Middlesbrough, who are vying for play-off spots, and Preston, who are hard to play against in Deepdale, and I believe they have only won once this season at Portsmouth.
It is still difficult to picture them succeeding, despite their bravery and the efforts they have made to bring themselves within three points of safety. It will be one of the greatest escapes ever if they do.
Plymouth Argyle’s remaining fixtures pose a threat
Home Park was always going to be essential to Plymouth’s chances of surviving, and it has been crucial to them scoring any points at all. Thirty-one of their forty points have been earned at home, and Argyle has a strong record there.
| Plymouth Argyle’s Home Form | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | W | D | L | GF | GA | League Rank |
| 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 36 | 36 | 18th |
Unfortunately, their away form is not in the same league. Argyle has only scored eight goals in 21 away games this season and has only secured one victory away from home.
| Plymouth Argyle’s Away Form | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | W | D | L | GF | GA | League Rank |
| 21 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 8 | 46 | 24th |
It is likely that they will need at least seven more points to stay up, therefore one of their remaining away games must result in anything other than a lost game.
As Goodman noted, the fact that they are playing against teams that have everything left to play for makes things much more difficult. Leeds wants to be promoted automatically, while Coventry and Middlesbrough are fighting for a spot in the play-offs.
Even though it would be absolutely remarkable if Argyle succeeded, it’s hard to imagine anything other than relegation happening anytime soon.
