Argyle Gone For A Burton

Argyle 1 – 2 Burton
Cowan-Hall 49. Stanton 74, Weir 79.

Attn: 5,219.

Cole 6, Berry 7, Nelson 7, Blanchard 6, Bhasera 6, MacDonald 5 (Cowan-Hall 7), Lowry 6 (Lennox), Young 6, Gurrieri 7, Feeney 7, Madjo 6 (R Griffiths 4).

The tipping point has been reached, we need a new manager!

I’ve been very supportive of Carl Fletcher but two instances in this game have led me into the “Fletch out” camp. The result was bad enough but when I see winger Joe Lennox come as a late sub and see him play in the same position on the right wing as Paris Cowan-Hall leaving a huge hole on the left side of the team I know something isn’t right.
For five minutes these two bemused and confused players played in the same position within five yards of each other until the players sorted it out themselves and Lennox moved to the left.
Did Lennox receive the instruction to play in Cowan-Hall’s position from the manager?

Secondly, with five minutes to go Fletcher sat down in the dug-out, arms folded and looked beaten. He wasn’t there to urge his team on by standing in the technical area, what sort of inspiration to the players is that? He stood all game until the end, he just gave up.

The first half was a scrappy affair with only Bhasera’s long range shot going wide and Feeney’s header saved by the Burton keeper the only action of any note to mention.
The other feature was Lowry`s passing radar locked on sky blue instead of green.

The start of the second half was much better from Argyle with the now regular 20 minute purple patch producing a goal.
A brilliant turn by Feeney allowed him to see Cowan-Hall in space on the right, his pass cut through the defence to find Cowan-Hall, he cut back inside and finished off with a low shot into the goal.
One nil to Argyle and a goal worthy of a better game than this.

It was now all Argyle with chances falling to Cowan-Hall (again), Feeney, Blanchard and Nelson but the second goal wouldn’t come and you just knew that Burton would regroup and look for an equaliser.

Sure enough, Argyle ran out of steam and allowed Burton back into the game.
Two quick goals from crosses, our Achilles heel, led to our own downfall. The defence just cannot cope with crosses into the box and both goals were very soft to concede.
In fact, those two goals were the only shots on-target from Burton, apart from that Cole had nothing to do all game.

I can take a defeat but those two incidents towards the end of the game involving Lennox’s bemusement on where to play and Fletcher throwing in the towel and sitting down (after standing all game) coupled with the feeling of apathy amongst the low crowd leads me to believe the team needs a new leader. Can we even afford to change the manager?

Worrying times on and off the pitch.

Man of the match: Cowan-Hall.