[themaclad]

Plymouth Argyle
Deepdale 26/4/2025 15.00hrs

The battle to avoid the letter R, to say it's a big match is an understament, we have sleep walked into a relegation fight, luckily it's still in our own hands although having dropped thousands of points from winning positions this season it is not a given if we get a lead we will hang onto it

https://www.pafc.co.uk/

Manager



Miron Muslić (born 14 September 1982) is an Austrian-Bosnian professional football manager and former player he is currently the head coach of EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle.



Done alright this guy

LAST TIME OUT





FORM GUIDE

PNE 2 GREEN ARMY 9

[themaclad]

The Fitness Test
Paul Heckingbottom will provide an update on team news in his pre-match press conference.

Argyle


Plymouth Argyle arrive at Deepdale in need of a result to help them keep their Championship survival chances alive heading into the final day.

Miron Muslić’s side currently sit bottom of the table and are three points behind Derby County, who occupy the first position of safety in 21st.

Their hopes of staying up have been boosted in recent weeks thanks to home victories over Norwich City, Sheffield United and Coventry City, and after their trip to Lancashire they will return home to host league leaders Leeds United.

The Officials

Referee: Matthew Donohue
Assistant Referees: Darren Williams and Emily Carney
Fourth Official: David Webb

Matthew Donohue will referee his fifth North End fixture of the season on Saturday.

Donohue has shown 104 yellow cards and eight reds so far this term, with four of the sendings off coming in matches involving PNE.
The Green Army visits on Saturday in what can only be described as a massive match for both sides, for the Argyle they basically are dining at the last chance saloon, for us we are also getting close to rubbish or bust time.
As McCall said we have only ourselves to blame for getting into this mess.
Think we know were the blame lies.

This of course could be all over before we kick off on Saturday if Frank Lampard FC do the job at the Keni, but if not P Riddler FC will have to do the job on the pitch at Deepdale.
And here is the rub, there is no doubt that Argyle have given their all on the pitch since the likeable Croatian took charge, meanwhile we have been hit by the perfect storm, injuries, a slew of out of contract players and some of the worst refereeing I have seen in years.
But that's in the past, Saturday they have one job to do, it's up to them on the pitch and us in the stands to play our part because I don't fancy a 4 hour journey back from Brizzle having been relegated.

If we do survive a big if, the need for change of attitude in the club, if PH stays he needs to change the backroom staff, the four short corners in a row on Monday were laughable at best and the fact is we have scored 2 goals from roundabout 200 corners tells it's own tale.
We need fresh blood on the pitch, but most of all it's time for a P45 for man behind the scenes, whose judgement saw us appoint medals Westley as a manager of our great club.

Make no mistake this is a massive match otherwise next season we could be playing a big clubs U21 side in a cup match totally unacceptable

[themaclad]

BOSS MAN

Paul Heckingbottom has welcomed the club’s ticket offer for Saturday’s important clash against Plymouth Argyle, as he wants to create a “really intense” atmosphere.

North End head into their final home match of the Championship season with plenty still on the line, and so do the visitors from Devon who currently sit bottom of the league table.

To help drive up the attendance and atmosphere at Deepdale, the club are offering tickets for £5 for fans aged 14 and over (until midnight on Friday 25th April), and £1 for U14s.

On the offer, Hecky said: “I think it's a great idea. I think it's the right time, the right occasion. It's the last home game and a really important game where both teams are scrapping.

“I think it's a great idea to do anyway, but the importance of this fixture for us and the fans is huge, so the more we get in the better.

“I can sense everyone's on edge about this one, which is good because every game you should be like that.

“You should scrap and fight every game for the three points. I can sense media, fans, everyone at the club knows how important this game is, how big this game is, so the atmosphere should be really good, really intense.

“We want to make sure that our fans get behind us and give us the best possible chance because it’d be great to take care of business that way.”

The manager has been frustrated with the performance of his side on a few occasions this season, but he’s more often been left stewing over decisions which have gone against his team.

He feels that nobody is being punished for those decisions more than the PNE fans, who he was so disappointed to not be able to celebrate with on Gentry Day. Instead, a penalty decision early in the second half in Hull changed the pattern of the game and North End went on to be beaten.

The manager said: “Obviously we were really disappointed with the result. I liked what we did, especially in the first half, and then we get a penalty given against us, which everyone knows again is not a penalty. We've suffered that massively this season.

“Peter [Ridsdale] was already telling me in the last international break that we were the only team to have two Key Match Incidents go against us on in three separate games, which obviously cost us all those games. Since then we've had the Stoke penalty which the KMI panel said five to nil wasn't a penalty. Then we had the QPR game where the lad's been sent off after the event, and not only that, after he should have been sent off, he was handling the ball for one of their goals. And then we had another penalty changing the tide in the game at the weekend.

“That's been a pattern of so many of our games where we've been started well, got the goal and as much as we always try and focus on ourselves, the players need protecting a lot of the time when these are three games. In particular in the last few where it's things out of our control, it's nothing to do with us. They're changing the game for us.”

[themaclad]

Preston North End 1 Riis Plymouth Argyle 2 Bundu, Wright

Attendance: 19,198 (1,857 Plymouth Argyle fans).

Referee: Mr M Donohue.

From the moment the Coventry keeper, managed to hand Luton a massive lifeline aided and abetted by the covering defender who managed to blast the ball into his own net, the sense of doom at the ground increased.
Another 2-1 defeat the fourth on the bounce 1 point above the relegation zone and swapping places with the gobshites at Hollywood FC distincly on he cards.
Started all right, looked the more likely i the early stages but were given signs that Argyle were rapid on thebreak and this proved to be the case as Bundu put them 1 up
Huffed and puffed, coule of good chances from corners and Thor shinned one over the top, but come half time still losing, atthe time we only needed a point with Dull and Direby drawing.
Our usual slow passing style played into their hands as Argyle seemed not arsed about venturing into our half, didn't need to again we had half chances ad then it was two down the left they went ball into box, Wright unmarked at the back, game virtually over, fire drill in the home seats
Ched came on put himself about, maybe we shoud have used him more, just enough time for Riis to bag a late consolation, win at Brizzle next week all good better Hull's result all good otherwise, all bad
Thoroughly depressing day, I hate football

HECK

Paul Heckingbottom knows his side are in a “tough spot” following the defeat to Plymouth Argyle at Deepdale.

PNE were beaten 2-1 by their visitors from Devon, meaning there’s still work to be done on the final day against Bristol City to retain Championship status.

North End had their chances on the day, with Liam Lindsay having a number of opportunities before Emil Riis pulled one back late on, but there wasn’t enough time for a leveller.

Hecky said: “It was the tale of two boxes. We were wasteful with our chances and with the few that they had, they took them. That's it. That's the game there and then.

“That's probably been the one constant criticism I've had of ourselves this season when we've been dominant in games. We've come away with too many where we've not had three points and had the one. Today we've come away with nothing.

“What little chances they had, they scored two goals. The chances we had, we only scored one and we had a few clear-cut ones as well.”

Argyle arrived at Deepdale in need of points to maintain their slim chance of survival, while North End also knew they had a job to do to push themselves away from trouble.

The visitors took the lead early and found a second in the 75th minute. Riis scored his 11th goal of the campaign late on and the Lilywhites huffed and puffed in stoppage-time but it was too late.

Asked what the feeling in the dressing room was, Hecky said: “Deflated. They know that we had that game, how disappointed we are. They played the game the way we knew it would be and it could have been totally different and should have been totally different.

“It's not because we've not taken our chances. Today it's on us. We’ve had grievances against other things throughout this season, but today it's on us. We didn't take the chances.

“Now we're in a tough spot we've got to make sure we get our heads up, stick our chests out, and go and attack this next game.”

[Lord Snooty]

Well you've had as bad an end to the season as we have.

[themaclad]

It depends on who is less hapless next Saturday match Luton's result we stay up on GD, then we have to see how bad the Tigers are at Portsmouth, never been to Stevange

[johnno_pne]

It depends on who is less hapless next Saturday match Luton's result we stay up on GD, then we have to see how bad the Tigers are at Portsmouth, never been to Stevange

Putting aside how we got here (for now), it's so close it's ridiculous.

Looking at the final game, the draw scenario deserves a comment : NE get 50 pts for the season and GD -11.

That puts them above both Stoke and Derby, either of whom could still go down. One of them would finish below NE (result as above) if the other one won.

Frightening.

And a draw for Derby could still see them relegated. Interesting conundrum for them - they have to go for the win.

[themaclad]

Yep relying on those hapless saps at the Hawthorns mind you having looked at Hull forums, they all seem to be applying for assisted suicide

[johnno_pne]

Yep relying on those hapless saps at the Hawthorns mind you having looked at Hull forums, they all seem to be applying for assisted suicide

To be fair, I wouldn't want to be in the shoes of a Hull fan but if they get a draw that's potentially enough. In that regard, their fans might consider a draw to be an achievable outcome against a mid-table team (Portsmouth) that has not much to play for.

Furthermore, I have to be honest and say : I don't believe NE will even get a draw at Brissle.

For this observer, the problem has been going on for some time at the club and, to get this in early, replacing the Administrator will not fix matters. (Way too many people seem to think that if multiple managers have failed then it *must* be the Chairman's fault, in our case the Administrator. So misguided.) For this commentator, another entity is at fault here.

And it's an entity who gets far too much protection.

It's the unholy, congealed amalgamation of revolting players and horrible, bloodsucking 'advisors'.

We have a seriously large group of players who seem to walk around with the devil on their shoulder, someone telling them : it's all about YOU, it doesn't matter what you do to other people, like the club or the fans. Do what I tell you and you will be better off. And you will hardly ever be criticised. You WILL NOT be found out if you say what I tell you to the media. 

And, in the case of some of that group of players, that means keeping NE firmly in the second tier. That's such an offensive objective to have and to pretend otherwise to the club and the fans.

And it is precisely what is going on.

... and I haven't even finished ...

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"unholy, congealed amalgamation of revolting players and horrible, bloodsucking 'advisors" TM 

[themaclad]

Hello fella long time no hear, since Covid the football has been turgid the club needs fresh ideas whether that will change this summer is anyone’s guess but miracles do happen but your right we will get nothing at Ashton Gate having never been on the losing since at any Bristol ground since 1987 this record is about to go