Former Plymouth Argyle manager Peter Reid has released a statement through the League Managers Association.
'In over 20 years of management, the past 15 months has certainly been the most testing time of my career. Everyone is fully aware that the club has been embroiled in financial turmoil and that the future of the club has still not been resolved.
'My thanks must go to the supporters and of course the staff and players who have been working for the last nine months more or less unpaid. Their perseverance and professionalism has been completely admirable in dealing with some virtually impossible circumstances and I can only hope that the future of the club can be preserved with new owners coming in to bring back some much needed stability.
'I fully appreciate that football is a results driven business but we were operating under such extenuating circumstances, with so many other factors involved, that I do believe it is difficult for team performances to be judged purely on results. Despite the tough times we have all experienced over the past few months in particular, I have enjoyed my time at this great club I can only wish everyone connected with Plymouth Argyle all the very best for the future. I now look forward to a new challenge in the game.'
Financially-stricken club Plymouth Argyle could have hit the jackpot with 16-year-old prospect Matt Lecointe, who is wanted by Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal according to the Daily Mirror.
Well, there's a turn up for the books! Don't know how much you'd pay for an untested 16-yr-old, but I suppose all things are relative!
I hope they do nothing with him at the moment - any income goes straight into the Administrator's coffers. He's already taken payment in the region of £1M while the team and staff haven't been paid this year.
As an aside, I had a hell of a job buying tickets for the game at Oxford yesterday. To keep moneys away from the Administrator , you won't believe what hoops have got to be jumped through
The saga is almost over . The Administrator has accepted 50% of his £1.2M fee in settlement . Without paying wages etc, how the hell does it cost £1.2M to run a 4th Division football club for 6 months?
There's only one sticking point to a successful conclusion, and that's Peter Reid. I guess he's feeling very aggrieved at being sacked after doing so much to keep them playing football. He's refusing to accept his missing wages over a 5 year period, which is the deal already accepted by the 100+ players and staff, both present and past, who haven't been paid this year.
C'mon Reid, you've left the club with hero status - please don't spoil it now!!
At long last, the Green Army has come out of administration. Now all they've got to do is build a football team.
I went up to Oxford to watch them last Tuesday. They fielded the youngest ever team to play in the football league, made up in the main of 1st and 2nd year apprentices. It was literally men against boys, and 10 - 1 wouldn't have been a disgrace. In fact Oxford should be worried that they only managed to convert 5 of their numerous chances.
I'll give Cheltenham a miss tomorrow (too soon to make a difference), but I hope when I watch them play Morecambe at Home Park next week the team re-build will have started, and they can carve out a result.
I've been monitoring this with interest and I'm sure Plymouth will come back stronger and better than before.
I think an experienced manager at that level is a must (maybe an issue with PR?) and obviously, if possible, getting some experienced hands in to steady the ship with the aim of survival this season.
I agree 100% with the comment about needing an experienced manager. Carl Fletcher was one of the few Plymouth players left with experience of league football. Why would he field a team of 1st and 2nd year apprentices, and stay on the bench himself. He admits himself that he's fully fit.
He keeps giving the excuse that he's got faith in his kids. Even Wenger fields some expertise with his kids.
dtaai-maai wrote:Where is Big Boy? Presumably lying down in a darkened room with a cold flannel over his eyes and talking to his therapist on the phone...
Unfortunately not - I've been to a birthday party, and missed all of the fun
Seriously, when I saw the bunch of kids get hammered 5 - 1 at Oxford, I turned to my mate and said we need at least 5 new players to turn this season around. Since then, the club has been bought, and this was the first time 5 of the 6 new players were available.
19 points might be too many to claw back to get us into the play-offs, but the rest of Div 4 had better beware - this is a completely different team to the kids who played the first 18 matches of the season.
Well BB, a great result today - getting one over one of the Bristol teams, which I always enjoy - I think your miracle is beginning to look like reality!
It was a fantastic result - a re-run of last season. 2 - 0 down at half time, but came to win 3 - 2. No problem with being bottom of the football league this time. Only a few weeks ago we had no owner, no experienced players and very few points - that was bleak.
Now we have sorted all of that (well, a few more points would be nice) - 4 games without defeat, and a promise of investment in more players in January. The Green Army are too good to be relegated now - only injuries and/or suspensions could stop our survival.