"SAME old Argyle..."
What, precisely, does that mean?
Same old Argyle...knocking on the door of the Premiership.
Excuse me, but when, exactly, have we been so close to the dream of playing in the top flight?
In the 30 seasons before this one, only nine have been spent in the second tier of the English game. In just two of these did we finish in the top half of the table - 1986-87…and last season.
Five of the 30 campaigns were played out in the bottom division of the Football League, the last as recently as 2001-02.
Recent history suggests that "same old Argyle..." would now be knocking around the middle of League One, not pushing on towards a position unheard of since midway through the last century.
Same old Argyle...showing real ambition.
If "same old Argyle..." in the 20th century stirs up depressing thoughts, how about the "same old Argyle..." of the 21st century - seven seasons that have been pregnant with progression, excitement, potential, optimism. Or is "optimism" a dirty word to gainsaying Greens?
Look at the evidence.
In the last six years, "same old Argyle..." have climbed from the basement of English football to the brink of the Premier League - the richest and most exciting league in the world.
We have one of the most talented, brightest, enthusiastic, loyal, genuine 101% managers in the game, and a Westcountryman, to boot.
Consider this: Ollie has just been nominated for the Coca-Cola Championship's October manager of the month, and at least two of our lesser-placed Championship rivals who have been looking for a new boss have cast envious eyes in the direction of Home Park.
Same old Argyle...always signing current internationals and players from Manchester United and Chelsea.
Recent weeks have seen the arrival of two exciting new players at Home Park in the form of Manchester United's uber-talented winger Lee Martin, who chose "same old Argyle..." ahead of other Championship clubs, and up-and-coming Welsh hitman Jermaine Easter, a player coveted not long ago by Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City.
Martin played at Old Trafford with Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, another Home Park recruit in the past couple of seasons, and one of the Championship's most potent strikers.
Sylvan's supply-line also includes Péter Halmosi, a regular Hungarian international, one of three signings in the last 15 months to break "same old Argyle's..." record transfer fee paid for a player.
Last season, "same old Argyle..." enjoyed the precocious talents of one of the game's most exciting talents, Chelsea's Scott Sinclair, one of the most talented players to ever grace Home Park.
How, please tell me, does the phrase - so redolent of failure and underachievement - "same old Argyle..." apply to today's Pilgrims?
Last Saturday's weary defeat at Preston was, admittedly, a set-back, but to label a reversal at a club that has been knocking on the door of the Premiership for years a case of "same old Argyle..." is a very strange reaction.
"Disappointing" would have been a more measured response, especially when you remember that, four days before, we won at Charlton in front of almost 2,000 ecstatic Pilgrims.
That victory at the Valley has been described in one local newspaper as a "good display" but most Green-hearted witnesses to that performance would go a lot further. It was a fantastic team effort in a full-blooded encounter before an angry home crowd baying for blood.
Most who were there regarded the eyes-out effort as "same old Argyle's..." best performance of the current season, and there are other reasons why winning at Charlton was a little more than a "good display":
Charlton have spent the 21st century in the Premiership; their last previous conquerors at the Valley were Tottenham Hotspur; they are one of the favourites for this year's Coca-Cola Championship title; and "same old Argyle..." last previously won at the Valley in 1974.
A little quiz:
1 Are the people who believe defeat at Preston warrants doom and gloom in the minority?
2 Would you describe the win at Charlton as even slightly better than just a "good display"?
3 Are we a better side now than we were at the start of this century?
4 Are you bored with a small minority spouting negativity when talking about your club?
5 Do you feel Ollie and the boys are doing a good job?
6 Can we beat Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend?
If you answered "yes" to some, or all, of these questions, then you can help Ollie and the boys.
Defeat at Preston might have been unsatisfactory, but lower attendances at Home Park are the real disappointment of this season.
The Green Army can help this situation.
In an age of information overload, word of mouth remains the most powerful marketing tool. We need you to evangelise about your club.
We have not lost at home in six months - tell people how well we are doing.
Tell people about the great times you have enjoyed at Home Park.
Tell people how proud you feel when Ollie and his players are giving their heart and soul for your club.
We are the leading club in the south west.
We have a chance to reach the Promised Land.
We can make history.
This IS achievable, but negativity is costing our club, and we need your help.
Defeat at Preston should not mean a dwindling gate - defeat at Preston should mean we get behind our club even more.
The Green Army are the greatest fans in the world. Bring your mates on to see us play against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday and let's convert more to the Argyle cause.
"Same old Argyle..."? Surely not!
Onwards and Upwards.
