Teamwork Points To Points

A MANAGER who used to frequent the dugouts at Home Park to much acclaim used to often suggest that ‘every point is a prisoner’.

That particular idiom was one of many attributed to an affable Scot by the name of Paul Sturrock, but he is not the only one to deal in bon mots when comes to the art of points accumulation.

Peter Hartley knows the value of every point gained in Sky Bet League 2, and he believes a source for obtaining these points is a well that Argyle can plunder this season.

Few would ever tell you the opposite were it the case, but there is definitely a sense of togetherness about the current Plymouth Argyle squad.

Those within the club are often struck by the feeling among both staff and players, and Hartley in particular feels that the atmosphere in the dressing room could be a key to success this season.

“It’s a great group of lads,” said Peter, notably adding: “It’s probably the best group of lads I’ve worked with so far in my career.

“A lot of the boys have relocated as well so we are a really close bunch, and I think that’s helped a lot for me personally. When I was at Stevenage last year there was lots of cliques everywhere. It’s not like that here, we are all here together: one team. It’s brilliant.

“It gets you 12 points a season. That could be the difference between winning the league and finishing third, in my opinion.

“We’ve got a group of lads; every one’s got different characters. I can tell you now we have six and a half hour bus journey to Morecambe and Marvin Morgan will talk for six hours and a minute less than the journey is. There’s always something to talk about on the bus, there’s always banter.

“It’s not so much the olden days anymore. I’ve worked with the likes of Kevin Ball, who are of the old mentality. Bally used to say when I was a young lad that ‘a team that drinks together, wins together’.

“It’s not so much that now - it’s a lot more professional than that - but a team that spends a lot of time together off the pitch makes you willing to work that much harder for each other on the pitch. I think it makes a massive difference.”