Sonny Disposition

Argyle’s 6ft 4in centre-back talks as he plays, too. Offer him a get-out or two to explain away the Pilgrims’ stuttering start to the 2016-17 Sky Bet League Two season and he boots them into Row Z.

He has no truck with the notion that manager Derek Adams’ revamped side deserves a little leeway as they become intimate with each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

“As professional footballers, you expect everyone to step up to the plate straight away,” he said, as Argyle prepared for a Bank Holiday weekend visit to Blackpool. “This is a big football club and there are no excuses for getting beaten on a Saturday.

“I’ve heard, a couple of times, people saying it’s going to take a bit of time for us to gel and things like that, but we can’t use that as an excuse –we have got to deal with it; things like this happen in football and it’s about how quick we can get ourselves together and start getting the results.”

Neither is Sonny impressed with the argument that the amount the club has had to travel on the team coach in the opening weeks of the campaign should be factored in to their results. Indeed, there may even be a beneficial aspect to all the mileage.

“Anyone that signs for this club knows that’s what it is going to be,” he said. “I don’t mind it personally, although it is long at times and, on a Saturday, you are getting home at midnight, 1am, at times. It is just the way it is. It is not going to get brought up if we get beaten or do not get the result we wanted; it’s just about dealing with it. 

“The more time you spend around each other, the more you do bond. Having said that, after a few hours on that coach a few people are moaning and sometimes you just want to get your head down and have a couple of hours.

“It’s been a difficult few weeks after losing the first three games but we’ve kicked on a bit since then. We’ve progressed and got better and are coming off the back of a couple of good results now.”

The progress has been in no small part down to the defence conceding just one goal in not far off the last four hours football, with Sonny’s heavily tattooed shoulder among those to the collective grindstone.

He said: “I’ll head and I’ll kick everything – I think it’s something you need in this league. It’s good having a centre-half who wants to play out from the back and play football. I think you need that, as well but, at times, you need someone to get hold of the rest of the lads and really dig in. 

“If [the ball] needs clearing, you have got to put your foot through it – sometimes, that is what I’m about.”