Facts Before FAQs

...make sure you go armed with facts – because the Argyle manager mines facts and figures and stores them away, ready to be brought out to highlight his assertions. 

Mention that Sky Bet League Two leaders Argyle played well despite losing 2-0 at home to Barnet and he will affirm the soft compliment with hard facts.

He said: “We had 660 passes to their 350; had 17 attempts on goal to their four – that shows you the domination we had in the game – and we know that we played well. We didn’t get the result. That sometimes happens.

“We had about 70% of the match overall; we had three times the opportunities in the game; we weren’t able to put the ball in the back of the net; and we conceded two poor goals on the night. 

“They had to defend for the majority of the match and it’s one of these games that you find it difficult to score in. We have to take our chances when they come along.”

If that sounds like sour grapes, it really is not. Compare and contrast Derek’s magnanimousness in accepting the previous 3-0 home reversal at the hands of Grimsby Town three days earlier.

“I don’t mind losing if somebody is better than us,” he said. “That is something that happens in life. But I feel that, the other night, there were a lot of circumstances that went against us – the second goal was a foul; we should have had a penalty kick – and, over the 90 minutes, we didn’t feel there was a consistency in the game.

“We had a lot of chances and were unable to get the goals our play probably deserved. It was difficult for us when you go 2-0 down; it’s a long way back after that.

“It was a difficult game against Grimsby. They got a good start in the game and were able to get ahead in the match and we really haven’t played well enough on that day.”

Despite failing to score in their last two matches – after finding the net in 17 of 18 consecutive matches in all competitions – Derek is happy with the firepower in a squad that travels to Morecambe this weekend looking to consolidate their position at the top of League Two. 

“We probably have to be a wee bit more clinical; when that opportunity comes along, we have to take it. David Fox hit the bar the other night and probably should have scored; if that goes in, it’s a different ball game. It happened on Saturday against Grimsby – Craig Tanner twice had good opportunities to score, doesn’t, and they go and score.

“We have got enough players in the squad who are more than capable of scoring goals – you see that in the goalscoring charts – so, when the chances come along, we just need to score.”