Derek Wins Manager of the Month

The Argyle gaffer led his Pilgrims to the top of the table last month with an unbeaten five-game run that saw them pick up 13 points from a possible 15 and concede just two goals.

A key component of that parsimonious defence has been centre-back Sonny Bradley, who was one of four nominations for Player of the Month, and has seen at first-hand what makes Derek such a successful leader.

“He’s a good manager; he’s focused,” said Sonny, who was one of 16 summer incomers to Home Park ahead of the 2016-17 season. “You can tell so much just how much he wants to win. 

“He’s a winner, you can tell that, and I think he projects that into the players. Sometimes he’ll come into the changing room at half-time and we could be winning 2-0, 3-0 but, if we’re not quite on it, even though we’re winning, he’ll let us know. That’s what we need. He’s on us all the time because he wants us to win.

“I’m really impressed and I want that to continue. We don’t want anyone’s standards to drop. If we can just keep going the way we are going and the manager and keeps on us, I think we are going to be alright this season.

“No matter who he brings in, he has got his ways and he will bring the best out of them. If you don’t perform to your potential and you aren’t putting the effort in, you aren’t going to get a second chance – you will be out of the team. It’s vital that all the players keep on it.”

For his part, Derek was keen to spread the acclaim around.

 “The players have responded very well to the changes that have happened over the summer,” he said. “It’s a collective unit; it’s to do with the team and the backroom staff, and everything together allows us to have positive results. 

 "The players have shown terrific form to have accumulated the points total so far, which is the club’s best start for 90 years. This has been achieved by hard work, creative edge and good character. We have to keep going; it's a tough league – you can see that by the results every week.

"We had excellent season last season and we have made an even better start this season. We had to make many changes to the team over the summer – we've taken in 16 new players – and I'm delighted with the blend to the squad.”