Yearning and Learning

...but insists he will give nothing less than 100% to the dual cause of helping the side and improving his game. 

Songo’o arrived at Home Park as a central defender, and was used there for the first two-and-a-half games of the season. Midway through Argyle’s away game at Carlisle, Derek Adams shifted shape, and deployed Yann in a holding role in midfield. He has been there ever since. 

Although it is a new role to 24-year-old, it is a position earmarked for him by Adams long before either man arrived in Devon. 

Adams once brought Songo’o in on loan at Ross County, and spotted something in Yann that he has always kept in mind. 

Yann said: “In a training session in Scotland I played in midfield, and the manager liked the way I played in that training. 

“Since then, he has said to me ‘sometimes I will use you in central midfield.’ In a pre-season game I played for half an hour in central midfield and I enjoyed it. For me, the most important thing is being in the starting 11. 

“I have always been a centre-back. This is a new position to me. Sometimes I am bit lost on the pitch, but I am working on that, and the manager and the lads are helping me. I will get more comfortable, and I will play anywhere the manager wants me to play. Even if I don’t play unbelievable I will always give 100%.Every game I am getting used to it, and I learn every day. 

“It will take time – although in football you never have time – but I will learn really quick. My priority is still defensive, and I help the defence keep a clean sheet. We’ve done that, and I am happy. 

“It’s really important to have a clean sheet; so important. That’s what gets you promoted. So far, we have done well. Defensively we are doing an amazing job, starting from the strikers, to the defence, to the keeper. We are going a great job. More goals will come, but the beginning of the season is strange. We will get there.”

Although signing officially in the summer, Yann has been at Home Park for almost six months. As a free agent, he began training with the Pilgrims towards the end of the previous season, but was unable to sign a deal. Once that was possible, Songo’o was happy to sign for a manager he has enjoyed working with in the past. 

“He’s a really good manager,” said Yann. “He is close to his players; he knows how to talk to his players. Since he has been here he has done a really good job. The fans and the players are happy with him. 

“He is a manager who always wants you do more and more to make you your best. I made the decision to come here because I know this manager will get the best out of me. He has done that before at Ross County and I think he will do it at Plymouth. 

“I’m really pleased. I had a really difficult year at Blackburn, and had a year without professional football. It was difficult in the beginning, but bit by bit I’m getting more confident. At the minute I’m not playing my best football but I’m giving everything I can. Every Saturday, I will improve, and get better. I have no doubt on that.”