Club News
Highlights to Follow
19th January 2017
DAVID Fox says that Argyle are determined to make sure that the two games against Liverpool are not the highlight of the Pilgrims' season.
Argyle lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Home Park after holding the Reds to a 0-0 draw at Anfield ten days earlier. But with the Pilgrims still second in Sky Bet League two, David says that after the game he discussed with his team mates that this game should not define Argyle's season.
"That is something we spoke about after the game in the changing room," said David. "Now we have got to really kick on. We have got to make sure that these games are not what we remember this season for. We beat Stevenage which I thought was massive, and if we can beat Cheltenham on Saturday then no one can really label that these have been distractions because we have picked up some good results during these two game.
"What we have got to do on Saturday, is make sure that it can't be labelled like that. We will go there and we will give it everything. It will be tough I am sure, because we have not got long to recover. The lads have put in a real shift tonight and I am sure that it will be an issue. Once we are there, once we are in the game, and I am sure there will be lots of travelling fans there. It will really push us on and we know now that the Blackpool game has been changed so we have not got a game for a while, so we really have got to put everything in on Saturday and then we will get plenty of rest after that."
Argyle were missing several players that could have been in contention for a starting place against Liverpool, but saw the return of Ryan Donaldson to the midfield.
"We are down to the bare bones," said David. "We have got Bully and Rooney upfront at the end. You can forget that they rested a few. We can arguably say there were six or seven lads that could have been in our starting 11 that we have not got. We really were up against it. We did really give them a good go. They are a top team, but we gave everything.
"He has trained a bit but he has not been able to do any contact stuff, that was a massive plus to have him back. He did really well for the time he was on the pitch, and we need to get people back. Hopefully these games can enable the club to move forward maybe get a couple players in of the back of it. Who knows? What is has done is it has given a real buzz to the city and it is something we can really take forward going into the running."
Argyle will be strengthened by the return of cup-tied Nathan Blissett and Jakub Sokolík for the trip to Cheltenham, and David reckons there are a lot more positives to take into the rest of the season for the Pilgrims too.
"We have got the couple of lads who are cup-tied so they will be back in the reckoning on Saturday. We are going with what we have got. The positives from these two games are massive. Not just for the football side of things but for the whole city really. I have noticed around the place there is a real buzz about these two games. It's little bits and bobs that are waking up a sleeping club like this. We know that if we keep performing then the fans will keep coming in their numbers. Hopefully this is not the highlight of our season. That is something we have emphasised after the game that make sure this is not the high point of our season."
Luke McCormick saved a Divock Origi penalty with just under five minutes of normal time to play. David said that he believed Argyle would get another chance, but it wasn't to be.
"I was struggling then," said David. "My legs were going towards the end and then he saves that and all of a sudden you get that little boost again. It was a great save and you're thinking 'one more chance, one more chance'. Unfortunately I don't quite think we got that chance towards the end, but that was a real highlight and something that really pushes you on in the last ten minutes. I thought we would get another chance, but it wasn't meant to be.
"It could have been another Anfield job if it had gone to extra time but unfortunately it wasn't meant to be."