No Pressure

ARGYLE manager Derek Adams is delighted with Argyle’s current league position and insists there is still no pressure on him or his side ahead of Tuesday’s crunch match against Scunthorpe at Glanford Park.

The Pilgrims beat Rotherham 2-1 on Saturday to remain seventh: two points behind Scunthorpe and three behind Charlton in fifth.

Argyle meet Scunthorpe in a rearranged fixture with the stakes being as high as any game the Pilgrims have played this season. Scunthorpe, currently in possession of the final play-off spot, and the home side in the game, may be the ones that have to live up to expectations, whie Argyle who were bottom of the league in December, are enjoying the ride. 

Adams said: “They have been up there the last two seasons being in the play offs. They are a team that want to get out of this division from the financial aspect they throw a lot of money at it to get themselves into the Championship. We have gone toe to toe with a lot of teams in this division who have done exactly the same and we have finished above them.

"We are looking forward to it, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We are in seventh position, Scunthorpe and Charlton are above us and they have been there the majority of the season. We are the ones that have been chasing.

“No pressure, not now. At this stage of the season we have done all our good work. We have put ourselves in a very good position and whatever happens now is an added bonus. They are not nervous. They are in a good place and they have shown that in recent weeks that they have been able to perform, when so called pressure is on them."

It has been a season of constantly changing ambition and realistic goals. The aspirations of any promoted team are generally simply to stay up, and that was surely the sole aim after a poor start, results-wise. Adams explained the evolution of Argyle's targets. 

"We are obviously delighted to finish the season no lower than seventh position," he said. "At the start of the season we looked to try and stay in the division: we have done that. Then we looked to get to mid-table: we’ve done that. Then we changed again to look to finish above Portsmouth, Doncaster and Blackpool, the three teams that came up with us. Now we have got to try and get in the play-off position. So, throughout the season our aspirations have changed.”

The game at Scunthorpe will be televised live on Sky Sports, another reason for some to suggest pressure. Again, Adams only sees opoprtunity. 

"It’s great for the football club to get the publicity," he said. "It allows us to play to a worldwide audience and with two games to go in the league campaign then it should be a good spectacle.

"I would say we need to win. Because we are two point behind at this moment in time, with goal difference and Charlton as well I think a win would be needed.”