Derek Adams pre Charlton A 1

DEREK Adams has been crunching the numbers this week and likes what they tell him. Mostly.

The facts and figures available in the wake  of the 1-0 home defeat by Blackpool last time out reinforced what his own eyes told him on match-day – that Argyle dominated the Seasiders in all but the most crucial area.

He said: “Last week, against Blackpool, we had most attacks than any club throughout the league; we had most attacks on the flank than any club throughout the league.

“From that point of view, it’s pleasing. We are not taking the opportunities of finding that final pass when we are in that area, but to be at the top of that league table with attacks is very pleasing. We need to start winning games and taking our chances.

“I look at the stats, I look at the data; I look at our position in the league; and I look at our play. We are not getting the breaks at this moment that our play deserves.

“We were the best attacking team in the league last week. People can say what they want, but the stats don’t lie.

“The stats don’t lie that we are bottom of the league at this moment in time. We haven’t scored enough goals and have conceded too many.

“We have obviously got to win football matches, and that is what we are trying to do. We tried to do it last week against Blackpool and unfortunately we were unsuccessful.

“We can’t continue to knock at the door as we’re doing and not score with the chances we are creating. It happened at Bristol Rovers – we should have won that game – and it happened against Blackpool.”

Argyle hope that the numbers will stack up at the Valley on Saturday, when they visit in-form Charlton Athletic who will be looking to register a fourth successive Sky Bet League One victory.

Any suggestions that he might consider parking the bus against the Addicks were given short shrift by Derek.

“We didn’t do that against Blackpool,” he said. “We didn’t do that the week before against Bristol Rovers. You don’t get the stats that we have…the most attack-minded team in the league last week. We are not going to change that this week.

“There are only two things in the game – keeping the ball out of the net and scoring in the other net. It is as simple as that. We haven’t done well enough at both ends but, with the data and the stats, we are always high up there about our passes; about playing in the attacking third; defending from our goal. So we just need to get that break that our play deserves.

“We need to find that killer pass that is going to get us a goal; we need to take our chances when they come along; we need to score more goals. We are in that area; we are creating opportunities; we just need to take them.

“If you are in that area of the pitch, more often than not, it is certainly going to click.”