Back in the Saddle
ARGYLE are stepping up their preparations ahead of welcoming Walsall to the Theatre of Greens this Saturday for their Sky Bet League Two showdown, according to Pilgrims’ manager Ryan Lowe.
Lowe is under no illusion that the Saddlers will prove to be difficult opposition and a stern test. “They’ve got a young fantastic manager in Darrell [Clarke], we know what they’re gonna be, what they’re about.
“They know what we’re about and it’s just two teams locking horns to get three points, or a point each - whatever you can get. We respect them, we respect every team that comes here.”
“They’re a good team, they’ve come down from League One like us, they’ve got some exciting young players, but it’s just another game really. It’s a game at Home Park that we are hoping to get three points.”
The Saddlers travel to Home Park sitting in 16th place in the table off the back of a goalless draw at home to Newport County. Lowe, though, believes that it is simply too early in the season for league positions to be taken into account.
“We can’t read too much into any results. The league will not form itself until probably 15, 20 games in.”
Saturday’s fixture will be Argyle’s fourth game in two weeks, but Lowe has no major concerns about games coming thick and fast.
“Especially when it’s Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday we just keep going as long as we can until we get that rest period. Five games in, if we get a positive result on Saturday – that’s two points a game, which is not bad. We’re on the right track.”
In terms of recovery, Lowe was equally upbeat about his players’ ability to physically cope with the demands of a congested fixture list. “We’ve got the best fitness coach in the league, and we’ve got the best facilities as well. Marjon University help us out with all their stuff, we’ve got ice baths in the dressing room, we’ve got masseurs, we’ve got everything we need.
“We train them in the right way, we don’t do too much to overload them, and when you’ve got good athletes and good professionals that want to put the work in along with all that stuff we’ve got to help them recover, then we’re fine.”