Cardiff City (H) Foster's Preview

With exceptionally cold weather affecting the usage of the Harper’s Park training pitches, as well as new faces to integrate into the first-team squad, you could be forgiven for thinking that Ian Foster might have been concerned with some upheaval this week.

Not a bit of it.

The Argyle Head Coach has taken it all in his stride, and has said that his players have followed suit. On Thursday, they headed to an off-site artificial pitch to train, with the expectation of doing the same on Friday.

At training were the two newest Pilgrims – Alfie Devine and Matty Sorinola – who were added to the group, on loan and on a permanent basis respectively, on Wednesday.

A regular week it is not, but Foster praised the structure in place, and the group dynamics, for ensuring smooth sailing.

He said: “It is busy, there are incomings and outgoings, but I think if you ask the boys who’ve come in, they've been made to feel particularly welcome.

“The two boys arrived on Wednesday for medicals, and both trained Thursday morning. It's football. The lads are used to moving around. Players are used to players coming in and out during this window. We just try to make it as smooth as possible for them.

“We had a session on Tuesday that we had to jiggle. We had to overcome and adapt because of the grass being rock hard, so we've moved training pitches. It was the sensible thing to do from a safety perspective, really.  We've managed to get a lot of work in, which is great. 

“We had a meeting Thursday morning so everyone was clear on the roles, The two new boys, Alfie and Matthew, have been welcomed and fitted in seamlessly in the session.”

Devine and Sorinola go into the Argyle squad for Saturday’s encounter with Cardiff City, which will be Foster’s first Sky Bet Championship game in charge at Home Park.

The Greens played Cardiff as recently as Boxing Day, in South Wales, in an open game that finished 2-2. Cardiff have lost three and won one of their games played since then.

Foster was in charge at the time, but has caught up on footage, and is well aware of the threats Cardiff may pose.

“I think it'll be a really challenging and tough game,” he said. “They pose a high attacking threat, they've got pace in wide areas, inverted wide players who can go either way. They put an awful lot of crosses into your box, and they can play or they can go direct into it and make it difficult for you that way.

“The positive thing for me is that they played us so recently, I was able to study that game. We know it's going to be a challenge, but it’s one we're relishing and we're really looking forward to.”