Argyle’s record of late is very impressive. The Greens have won eight of their last ten away games, have lost just three of their last 15, and the only two defeats in the calendar year have come against Lincoln City and Stockport County, who both sit in the top five in Sky Bet League One, seeking promotion.
The team that they, and all others, have to chase, are Cardiff City. The Bluebirds are four points ahead of Lincoln, in second, and 12 ahead of Bolton Wanderers, in third. It would be a surprise should Brian Barry-Murphy’s team not return to the Championship at the first attempt.
The stats keep on coming when it relates to Cardiff. Most goals scored in the division; joint-best defensive record; unbeaten in 12, including eight wins; and, appropriately enough, the best away record in the division.
Cardiff have 26 points from 15 games on the road. Three teams have 25, and they are the aforementioned high-flyers Lincoln and Stockport, as well as, you’ve guessed it, Plymouth Argyle.
For over two years, Argyle’s pattern was to struggle on the road, while home form – by and large – bailed them out. Now, the inverse is true, as while Tom Cleverley seems to have found a formula for winning games away from Home Park, the form at the Pilgrims’ HQ is less than stellar.
Having the league leaders visit for a lunchtime kick-off is hardly ideal in terms of rectifying this record, but imagine what a fillip for the form it would be should the Greens get something from the game.
“It's going to be an interesting contest,” Cleverley told Argyle TV. “I think it's two real form sides; we're really looking forward to the challenge that it brings.
“We’re two defeats since Boxing Day, and those two teams, where we've just fallen short, are top teams like Stockport and Lincoln. We're really, really keen to prove that we can do it against those real top teams, the top four in the league, and we couldn't be in a better moment to take this challenge on.
“We understand the type of team [Cardiff] are, and the technical ability they've got, but we also have a lot of quality in our team, and I think it'll be a very good game of football.
“I think now the squad is becoming more and more deep in terms of experience and quality. We'll have the ability to sustain those performances into the second halves, which you've seen in the last two. I think that's where we'll improve from when we faced Stockport and Lincoln. But from those games, I thought the first half, we were the better side in both and took the lead in both, so we take belief from that.
“The way teams press, how organised teams are out of possession now, the work that goes into that and the pitches throughout December, January and February, you've got to be technically outstanding to overcome those challenges.
“They are a very, very strong team. Brian's done an outstanding job with this side. You can see the patterns they've got, you can see how well coached they are, so add that together with a really strong group of players - then it's a challenge. But that's what it is: a challenge. It's not impossible.
“The way we're playing at the minute, they'll be respecting us as much as we will them.
“It's a real burning ambition of all of us to improve the home form, because if we do, I think we've shown enough resilience and quality on the road to show that that's sustainable now, with eight [away] wins in ten.
“If we can really crack the code here against a tough Cardiff side, if we can really get rolling here, then you never know what could happen from now until the season.”
