As Argyle head to Hull City, for a game three days after a massive Emirates FA Cup tie, Miron Muslic is turning to recent history for hope.
It is not long since Argyle put up a huge effort to beat Liverpool 1-0, but importantly followed it up with a 5-1 victory in the Sky Bet Championship, against Millwall, days later.
Now, the Greens must come off of an emotional game on Saturday, where they lost 3-1 to the mighty Manchester City, having led 1-0 at the Etihad, and head to Hull for a massive league encounter.
Head Coach Muslic wants to move on from the extracurricular exploits, but wants also to use all the cup experiences to give his team confidence on Humberside.
“We wanted to represent Argyle [in the] best possible [way],” he said. “We wanted to use this stage to show the world there is a beautiful club, in the South West, and we are competitive and we are ready to give it all. In general, overall, this FA Cup journey was a beautiful one for all of us: fans, team, club.
“I'm very happy because it was a beautiful journey, a fantastic ride, for Argyle as an organisation, and for the Greens. We have some memories we can keep for a lifetime.
“I think this will give us the necessary confidence boost we need for all the challenges in front of us. It’s important now to leave the FA Cup behind us, but to take the benefits from it.
“We knew exactly what happened after Liverpool because just three days later we needed to rebalance ourselves after this historical win, to face Millwall, and to be super competitive.
“The lads managed to do this in a very, very strong way, manage not only to compete but to keep the three points against Millwall. We need to have the same approach now for Tuesday, and also for Saturday.”
Argyle have stayed in the north after the game, and will use the training facilities at Huddersfield Town before heading to Hull.
Muslic confirmed that Ryan Hardie will miss the trip, and said that Adam Randell has a 50/50 chance of making it. However, Joe Edwards, who an unused substitute at the Etihad, could be involved at the side against whom he scored his most famous goal.
Hull’s position in the table, three points and two places above Argyle, means this feels like an encounter which could go some way to shaping both clubs’ outcomes, but Muslic emphasised that all games from now on are crucial.
“I think he's ready,” said Miron. “He has been green-lighted already for the last 10 days, but it was a big, big injury and he was absent for several months. It's up to us now to gradually implement him and he's ready to pick up some minutes.
“It's an important game, but tell me one game in the next couple of weeks and months without this kind of importance.
“I will never put too much pressure on the lads. I think we found a good approach over the last couple of weeks. We’ve only lost two games out of the last nine, so we are very competitive. It’s just important now for us to stay competitive so we can collect points; every point is important.
“It's a big one on Tuesday, but it's a big one again on Saturday and the week after. So, we must stick to the plan. We are calm, we are focused, and we are ready to pick up this challenge, I think.
“[Hull have done well] especially away against the top teams, picking up points regularly. They beat Sheffield United and Sunderland.
“They had a little step back in the last game, losing 1-0 against Cardiff, because I think actually first half, everything went to plan, they just couldn't manage to score.
“I think they're very balanced in possession, and out of possession, with a lot of rotations, with a clear setup from a 4-2-3-1 into a 3-5-2 or 3-2-5. They have a lot of pace, some very technical and experienced players, but I think also if we can find a good balance, being defensively structured and stable, like we've been in the last few weeks, and still find a transition threat, we can create some moments for us.”
