Transfer deadline blues

Roughly £4.9million received in player sales. Only £1.5million spent. When I mused in previous blogs that, despite the gloomy outlook, Plymouth Argyle might end the January transfer window with a stronger squad than they began it, I was possibly being a little over-optimistic.

Of course, money isn't everything, and the cut-price signings we have made could easily prove to be better than the players sold. But Argyle seemed to lose out to their Championship rivals on so many big targets this month, it almost became a cruel joke. Preston signed both Aberdeen right-back Michael Hart and Oldham’s highly-rated centre-half Neal Trotman. Talented Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Glenn Whelan, who many felt would be a strong replacement for Argyle’s departing David Norris, has instead joined Stoke.

Sheffield United defender Leigh Bromby went to Watford, although for an inflated price of £600,000 (which could rise to £850,000). The £400,000 bid Paul Sturrock tabled for the right-back seemed reasonable, but clearly those kind of offers are not enough to secure the kind of players who can secure Argyle a play-off place, when competing against a relegated Premiership club who have ridiculously huge parachute payments to call on.

Much of Luggy’s wheeling and dealing has indeed been attempting to sign a right-sided full-back to provide competition for Paul Connolly, who has pretty much had the run of the role since David Worrell left in 2005. There is a groundswell of opinion among Argyle fans that Connolly is one of the weaker links in the team, and that, at least, further options in that position would be welcome, particularly after the sale of the versatile youngster Dan Gosling to Everton. However, it seems efforts to secure this have been unsuccessful.

Left-back has been another problem position, with Lee Hodges ageing and technically deficient despite his boundless, admirable commitment. Youth product Gary Sawyer, who looked towards the end of 2006-7, has not progressed as hoped this season, with many believing he is more at home in the crowded centre-back position. Luggy moved yesterday to strengthen here, with Motherwell’s Jim Paterson coming in for a reported £250,000. This looks a good signing and, with Paterson apparently good going forward as well as defending, Peter Halmosi can expect increased support down an already dangerous and potent left side.

Norris, of course, has gone, with Argyle eventually receiving £1.25million of Ipswich’s £2million fee, thanks to the Tractor Boys’ close ties with Bolton, who originally held a 50% sell-on clause on the player. This seems a reasonable return with the player out of contract in eighteen months – he’d never have signed another one, and his value in the summer would have been lower. The question now is whether any of the three new midfield recruits – Chris Clark, Yoann Folly, or the currently imjured loanee Gyorgy Sandor – can adequately replace Norris. Clark looks the most likely, with a goal and some impressive performances already under his belt. If Sturrock prefers the Scot in the centre, Nadjim Abdou could return to a right-sided role.

Up front, the pressure is all on Steve McLean, already appreciated by many fans, despite his penalty miss in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw at Ipswich. This result was an odd one, with the hosts dominating, but Argyle having a great chance to win it. McLean will be expected to pick up Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s goalscoring mantle, although it remains to be seen whether big man Rory Fallon or the pacy, improving Jermaine Easter will partner him. Personally I’d like to see the two smaller, skilful players in tandem, but it seems unlikely – Luggy likes a target man and a goalscorer.

Tommorrow the Pilgrims face Hull, in a game which - and I can not stress this enough - we simply MUST win to stay in touch with the play-off hunt. Having beaten the Tigers twice this season already this should be more than possible. If not we’ll have to start looking over our shoulder – four points behind the top six, we’re also only ten points ahead of the bottom three…

RICH PARTINGTON

Ebanks-Blake blossoms to bury Tynan's ghost

I was but a glimmer in my father’s (or maybe the postman’s) eye back in 1986. That spring, Thomas Tynan, one of the heroes of Plymouth Argyle’s run to the 1984 FA Cup semi-final, returned to the club on loan from Rotherham United. The Pilgrims were pushing for promotion to the old Division Two and manager Dave ‘Ciderman’ Smith brought Tynan, who had scored 54 times in 107 starts in his first spell at Plymouth, in to spearhead his team in the closing stages. It proved a masterstroke; Tynan bagged ten goals in the final eight matches, including two in the 4-0 win over Bristol City, which clinched promotion on April 29th.

Signing permanently again the following season, the Liverpudlian was the clubs focal point for an ultimately unsuccessful charge towards the top flight, eventually leaving in 1990 with 144 goals from 310 appearances, a feat unequalled at Home Park since the war.

Ever since, the ghost of Tynan, now a taxi driver and evening newspaper columnist in Plymouth, has haunted the club. Until this season, no Argyle side has really come close to matching the 7th place finish in the second tier achieved in 1986-7, when Tynan plundered 19 goals. And Home Park has become something of a striker’s graveyard, even as the glory days returned under Paul Sturrock.

Dwight Marshall impressed many; Mickey Evans was a legend, but a target man, not a poacher. The mythical ’20 goal-a-season’ man has become the worst of clichés, with Argyle unable to raise the funds or develop the talent to finally replace King Tommy. Every new forward provoked fans to suggest ‘flashes of Tynan’ soon after arriving, and every one was ultimately unable to hit those heights.

But that may be changing. Last summer, Ian Holloway plucked Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, just a month old when Argyle went up in ’86, from Manchester United’s reserves for £250,000. Despite initially appearing possibly lazy and out of shape, increased opportunities alongside the veteran Barry Hayles sharpened Ebanks-Blake’s instincts and provided him with the confidence to progress. A goal in his second start, away at QPR, was the first of ten in 2006-7, the majority coming in the second half of the season.

This form carried through to the new season, with the winner at Hull on the opening day. Against the same opposition on Saturday, in the FA Cup third round tie at Home Park, Sylvan again showed the strength, quick feet, and unerring ability to find the target which have become his forte.

Far from providing the foil for Hayles, as he did last season, Ebanks-Blake has led the line almost single-handedly, with his veteran partner running out of legs. With Bazza now the first victim of Holloway’s ‘fool and his money’ policy at Leicester City, (reportedly leaving for £150,000 – more than Argyle paid and with his contract up in the summer) Ebanks-Blake has the opportunity to forge a promising partnership with young Welsh international Jermaine Easter, who scored in every round of the League Cup (bar the final) last year.

One particular trick in the SEB book is proving very successful. Commonly derided for a supposed lack of effort due to his restricted movement in the final third, Ebanks-Blake is in fact playing to his strengths. Hovering on the edge of or just inside the 18-yard box, he edges forward with his back tight to the opposition centre-halves, and looks to receive the ball to feet from midfield. In one sharp movement, he spins his marker and is often allowed a clear run at goal. Argyle’s other attackers take the other defenders out of the equation to give him space. Even with less opportunity to move, the 22-year-old’s eye for goal, vastly improved since profligate early days, means he’s usually a good bet to score.

Against Hull, with Argyle leading 2-1, he broke down the left hand side, laying the ball back for Peter Halmosi and ghosting into the area. The Hungarian winger beat a man before squaring across the crowded penalty area to Ebanks-Blake, whose first time, angled strike found the bottom right-hand corner. It was as good a piece of natural finishing as I’ve seen from a green-shirted player.

Argyle’s mixed results over Christmas have kept them just a point outside the playoffs, and with many of the big guns out of the way for a while. Saturday’s trip to Burnley could be a major test of promotion credentials; Sturrock’s squad is playing well, but is low on numbers, with more players set to follow 17-year-old Dan Gosling, Argyle’s record sale in going to Everton for £1.5million, out of the door. A flu bug is also causing problems.

The Clarets are in poor form and Argyle are clearly a better side in most departments, so a win must be expected, and the same can be said for next week’s home tie with Southampton. It’d be a huge boost for the Pilgrims to travel to Ipswich, whose manager Jim Magilton continues his efforts to poach David Norris, on January 29 with more points than our hosts, and no more star players having left.

Ebanks-Blake should definitely remain, despite reported interest from Derby last summer. However, if he can reach the magical 20 by the season’s end, and Argyle have not won promotion, expect the Premiership vultures to begin their spherical dance.

RICH PARTINGTON