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Plymouth Argyle going in right direction says Steven Schumacher after latest pre-season win
The Pilgrims’ boss gave his verdict on the 2-1 behind-closed-doors win away to League One outfit Blackpool at Bloomfield Road
Former Blackpool striker Ryan Hardie was on target as Plymouth Argyle beat his former club 2-1 in a behind-closed-doors game at Bloomfield Road on Saturday afternoon.
Mickel Miller came up with a goal and an assist for the Pilgrims, who have now won all three of their warm-up matches ahead of their 2023/24 Championship campaign.
Argyle did concede their first pre-season goal shortly before the hour mark when Shayne Lavery slotted home a penalty after Argyle’s Joe Edwards was adjudged to have fouled Dom Thompson.
It was a good work-out for Steven Schumacher’s squad against opposition who played in the Championship last season but were relegated to League One.
The one downside for the Pilgrims were injuries to Saxon Earley (shoulder) and Kaine Kesler-Hayden (ankle), who will be assessed ahead of the next pre-season game, away to National League South side Torquay United on Tuesday.
Miller opened the scoring in the 26th minute when he received the ball from Hardie and sent a curling shot into the opposite corner of the net.
Hardie, who joined Argyle from Blackpool in January 2020 initially on loan, then struck a couple of minutes later as he was set up by Miller and shot past ‘keeper Dan Grimshaw.
Schumacher told Argyle TV: “It was a good afternoon. I said to the lads this is as close to a Championship game as we are going to get.
“These were a Championship team last season. They have kept the majority of their squad together so we knew it was going to be a tough test.
“I thought we played really well, especially for the first hour. We made a few changes on the 60-minute mark and got a few of the young lads on again, which is really pleasing.
“For the first 60 minutes I thought we looked like a real team. It looks as though we are gelling in what we are trying to do and it was another good win, which gets you in good habits.”
Argyle had beaten Scottish Premiership side Hearts (1-0) and Plymouth Parkway (2-0) in their previous two pre-season games as they build towards their Championship opener against Huddersfield Town at Home Park on Saturday, August 5.
Schumacher said: “You want to take momentum into this season if we can. We obviously finished really strongly last year and winning games breeds confidence.
“We are trying to work on things on the training ground but the most important thing at the moment is getting the lads fit, getting them organised and working on a few things.
“Then when we can go and implement that in these pre-season fixtures then it’s pleasing, so loads of good signs today. There is things we can still improve on as well but going in the right direction.”
Neil Critchley’s Blackpool, who had returned from a training camp in Cork, the Republic of Ireland, could not recover from the two quickfire goals scored by Miller and Hardie.
Schumacher said: “The first goal is a good move. It’s a good recovery run first and foremost, Scarrsy (Dan Scarr) does a brilliant block in our box.
“Then we are nice and calm, and Saxon plays a lovely ball to Ryan, and Mickel comes up with a brilliant finish so it was a good move from back to front.
“The second goal is equally pleasing because we have set a press and we have realised the Blackpool centre-back had had a bad touch.
“Mickel intercepts it and sets Ryan up, and he slots it away, so two different types of goals but really pleasing. I was a bit disappointed we conceded a goal, we would have liked a clean sheet troday.
“I didn’t think it was a penalty but the referee gave it and unfortunately Callum doesn’t get another clean sheet.”
Defender Julio Pleguezuelo was a half-time substitute for Lewis Gibson while a further nine changes were made in the 61st minute, with goalkeeper Callum Burton the only one to play the whole game.
Schumacher said: “The seniors who didn’t play 60 minutes today, they will play 60 minutes on Tuesday. That will be the plan.
“We got a couple of knocks, though, today in the game. Saxon landed awkwardly on his shoulder and Kaine had to come off in the last 10 minutes because he rolled his ankle slightly so we will have to assess them over the next few days.
“But everybody else, Julio will hopefully get 60 minutes, Butch (Matt Butcher) will get 60 minutes, and everyone just keeps getting fitter and stronger as we move towards the first game of the season.”
Schumacher added: “If we are going to play the way we want this season then everyone has to be comfortable in certain roles so having the opportunity to experiment is good, it’s what pre-season games are all about.
“That might be something to do on Tuesday as well, see if people can play in slightly unusual roles than what they might have expected.”
ARGYLE: Callum Burton, Jordan Houghton (Jack Matthews 61 mins), Dan Scarr (Oscar Halls 61 mins), Joe Edwards (Kaine Kesler-Hayden 61 mins), Ryan Hardie (Ben Waine 61 mins), Callum Wright (Matt Butcher 61 mins), Mickel Miller (Will Jenkins Davies 61 mins), Lewis Gibson (Julio Pleguezuelo h/t), Adam Randell (Caleb Roberts 61 mins), Saxon Earley (Jack Endacott 61 mins), Freddie Issaka (Henry Donovan 61 mins).