Plymouth Preview

Darren Patterson's start to his caretaker role as Bristol Rovers manager got off to the worst possible start on Saturday as his charges went down by 2 goals to 0 against the MK Dons in a lacklustre performance in Buckinghamshire.

Rustiness can go against a team but to lose in the manner that Rovers did stinks of a much bigger problem lying underneath. If Darren Patterson is looking to get the Rovers job on a permanent basis then he will have to make drastic changes to his tactical approach and find some way to motivate a side who haven't won in the league since mid-October.

Shortly after Jabo Ibehre, often a thorn in Rovers side in the past, cut inside and struck the ball against the post the Dons took the lead when Daniel Powell drove a shot past Andersen at his near post. Minutes later it was 2-0 when Peter Leven's free kick struck the wall and veered across goal, wrong-footing Gas 'keeper Mikkel Andersen and bouncing agonisingly over the line.

Tuesday's visitors also had little to shout about as they were held to a dour, scoreless draw by bottom of the table and west country rivals Yeovil Town, goalkeeper David Button having to keep out a Sam Williams penalty to keep the scores level.

Much of the news on Plymouth this season has focused around their off-field financial problems, the club facing a winding up order from HMRC that was adjourned for 63 days in early December to allow time for them to pay off a tax bill in the region of £700,000. In an effort to address the situation Argyle have sought help from a rather controversial source in the shape of former Leeds United chairman Peter Ridsdale, best known for leaving the Whites with £103million worth of debt. The big date for the club is January 12th, when they return to court when they will hear another winding up petition from the taxman.

The predicament has already seen the club forced into selling one of its star players in winger Craig Noone to League table-toppers Brighton, details of the fee have been left undisclosed by the Pilgrims, but the big loss may be another of their prized assets, top scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips. The former Southampton striker has thus far hit twelve goals, two coming against Rovers in November, and his pace and directness is a key asset to the side. Argyle's next top scorer was Noone, who hit four in twenty-one appearances before he left while behind the pair are forward Rory Patterson and defender Reda Johnson who have two apiece.

Argyle's form from their last six can be best described as average, with two losses fowllowed by two wins and, most recently, two draws. The best result in that sequence being a morale boosting win in the Devon derby with Exeter where a brace from Bradley Wright-Phillips gave them victory. Plymouth have been playing many of their recent games at home, the last five to be exact, their last away fixture being a November 13th loss to Tranmere Rovers. The travelling green army have seen just two victories on the road but not since the end of September when they travelled to the County Ground in Swindon where they came away with a 3-2 win.

Prior to November's Plymouth triumph Rovers and Argyle hadn't met for nine seasons, the last four fixtures occurring in the 2001/02 season when we saw two Plymouth wins, one for Rovers and a draw, both of the league fixtures resulting in the Pilgrims victories. The second half of Rovers 3-2 win in the FA Cup replay that season being particularly exciting as two goals from David Friio couldn't prevent the Gas coming out on top, Nathan Ellington scoring in the 87th minute at the Memorial Stadium. Plymouth have kept Rovers at arms length in the overall record winning 33 times to Rovers 28, though five of those Gas wins have come in cup competitions, compared to Plymouth's singular FA Cup win in the 1982/83 season.

Rovers are likely to once again be without on loan striker John Akinde, who missed out on Saturday's loss to MK Dons with a groin strain. Both Jeff Hughes and Eliot Richards are pushing for a place in Patterson's starting line-up.

Peter Reid has no new injury worries to deal with and is likely to retain the starting line-up he sent out against Yeovil.

Gas gaffer Patterson has stated that new players are needed if the club are to get out of the hole they have dug for themselves, he told the Bristol Evening Post:

"Let's not kid ourselves – the squad needs strengthening. It's been crying out for it for some time and we have to make sure we get the right ones in the right areas.

"We do need to make changes. I think we have needed players for the last three months.

"In particular, we need a link man – someone who can hold the ball up – as we have two forwards who are similar in style, and so that we can get a little bit of consistency in our play."
Home advantage will be important for Rovers, especially against a side who are unbeaten in their last four games and will want to get their away from back on track.