Plymouth Argyle must find answer to their away-day embarrassment

Plymouth Argyle's record of 10 defeats and no wins from 12 away Championship matches this season is bad enough. What makes it even worse is the sheer amount of goals they have conceded in some very heavy losses.

Embarrassment is a strong word, and not one to be used lightly by a journalist such as myself who tries to be fair at all times but critical when appropriate, but I do believe it applies in this instance - along with countless other expressions, many of which will not be suitable for publication on Plymouth Live.

The worst of the results have not even come against some of the better sides in the Championship. The Pilgrims were unfortunate to come away with a 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United earlier this month, even by the admission of Blades' boss Chris Wilder. Earlier in the campaign they only lost 1-0 to West Bromwich Albion and Burnley and gave a good account of themselves in both matches.

Yet, they have been hammered by Cardiff City (5-0), who are currently one position above them in 23rd place, and mid-table duo Norwich City (6-1) and Bristol City (4-0), while Coventry City (4-0) were 17th before becoming the latest team to inflict more away-day misery on the Pilgrims on Boxing Day.

Coventry scored all four of their goals before half-time and then coasted through the second period expending a minimal amount of effort as they saved themselves for the visit of Millwall on Sunday, while Argyle never looked like getting even one in reply.

Under-pressure head coach Wayne Rooney addressed his side's dismal away record after the game against Coventry, where he explained the club had looked into all sorts of things, such as when and how they travelled to matches, and even the hotels they stayed in.

Ultimately, though, he attributed the thrashing by Coventry - and, yes, it was a thrashing even though City did not score in the second half - to the fact he did not think his players had been 'switched on well enough, as individuals and as a team.'

This is my 28th season reporting on Argyle for The Herald and more latterly Plymouth Live. I have watched some very good Pilgrims' teams and some particularly poor ones. I have interviewed players who have been friendly and approachable, and others who have been the opposite.

The current squad at Home Park is one of the best I have dealt with in all of that time. They are a nice bunch - and I realise by saying that some people will suggest they are too nice. There is probably some degree of truth to that.

Led by club captain Joe Edwards, the players are always engaging when they are interviewed by my media colleagues and I. When many of them walk into the Press Conference Room at Home Park they shake hands with us before taking a seat on the platform.

In return, we try to treat them with respect at all times. Being critical of them, such as by giving extremely low player ratings after games, is not what I want to be doing but you simply cannot disguise how awful some of the away-day performances in particular have been.

When the Pilgrims were thumped 4-0 at Sheffield Wednesday on the opening day of the season, I think everyone hoped - Rooney included - that it was a one-off, but it has turned out to be far worse than that.

After the latest demoralising defeat at Coventry, Argyle soon have a vital away game to come against 20th-placed Oxford United on Sunday. Their confidence levels are bound to be low but the players have to dig deep within themselves and try to find a way to get a positive result - preferably a win, which would have been a huge weight lifted of their collective shoulders, but even a draw so they can end a turbulent 2024 with some degree of hope and belief.

The Pilgrims have had a lengthy injury list for most of this season, and that has certainly not helped their away form. How could it not when they have been without nearly all of the players at one stage or another? Bali Mumba is the only member of the squad to have played in all 22 Championship games, starting 20 of them.

However, even without the likes of Ibrahaim Cissoko, Joe Edwards and Morgan Whittaker, they went to Sheffield United and made life very difficult for the league leaders. Yet 12 days later, they crumbled in the first half against Coventry.

The sheer number of injuries can definitely be considered as a factor behind the Pilgrims' continuing away-day woes, but it is clearly not the only reason. Their unwelcome habit of conceding early goals when on the road seems to have sapped belief out of them.

At Coventry for example, yes it was disappointing to be 1-0 behind in only the fifth minute but Argyle needed to dig in. Had it stayed that way until half-time they could have regrouped and tried to take the fight to the Sky Blues in the second period. Instead, City were out of sight at the break and it was all about damage limitation for the Pilgrims from then on.

Rooney has to take the largest responsibility for the dreadful away results. He is the head coach. It is his job to get better results no matter the circumstances. Yes, his squad has been injury-hit. Yes, some of the players he has had to call upon have simply not been up to the exacting standards of the Championship. That is clear for all to see.

However, at the very minimum, Argyle must be harder to beat than they have been in a lot of their games up and down the country and they have to create more scoring chances too, rather than just the occasional shot on target. Three goals scored in 12 away league games is, again, an embarrassment.

Rooney, aided by his coaching staff, has to find a way to add a resilience to the team as well as more productive attacking play, at least in part through his team selections and choice of tactics. It will also take a few good signings during the forthcoming January transfer window.

The Pilgrims have not had a great recent record when it comes to January recruits, but they have to get it pretty much spot on this time to stand a chance of staying up. Without new faces, more talent and players who are not weighed down by the away-day struggles of this term, it is hard to see it getting better for Argyle.

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