Highlights
- Plymouth Argyle has faced significant setbacks in January, with the departure of important figures and key players, leaving gaps in the team.
- Despite these challenges, Plymouth Argyle has a history of overcoming adversity and is already seeing the positive impacts of bringing in talented young players.
- The club’s reputation is attracting interest from bigger clubs, as seen with the loan signing of Ashley Phillips from Tottenham Hotspur, and potential future signings from players Foster has connections with.
Plymouth Argyle won their first match in the Ian Foster era, beating Sutton United on home soil in the FA Cup.
A trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United awaits the Devonshire side in the next round which is no small task whatsoever.
January is an important month for the transfer window as well as for the coveted FA Cup, and Plymouth Argyle have been on the receiving end of blow after blow.
The chaos that has descended on Home Park comes with a silver lining though, and we are already bearing witness to that.
The January nightmare in Devon
A trio of important figures headed up north and left Plymouth in their rearview mirrors.
Beloved manager Steven Schumacher took the job at Stoke City and to rub salt into the wounds, was unable to get Wolverhampton Wanderers to recall Luke Cundle so that he could loan the midfielder for himself.
Perhaps the biggest setback though was the loss of Finn Azaz- he also returned to his parent club in the Aston Villa with the Premier League then selling him on to Middlesbrough for £2.5 million.
Azaz played a key role in the League One winning season and he, along with Cundle, has made a difference this time around, so there is a gap now in the attacking midfield area.
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Finn Azaz statistics for Plymouth Argyle, as per Transfermarkt |
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|
Season |
2022/23 |
2023/24 |
|
Division |
League One |
Championship |
|
Appearances |
34 |
26 |
|
Minutes |
2,078 |
1,769 |
|
Goals |
8 |
7 |
|
Assists |
9 |
5 |
Whilst Argyle have enjoyed a meteoric rise that has taken them back to the Championship, all of these events serve as a stark reminder to the fanbase that they are surrounded by clubs much bigger than them with a lot more infrastructure and financial backing.
Stoke may not be performing better than Argyle in the second division but the money they can offer Schumacher greatly exceeds what he was earning at Home Park.
This is the culmination of a major nightmare for Simon Hallett and the other powers that be, but they have overcome adversity before and they look set to do so once again with a silver lining or two on their side.
Plymouth Argyle should target former Liverpool man to replace Finn Azaz: View
Finn Azaz’s departure is another major Plymouth Argyle setback that needs to be navigated with precaution.
Silver linings for Plymouth Argyle
Premier League teams and other big clubs have seen the likes of Azaz and Cundle, both of whom are very young, arrive in Devon and hit the ground running.
They have been trusted to play regularly and as a result, have thrived in the positive atmosphere.
The same can be said about Nigel Lonwijk and Jay Matete last year, who joined from Wolves and Sunderland respectively. There is of course Bali Mumba and Morgan Whittaker too, who have since signed for Argyle permanently from Norwich City and Swansea City.
This reputation is bearing fruit already in the January transfer window with Tottenham Hotspur sanctioning a loan move for teenager Ashley Phillips.
Phillips, a centre-back, is just 18 and so arrives at an even earlier stage in his career than the others, but there is no doubt that Ian Foster and co will give him the best chance of succeeding in green and white.
Talking of Foster and his work with the England youth teams could prove invaluable when it comes to loaning in young players who are of an elite level and who have a bright future ahead.
We may well see more rumours linking Foster’s team with those that he has rubbed shoulders with before.
Whilst he may not be a Premier League player, Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt is a man in demand and Alan Nixon is reporting that Argyle have joined the race for his signature.