Plymouth Argyle chairman Simon Hallett has said his club have begun preparations for next season’s league campaign in the Championship following their success in League One this term according to reports.
Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Burton Albion clinched automatic promotion for Argyle, who will return to the second tier after a 13-year absence. A win at Port Vale in their final match on Sunday will secure the Greens the title whilst also passing the 100-point mark, thus putting the icing on the cake for what has been a superb season for Steven Schumacher’s team.
In an interview with ITV News West Country, Hallett admitted he ‘thinks he burst into floods of tears’ when the Burton match finished and revealed that he does not see the club changing too drastically as they make the step up to the Championship.
“I don’t think it will change the club at all. Our goal will be to continue doing what we’ve done over the last few years – to outperform our budget, to continue to engage with the fans, to continue to invest in infrastructure.’’
When asked how Plymouth might handle the higher-quality opposition next season, he added:
“It is a step up, but it will be about building the squad. Our retained list will be published soon, we’ll be offering new contracts, our recruitment has been going on since Christmas with twin plans for staying in League One and for being in the Championship.”
With this in mind, he went on to claim that he will be patient with manager Steven Schumacher even if results are not as well next season:
‘’We’re not going to win as many games in the Championship as we have this season but that doesn’t mean his job is at risk. We’ve given him a position where he can take risks, learn his trade and fail occasionally whilst still being secure in his job. I think that’s really important for a young manager.’’
Writer’s View:
The 2022-23 season will surely go down as one of the most glorious in Plymouth Argyle’s history if they can defeat Port Vale in their last game and secure the title. However, if this does not happen, finishing in the top two of what has been an extremely high-quality promotion race in League One is still an immense achievement for the Pigrims especially considering their budget is not as big as that of promotion rivals Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley. Whatever happens, this is arguably the most exciting time in nearly 20 years to be an Argyle fan and there is no reason the club cannot step up to the plate and be very competitive in the Championship next season.
