How High Is Plymouth Argyle’s Ceiling This Season? – Opinion

Plymouth Argyle have seemingly over-performed early expectations of an uphill battle. The Pilgrims currently sit in 14th place, with performances appearing very promising.

It was common knowledge that the opening few fixtures would surely test Plymouth’s resolve, with difficult games such as: Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, Luton Town and Burnley falling consecutively. However, Rooney’s side have put on some impressive showings as of late, in crucial wins, but also in their narrow losses, with glimpses of growing quality.

Argyle’s first win of the league season came against high-flying Sunderland. A Dan Ballard own-goal levelled the scoring, and was accompanied by a Ryan Hardie penalty and a last-minute winner from Joe Edwards. This was enough to grab all three points against Regis Le Bris’ table-topping men.

The style of play that Rooney is adopting looks as if it’s starting to come together. With infrequent glimpses of a plan or tactical mould at Derby County and Birmingham City, two failed projects have allowed the former Manchester United star to steady the ship at Plymouth. The 38-year-old is going above and beyond the dismissive expectations already.

A quality summer window for the Championship side has injected fresh talent into the squad. With the team stagnating at the back-end of last season, this was vitally important for the rejuvenation of Plymouth. The notable pick-ups that have impressed so far this campaign include: Rami Al Hajj from Odense, Michael Obafemi on loan from Burnley, Ibrahim Cissoko on loan from Toulouse and, at the other end of the pitch, Daniel Grimshaw.

Cissoko in particular, has been a consistent threat down the left-hand side for Plymouth. The 21-year-old has bags of potential and is harnessing his talent through Rooney’s developmental team. Despite mainly featuring as an impact substitute for his French parent club, and totalling just 15 appearances last season, Cissoko has already bagged three goals and completed 22 dribbles – the most of any winger in the league so far.

So, with all the pieces starting to come together at Home Park, the question over ‘how high Argyle’s ceiling is’ remains.

Losses to Burnley and West Brom in bitter 1-0 disappointment, do not tell the full story of the intent that Plymouth showed in both fixtures. Two fantastic wins over the aforementioned Sunderland, as well as Luton Town, prove that they can go toe-to-toe now with the bigger, dominant Championship sides. The 3-1 victory versus an albeit struggling Luton team further reinforced the array of attacking talent that Rooney has assembled.

Now that the tougher games are out the way, Plymouth can look ahead to some key opportunities to climb the table. An away trip to Cardiff City could hand the Greens all three points, with the Bluebirds sitting at the foot of the league. Despite the recent hype that has been building for Rooney’s side, it feels as though a top six finish is way too optimistic in such a notoriously competitive division. However, in terms of ‘ceiling’, a mid-table spot – free from relegation concern – may be the most realistic finish this year.

It is tough to see which teams may be part of the relegation scrap this time, so any fall-off in performance could drag the South West side down into the thick of it. Although, considering Argyle’s displays in each of their last five games, they look like a serious force. Depth will certainly not be a problem too, as the vital summer re-haul has focused recruitment into coverage for each position. This could separate Plymouth from the weaker sides, who may burn out easily over the course of the season.

One statistic, that can be perceived as both a strength and a future concern, may prove to be unsustainable and eventually a limiting factor for Plymouth’s final Championship position. Their league standing is currently nine places higher than their expected goals (xG) compared to the rest of the division. With an xG of 8.1, only Cardiff have accumulated a lower total. This means that the clinical nature of the squad has over-performed their output expectation; it isn’t often replicable over 46 games.

On the other hand, Argyle have conceded 4.1 less goals than they were expected to. A defensive solidity has certainly been integrated by Rooney, despite being a former striker. Their ceiling could be heightened if a strong, resolute back line can maintain this form over the season’s duration.

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