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Walters Set to Miss Trip to Plymouth
Walters Set to Miss Trip to Plymouth
Friday, 23rd Oct 2009 13:17

Town will almost certainly be without striker Jon Walters for Saturday’s trip to second-bottom Plymouth. Walters, who has recently skippered the side, sprained his ankle in Tuesday’s draw with Watford and manager Roy Keane expects him to miss out.

The Town manager said: "Jon is very doubtful but we will make a final decision later this morning.

"He won't train today and when you don't train the day before a match it's always a problem at this level.

"He's probably a few days off being fit and we don't want to risk him, as much as we will miss him because he's one of our leaders."

Keane says he has an idea of the team he will field at Home Park, but has made no decision on who will captain this side in Walters’s likely absence and with Alex Bruce having been out of the starting line-up in recent weeks.

Loan keeper Asmir Begovic will continue in goal with full-backs Liam Rosenior and David Wright having impressed in recent games and set to keep their places.

Bruce could come back into the side for Tommy Smith, although aside from the error which led to the Watford goal, the youngster has impressed since coming into the side. Gareth McAuley, along with midfielders Grant Leadbitter and Carlos Edwards, might be a candidate to wear the captain’s armband if Walters and Bruce are both out of the side.

Leadbitter will continue in the centre of midfield, probably with Liam Trotter, while Edwards, 31 on the day of the game, will be looking to continue the excellent form he showed against Watford on the right of midfield.

Lee Martin struggled to make an impact against the Hornets and was replaced at half-time. The ex-Manchester United midfielder will probably drop to the bench against one of his former loan clubs with Alan Quinn perhaps coming back into the side, while Jaime Peters is another option.


Up front, with Walters injured and Connor Wickham away with the England U17s, Keane is likely to choose two from Pablo Couñago, Jon Stead and Tamás Priskin.

Stead will probably get a recall after scoring twice for the reserves in midweek, probably alongside Couñago, unless Keane decides the Spaniard isn’t up to three games in a week, in which case Priskin would start.

Keane says academy striker Ronan Murray may travel as cover: “We’re not afraid to do that. A lot of young players are doing well, but Steady’s missed out recently and Priskin, so we’ve got some good experienced replacements ready.”

The Town manager has been pleased with recent performances and is determined to finally get that first league win at the 14th time of asking: “The signs have been better the last few weeks but, of course, we need victories.

“We don’t want any sympathy from anyone from outside the club. We need to stay focused and get that victory and hopefully it will come tomorrow.

“I’m not enjoying where we are and we know it’s a challenge. I don’t think anyone at the club has ever been on a run like this, players at their previous clubs included.”

With Plymouth second-bottom, Keane isn’t expecting the prettiest of games: “People will look at where they are in the table and class it as a six-pointer. But I'm pretty sure that if we win we'll still only get three on the board.

“Plymouth are fighting for their lives and it might not be set up as a classic game of football, but if we play with the same freedom and expression as the other night we'll have a very good chance.”

The Pilgrims could recall midfielder or central defender Kari Arneson after he recovered from a torn hamstring, but defenders Chris Barker (calf) and Reda Johnson (knee) and striker Bradley Wright-Phillips (knee) are all set to miss out.

Argyle boss Paul Sturrock says he is un unfamiliar territory with his side 23rd in the table with a record of won one, drawn one and lost four at home so far this season: "If you look at my CV over the years, it is the first time I've ever tasted this kind of scenario, apart from the first year I was involved in management. Sheffield Wednesday was a different predicament.

"It's not nice. No manager likes to be criticised. No manager likes to be booed. No manager likes to be in the position we are at this football club. He [Keane] is a strong character.

"This is where we are and it's important that we dig deep to get ourselves out. He maybe has a wee bit more money to spend, but it's not a position any manager likes to be in, but that's football.

"My job is to get us out of this. I am a realist to know we're probably not going to get out of the bottom ten this season, unless we go on an unbelievable run.

"I am very confident that the players are competent enough to take us well away from the relegation tussle, starting, hopefully, on Saturday."

Town have had the edge over the Pilgrims over the years, winning 19 games (18 in the league), losing 10 (10) and drawing 14 (14).

Last season, the sides played out a January 0-0 draw at Portman Road, while a year ago this Sunday the Blues won 3-1 at Home Park, Owen Garvan scoring twice and Kevin Lisbie adding the third. Craig Cathcart, who was in the Watford side which faced Town on Tuesday, scored the Argyle goal.

Injured midfielder David Norris, who was sent off in last year’s corresponding fixture, joined the Blues from Plymouth in January 2008, while Lee Martin was on loan with the Pilgrims in 2007/08, scoring two goals in 10 starts and two sub appearances. Town chief scout Steve McCall was a player, coach and caretaker-manager at Plymouth.

Legendary Town striker Paul Mariner joined Plymouth, who he played for before his spell with the Blues, as a coach last week from MLS side the New England Revolution. No current Plymouth player has featured for Town, aside from ex-loanee Simon Walton, who is on loan at Crewe.

Saturday’s referee is Simon Hooper from Swindon, who has shown 28 yellow and no red cards in 11 games so far this season. Hooper, who joined the National List of referees in 2008, has not previously officiated in a Town game and will be taking control of only his fourth Championship match.

Squad from: Begovic, Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, D Wright, Delaney, McAuley, Smith, Bruce, Balkestein, Trotter, Leadbitter, Edwards, Peters, Quinn, Martin, Colback, Healy, Couñago, Stead, Priskin, Murray.


Photo: Action Images



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Surco72 added 13:46 - Oct 23
Why is Garvan not even in the squad , when Irish amateur Healy is ?
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Uttlesford_ITFC added 15:00 - Oct 23
Keane must think Owen is a real waste of space if Trotter is keeping him out of his team, and Healy is keeping him out of the squad! Trotter has been far worse than Garvan was when he was dropped, so there must be more to this.

Stead should start too.
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aldermastonblue added 15:04 - Oct 23
First win tomorrow i can see it coming 0 v 3 Blue Army...Paul Whitehouse will not be shouting Green Army tomorrow with his cheep car insurance.....It will be BLUE ARMY when i drive back to Reading..

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Norwichbeater added 15:23 - Oct 23
my preferred line up 4 wot its worth!
R Wright.
Rosenior McAuley Bruce D Wright
Edwards Leadbitter Colback Quinn
Counago Stead
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finidiwoah added 15:32 - Oct 23
i think its a good thing, walters hasnt been up to it in recent months he had one good season which we should have cashed in on when people were reportedly offering millions!!!

i think that we are in worse trouble than people actually realise- i hope we start to turn things around but if we dont win in the next few games big trouble is on the horizon!!!
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cracko82 added 15:49 - Oct 23
Why is R.Wright not even in the squad? Not sure I get that.... Also echo the above about the absence of Garvan even in the 21, surely they should both be in the squad/on the bench at a minimum.

For me, Priskin in for Walters, Colback/Quinn in for Trotter.

Need the 3 points badly tomorrow - COYB (Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease)
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PSGBlue added 15:49 - Oct 23
Norwichbeater, I don't disagree with your team.Trouble is, you could perm any two from six strikers and still not get much return. The forwards position worry me more than the defence, without goals we will continue to struggle.
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Bergholtblue added 15:50 - Oct 23
Counago and Priskin or Counago and Stead. Neither option reads like the dream ticket. Nevertheless our first win is coming and we will have it by 5 o,clock on Saturday. Then another against Derby and another against Reading. Wins will arrive like London buses...........
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PablosRightBoot added 15:53 - Oct 23
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/livetravelnews/realtime/buses/default.html

I hope wins are not like any of those services
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TractorRoyNo1 added 15:56 - Oct 23
Do you know the players? You are not comparing apples with apples. Garvan would never be a straight replacement for Trotter, if and when Garvan is ready to come back, it will mean that Leadbitter will have to the the defence midfield role instead of Trotter, and as he is currently our best player, perhaps RK doesn't want to move him.



Uttlesford_ITFC added 15:00 - Oct 23
Keane must think Owen is a real waste of space if Trotter is keeping him out of his team
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TractorRoyNo1 added 15:59 - Oct 23
We all like Ricahrd Wright, but anyone who has seen the new keeper will tell you that he has one hell of a job to get back in the team, for once we have a keeper who dominates the box and doesn't flap at corners.

Big hame that Walters isn't fit, he has done a good job as captain, and who knows had he stayed for the last couple of mins on Tuesday which was our best performance for 18 months, we just might have hung on for the elusive 3pts.
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Surco72 added 16:03 - Oct 23
Tractorroyno1 ... in theory Plymouth are the worse side in the league why do we have to play with a defensive midfielder against them ? And as far as i can see playing with Trotter as a defensive midfielder has not really worked we have conceded a ridiculous amount of goals and not scored that many !!!
Garvans goals and passing from deep would add another aspect to our game which Trotter simply does not have IMO
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northdevonblue added 16:13 - Oct 23
Plymouth are not that bad a side, we cannot play gung ho attacking football because we will get undone on the break. Counago will not be effective here so go with stead and priskin IMO
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finidiwoah added 16:56 - Oct 23
Priskin needs to be given a little run in the side!!! not in the reserves one week and then the bench for full 90 the week after etc, give him 3/4 games to start playing to his potential.... we have done so with Pablo for years when he is useless in reality some of the fans who chant his name as some kind of folk law are deluded!!
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fizzyblue added 17:42 - Oct 23
wish people would stop harpin on about garvan.. he cannot defend and trotter can thats why trotter is being picked infront of him.. round pegs in round holes

simples!!!

will probably do him good being out of the squad.. make him more hungry.. hasent done D wright any harm.

fooking hope we win tom

come on you blue boys
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Eireannach_gorm added 19:44 - Oct 23
We need a defence not a team of defensive midfielders. We are not defending properly and we have no attacking options in central midfield. Leadbitter is is in the Keane mould and Trotter is a poor imitation. Dont think we will lose much by putting in a more attacking player in the middle.
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Blue_Fred added 20:14 - Oct 23
we have an attacking CM to partner Leadbitter, his name is Norris. another midfield attacking option ................Civeli

trotter/garvan/healy/quinn all squad players IMO, it just happens that 2 of the 1st chioce midfield are out injured at present.

if we continue to play as we did Tuesday night we will start to pick up points and places as confidence contiunes to grow.

play offs finish minimum is still very acheivable, and we will have momentum going in

its coming, I can feel it, can wait to find out what all the doom-mongers find to complain about on here when we are winning in style week in week out.
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mugsykets added 13:18 - Oct 24
I have every faith in Sir Roy of Keane. We will come good. You have to believe.
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