Find part one here.

From all my years playing Football Manager, I’ve become skeptical of good pre-season form.

Just when you think your system is playing close to perfection and you’ve made some good signings, the first game of the season can always bring you back down to earth.


Our pre-season looked like:

An invitation for Parkway to visit Home Park and get put aside 7-1. Away at Weymouth, Bristol City at Home. Bideford, Buckland and Weston Supermare away followed by a last minute game to Truro at Home to show Paul Wotton what he’s missing.

Lionel Ainsworth, Stephane Zubar held us to a surprising 1-1 draw in a game we dominated, but a fun day out I guess. No need to panic.

In other new’s Ryan Taylor has managed to get himself a move back up to League One, depending on if I can negotiate a reasonable fee.

If you read last year’s play-through, you might remember I always like to get a Senior Affiliate straight away, for those free loans and yearly fees.

We have been given the choice of Southampton or Manchester City.

We already have a Man City player on loan, and they are offering us more than double what Southampton are offering us and have a world class youth academy.

But ignore all what I just said, because I picked Southampton.

I couldn’t take City’s dirty oil money and our South coast buddies have a history like us and more in common… like hating Portsmouth.

Talking of shit football teams, the Exeter game is being televised,

Beating a strong Bristol City team doesn’t happen every day. Two goals from Alex Fletcher.

Back from Man United, it’s Andy Kellett.

And out the door is Ryan Taylor for a decent fee. He didn’t fit Lowe’s system, and if that’s how we are gonna play then it’s a good deal for all involved.

Niall Canavan joins Will Aimson in being out of action for more than 2 months. Eric Garcia and Josh Grant need to step up.

One of two free agents the director of Football just went ahead and signed. Probably should tell him to stop, but he’s not bad I guess. The wage budget is getting a little strained though.

Apparently there were some rumours of a takeover…or something, I’m not entirely sure what this means. Never seen it before. No shady foreign investors please.

I told you Eric Garcia was a good signing. The season preview reckons he will be the best defender in the league whilst we are predicted to finish in amongst the play-offs.

Trialist Ryan Blair smashed in a free kick and a thirty yarder to claim a hat trick against Bideford. The contract is on the table Ryan.

Welcome aboard.

He’s a young Scottish Jose Baxter. Not really needed, but I guess a hat trick against Bideford is all you need these days to earn a contract. Oops.

Another 6-0.

Thank you Truro, see you next year.

That is pre-season done.

Pre-Season Top Scorers

Zak Rudden – 5

Dom Telford – 4

Ryan Blair – 4

Antoni Sarcevic, Alex Fletcher, Joel Grant, Josh Grant, & George Cooper – 2

Joe Riley, Danny Mayor, Joel Edwards, Andy Kellett, Eric Garcia & Scott Wootton – 1


The season begins.

It’s like David Fox’s Argyle career never happened as he returns to our opponents Crewe and looks set to start.

We play our strongest possible starting eleven. We have the real life score in the back of our minds. We have the buoyancy of a strong pre-season. We beat a good Championship side for god’s sake. This is it. We are going straight back up to League One, ei ei

oh.

An early 3 minute lead and first goal of the season to kick off the new Argyle Life/Lowe era and we throw it all away with one of the most pathetic own goals you will ever see.

Speechless.

See you next time for the rest of August.

Thanks for reading.