Thread by @ploehmann

#swfc Probably our worst half of the season so far. Plymouth showing everything we haven't: Tenacity, invention, movement, fluidity, connecting passes. (thread)

Plymouth have taken a leaf out of Rotherham's book and strangled our rythm by marking/pressing high when BPF is on the ball ready to distribute. I expect to see plenty more teams do the same against us considering how successful Plymouth (and R'ham) have been doing so.

There's a weird sense of passivity and lack of energy to us today. Byers, Wing have been bystanders too often and not adept at picking up the runs Plymouth make from central areas towards the sides that have been a simple, yet effective way to open us up time and again.

We're really missing Adeniran's bustling energy and strength central midfield to get more of a grip on the game and threaten more instantly, when we do win the ball off Plymouth (which, from a low base, we'd increasingly done).

Considering the talent in our line-up what has lacked is some more cool heads - Hutchinson and Bannan have both been their more hot-headed selves.

We've tried to weather a storm (lots of first time clearances, punts upfield to isolated+crowded out Gregory) instead of trying to change the weather, so to speak, which has allowed Plymouth a big measure of game control.

A Byers-Wing-Bannan midfield is superfluous if it can't control possession in central midfield.

Plymouth look really, really good and it's not just a case, IMHO, of us being poor (though we have been), but them making the simple pass then run on ahead and getting the ball played through.

At 2-0 down something does need to give. Marvin Johnson and Liam Palmer have both had torrid times on the left, and Sow has been the sole threat from the other side, while Hunt has had a mare defensively.

Our best move of the half was quickly moving the ball around Plymouth's many bodies in a small area pressing, with Bannan expertly moving after he'd passed - and other players moving too - so Bannan got time on the ball to switch it crossfield into loads of space and a…

…numerical advantage. Plymouth's organisation is compact, so we need much more of that movement - both early on in attacks, but especially also continuing in waves throughout them - to move Plymouth's defence around more and create the space for us to get on the ball.

BPF had a howler at the first goal, but as with the Morecambe goal: He's an aggressive keeper, who'll claim most balls into the box.

I really hope his actions at the second goal, doubting himself and staying on his line to allow a simple side-footed finish for Plymouth, isn't indicative of his confidence having been shook too much.

We find ourselves in a situation we were in plenty of times last season, but which is new to this group of players. At Morecambe we were *allowed* initiative back, but didn't actually threaten too much.

Here at Home Park we'll have to wrestle that from the home side unless they "do a Rotherham" and begin showing lapses in work rate and concentration from the über tenacious pressing they used for large parts of that first half.

At 2-0 down it's hard to see us salvage a draw here.

Our hope is Plymouth tiring, but for them to do so we, ourselves, need the energy to move their defensive structure around a lot more and be sharper with our passing and making more first time passes into feet to release players.