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In what has been described as a surprise move by Chairman Paul Stapleton, newly promoted Plymouth Argyle have appointed Mike Rogerson as their new manager. Argyle, promoted last season despite losing manager Paul Sturrock to Southampton in March, had been expected to employ a more experienced head coach for the long season ahead. With the bookies rating The Greens’ chances of taking the Championship trophy back to Home Park at a staggering 100-1, Rogerson is sure to have his work cut out from the off. Indeed, Mr Stapleton’s first meeting with the new boss following the shock appointment centred around the need to build for the future and fight relegation bravely.
Rogerson was questioned by reporters on leaving the ground, and gave up a good hour of his time to discuss the future of the club with them. In an impassioned address, Rogerson told those assembled, “This club runs through my veins, I’ve been coming here since I was three years old. I’ve seen some magnificent performances by teams here. “I was sat on the old floodlight stand in 1988 when Tommy Tynan scored four against Blackburn; I was in the grandstand a year later when Adrian Borrows gave away a last minute penalty against Everton in the FA Cup to earn them a replay and put us out; and I was here in 1999 when we beat Torquay 4-3 in a ding-dong-derby. Cut me and I bleed green and white. I’ve seen what this club can achieve and I’m here to achieve those things. Look at the set-up! The rebuilt stadium, a Chairman with ambition and money, a huge catchment area and the best fans in the country - this club is going places.”
Whilst a cursory look at the squad list might dampen Rogerson’s admirable enthusiasm, it is clear that he possesses the drive to drag the best out of the current crop of players, even if he lacks a documented transfer history.
Evening Herald Report
Friday June 25th, 2004
Initial reports that new Plymouth Argyle manager Mike Rogerson’s appointment at the Championship club has been unpopular with the team’s fans have proved unfounded. It had been widely rumoured that the Green Army was unhappy that an unknown had been thrown into the hot seat at Home park with the club’s position in the English second flight looking precarious. However, at a forum hosted by Rogerson, at which both local and national journalists were present, and to which supporters had been given an open invitation, it emerged that there already exists a bond between manager and fans. Responding to Rogerson’s openness and honesty in inviting them, delegates from the Plymouth Argyle Supporters’ Club gave their full support to the new boss. “He’s one of us,” said Chairman Matthew Jones. “He’s been coming here for years and it’s about time this club got back to its roots. A supporter as Chairman of the club and a supporter as manager of the club! These are exciting times to be wearing green.” Mike Rogerson addressed the supporters telling them that this was his dream job and that he’d do everything in his power to help the club to glory. When asked by Evening Herald reporter Rob Preece what he expected of his team in the coming season, Rogerson replied that he thought that “mid-table was a solid foundation on which to build. We have some good young players here and, by bringing in some talent on loan to add depth, we can plant our feet here and look to the future.”
Diary Entry
June 29th 2004
It’s going to be a tough old season. Only a handful of the players who helped win promotion from League One last season are of Championship quality, and my ability in the transfer market to poach and borrow is going to be severely tested. Paul’s given me £500k but how far does that go in this league?
Goalkeepers
Roman Larrieu-one of the few players good enough to cope. French shot stopper once sought by Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Luke McCormick-young and promising though not ready yet.
Defender
Paul Connolly-quality at right-back
David Worrell-okay as full-back cover but will struggle
Mathias Doumbe-probably out of his depth
Paul Wotton-the leader; expected to get a few much-needed goals from set pieces
Hasney Aljofree-certain to struggle and maybe forced out to make room for acquisitions
Peter Gilbert-similar to Hasney although possibly kept as cente-back cover
Graham Coughlan-solid but possibly out of his depth
Ryan Dickson-very promising left-back but not quite ready
Midfielders
Tony Capaldi-big things expected from Tony’s left foot down the wing
Lee Hodges-dependable in central midfield but nothing special
Steve Adams-solid youngster
David Friio-the weight of expectation may be too much to bear for David, who is my only genuinely talented player
Keith Lasley-untried youngster
David Norris-enthusiastic down the right but punching above his weight in the Championship
Attackers
Stephen Crawford-will hope for 15 goals from Stephen but may not be enough
Steven Milne-could partner Crawford but can I afford to use 2 strikers?
Mickey Evans-an old campaigner who worries defences but will probably be let go
Nathan Lowndes-tireless but efficiency an issue
Marino Keith-too inconsistent for a regular place
Stewart Yetton-too young – straight to reserves
Stevie Crawford will get goals in Tony Capaldi supplies. Need to strengthen the midfield.
It’s been six weeks since Mike Rogerson took the helm at Plymouth Argyle, and the season is almost underway. He saw his side lose away at Cambridge and at home against Dundee in pre-season friendlies before winning 4-0 away at Wycombe and at Kingstonian and getting draws away at Carlisle and Wrexham. It has not been an unpromising run towards his first competitive match. In that time Rogerson has also added the midfield steel of young NAC Breda midfielder, Wilmer Kousemaker for £95k and, in a surprise move, brought Aberdeen goalkeeper David Preece in for £170k to compete with Romain Larrieu. The new manager’s first game of the season is at home to Championship hopefuls QPR.
Manager Mike Rogerson started his career at Plymouth Argyle with a 2-0 victory over QPR in a performance that saw them pack the midfield and hit their opponents on the break. Stephen Crawford and Paul Wotton got late goals for the Pilgrims.
In midweek the Greens travelled to Derby and were unfortunate to go down 2-1 after a battling performance. Stephen Crawford was again on the scoresheet for the Greens.
Having taken left-back Sam Tillen (D/M L)on loan from Chelsea and brought in Arron Davies (AM/F RLC) from Southampton and Kirk Huggins (D C)from Cardiff on temporary deals, Argyle beat Sheffield United 1-0 at Home Park, Stephen Crawford grabbing the winner 4 minutes into injury time.
Argyle followed up the win against United with a resounding 3-0 victory over reading. Stephen Crawford added two late goals to David Friio’s first-half strike.
Having brought in former Tottenham midfielder Steffen Freund on a free transfer, Argyle began their League Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory over Crewe, Stephen Crawford hitting both goals in a seven minute spell.
Back in the league the Greens threw away an early Steven Milne goal to lose 2-1 at Burnley.
On the final day of the month Argyle soaked up intense pressure to sting Wolves 2-1, Milne and Crawford getting a goal a-piece.
Seeing his side sitting in 8th place in the Championship at the end of his first month in football management, Mike Rogerson joked with reporters outside the club’s training ground about how easy his job was. “The spirit in the dressing room is outstanding,” he said. “That’s half the battle. I’m looking forward to September, my birthday, and Boston United away in the Cup!”
International duty did Mike Rogerson’s team no favours. Returning for their first game of the month on the 11th, he saw his side outclassed by early leaders Nottingham Forest. Lee Hodges got his team’s only goal as Paul Wotton missed a late penalty in a 3-1 reverse at the City Ground.
Rogerson’s men bounced back superbly however, and 2 goals from midfielder Keith Lasley (one a penalty) and one a-piece from David Norris and Steven Milne helped the Greens beat a struggling Ipswich 4-1 at Home Park.
In the League Cup Second Round it took a late David Friio strike to sink Boston United 3-2 at York Street. Stephen Crawford scored in between two Friio efforts.
The knock-out competition was not a distraction for the Pilgrims, as many had thought it would be. They returned from Cup duty to beat Coventry City at Highfield Road. Lee Hodges and David Friio both hit late goals in a 2-0 win that Mike Rogerson later said was not a fair reflection of the play.
10 games into the season and Mike Rogerson’s side were a surprise to all, sitting in 7th position in the English Championship. Mike Rogerson had begun to look a little less jovial in press conferences as it appeared that his side wasn’t about to roll over and return to League One. “Promotion is too much to ask of us,” he claimed after seeing his side beat Coventry. “But I’m enormously proud of what the players are doing here for me. I know the fans are delighted. I just hope they don’t get carried away.”
Cardiff were Argyle’s first opponents of October in what was Mike Rogerson’s first televised game in charge. He left disappointed after some sloppy defending deep in second-half injury time allowed Cardiff a share of the points following Stephen Crawford’s opener.
Rogerson was again disappointed when his side went to Wigan and were held to a goalless draw despite the home side having Jason Bullard sent off after only 16 minutes.for dangerous play.
Argyle returned to winning ways on the 23rd however, as a single Lee Hodges goal was enough to see off Leeds. A few days after the game Rogerson gambled and Argyle paid Leeds £300k and striker Marino Keith for midfielder Aaron Lennon who had been largely disappointing at Elland Road.
Derby County then visited Home Park in the 3rd Round of the League Cup and the Greens avenged their early season defeat 3-1. Paul Wotton hit a penalty and Lee Hodges grabbed 2 second half goals.
The month finished badly however as Argyle went down 1-0 at Preston.
With five league games and a League Cup tie in November before the Christmas rush, Mike Rogerson considered rotating his squad around to keep his players fresh. After a 3-1 victory at home to Stoke City thanks to goals from Steven Milne (2) and David Friio, Rogerson told The Evening Herald that he was worried that the performances that his team were achieving would begin to slide thoruhg fatigue if he could not give certain members a rest soon.
It was an unchanged side that beat Watford 2-0 at Vicarage Road, however. Tony Capaldi was in outstanding form, winning a penalty for Paul Wotton to convert and forcing Marcus Gayle into an own goal.
In the Fourth Round of the League Cup, goals by Cpaladi, Wotton (pen) and Stephen Crawford saw off a spirited Brighton side 3-1.
Back in the Championship Keith Lasley’s early goal was cancelled out by an Iwan Roberts penalty as Gillingham held the Greens to a 1-1 draw at Home Park. Resting a number of his top players cost manager Mike Rogerson in a game that he would have expected to win.
Away at Crewe Alexandra Stephen Crawford scored a goal either side of Tony Capaldi’s strike to win 3-1, although Capaldi was later sent off for a second bookable offence.
Before the last game of the month Argyle paraded new signing Paul Ifill around the ground. Mike Rogerson could not resist the money when Millwall came hunting highly-rated midfielder Lee Makel. Ifill came as part of a 250k deal that saw Makel move to the New Den. If Rogerson had hoped for a similar blend of speed and skill down the right from his new signing that he got down the left from Tony Capaldi then he was not to be disappointed. Ifill punished Millwall with 2 quality goals in the first half and Steven Milne got a third. In what turned out to be Dennis Wise’s last game in charge, argyle substitute Nathan Lowndes scored a hat-trick after coming on with half an hour remaining and the Pilgrims ran out 6-2 winners!
Staggeringly for a club of Argyle’s stature they begin November sitting 2nd in the English Championship! Albeit seven points behind runaway leaders Nottingham Forest, Mike Rogerson’s side have done tremendously well in the opening stages of the season and the fans will be looking for more of the same.
Cheers Lionel. Yeah, this seems to be a strange game. Leeds are doing badly in the Championship and some of their players look cheap At the end of November Man United are TENTH in the Premier Division whilst Norwich are THIRD!! And my Argyle team is 2nd! I'm running a lot of leagues (England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal, Spain) and there are some really freak goigns-on.
German League - Bayern 5th, Dortmund 14th
Spanish League - Real Madrid 9th, Deportivo 16th
Dutch League - Ajax 13th
December began with the news that Mike Rogerson, having taken his team to four victories and one draw in November, was that month’s Manager of the Month. Looking sheepish when awarded the trophy, Rogerson commented that “this thing has been a burden for years. It’s a curse and I’m not happy at winning it.” Lightening up slightly, Rogerson went on to joke that, as Nottingham Forest were so far clear in the English Championship, perhaps he could post it to Joe Kinnear!
Whilst Rogerson’s jovial pessimism masked the fact that most managers in the game see the Manager of the Month award as a poisoned chalice, it was true that the trip to Suffolk to play Ipswich Town in the Quarter Final of the League Cup was one for which the Greens would need all the luck they could get.
In a hard-fought game, the Ipswich proved that it only takes superior finishing to win through on these occasions. Already down to an early James Scowcroft goal, Plymouth were run ragged by the Tractor Boys front line and were lucky that Dion Dublin was the only man to add to the defeat. 2-0 and out of the League Cup, a fact made all the more disappointing by Leicester being drawn against Liverpool in the Semi-Final. The Greens, Mike Rogerson would have been forgiven for thinking, could have done with such gate receipts.
The curse continued, however, as the Pilgrims then went north to Sunderland only to return tail-between-legs after another 2-0 reverse.
After losing two games on the trot at the beginning of December, it was imperative for Mike Rogerson’s side not to let a dip in form become a slide down the league. While notable TV pundits were still claiming that Argyle could not keep up their head of steam, the manager remained confident that his charges had the necessary desire to pick themselves up and drive once more.
On then to the visit of Rotherham, just 2 places below Plymouth in the English Championship. In front early through Paul Ifill, a second half goal by Lee Hodges put Argyle back in the lead and gave them the 3 points to keep them in 4th spot.
The Greens then had to go back to Leicester, this time in the league. Having been knocked out of the League Cup at the Walkers Stadium, the Pilgrims were eager to avenge their defeat. First half goals by Lee Hodges and a Mathias Doumbe penalty set them on the road to victory after David Friio suffered an early injury, before Steven Milne wrapped up the points to send Plymouth above Leicester and into second place. Romain Larrieu, in for the out of form David Preece, grabbed the Man of the Match award
In their final game before the hectic Christmas period, Plymouth hosted 15th placed Brighton. Having cut Nottingham Forest’s gap at the top to a mere five points, manager Mike Rogerson was eager to keep up the pressure on the Championship leaders. The home side created chances almost at will, but it wasn’t until the 70th minute introduction of Stephen Crawford that they capitalised on their superior possession. Just nineteen seconds after coming off the bench Crawford gave his side the lead, an advantage that was doubled 4 minutes later when Paul Ifill forced Brighton captain Guy Butters into an own goal. Brighton got one back but the Greens finished the first half of the season with a 2-1 victory to stay in 2nd place.
A Pilgrim's Progress 
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