Blackburn Rovers (A) | Foster's Reaction
Argyle drew 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday afternoon, with a much-improved Pilgrims side very unfortunate not to pick up all three points.
On a day where chances missed were probably the story of the day, the Sky Bet Championship’s two top goalscorers did both manager to add to their tally. Sammie Szmodics scored his 21st league goal of the season after just seven minutes, but any fear that the Pilgrims would wilt having gone behind were unfounded.
By the time Morgan Whittaker, with his 19th of the season, scored on 74 minutes, Argyle had had countless opportunities to level, but could not make their supremacy count.
Blackburn had defender Kyle McFadzean sent off after 54 minutes, and on paper it might look as though this was a turning point in Argyle getting back into the game, but in truth the Greens were just as dominant, if not more so, when it had been 11 v 11, than when Rovers lost a player.
As you might expect, the home side, a goal up, sat back to defend their advantage, but Argyle kept at it and levelled via Whittaker. They continued to push to get the winner their play merited, but could not find the net again, despite their efforts.
Ian Foster cut a conflicted figure after the game. He was clearly disappointed not take the victory in a game Argyle truly ought to have won, but he was naturally pleased with the way his players went about things.
“Even before their goal, I thought we were the team on top,” said Foster. “We've created chance after chance, and we've done it playing the right way. Some wonderful football from the from the players today shows they're not lacking in confidence. It shows what they're capable of.
“I can't complain. The players were absolutely outstanding. We asked them to play a certain way. We asked them to be brave in possession, as we always do, and they were terrific. They connected the game really well. They've caused the opposition countless problems, and we should have had more than one goal. [We had] over 20 shots and our ‘expected goals’ is through the roof.”
Argyle made five changes to the side, bringing in Michael Cooper, Bali Mumba, Jordan Houghton, Julio Pleguezuelo and Mustapha Bundu. Foster explained the reasoning for the changes, and explained why he felt this led to Argyle having more possession than of late, and taking control of the flow of the game.
“You always assess the opponents, and you'd always try and find a way to get the best out of your team,” he said. “Today we picked a lot of ball-carrying players; players who carry a real attacking threat.
“We picked a team to dominate the ball today; it's been a part of our game we've been disappointed with. The players did everything we asked of them - other than score more than one goal.
“It showed that we can cause teams a lot of problems when we play that way. We've got to take a lot of positives from the game today. The players have obviously come in disappointed, because we felt it was a game we ought to have won, but it's a point in the right direction, and it's a performance the players can really build on.”
Nearly 1,500 members of the Green Army responded to the performance in front of them; positivity breeding positivity. At the end of a week in which Argyle have already been to Sheffield Wednesday, the travelling support was in full voice.
The Greens will have a week before they meet Preston North End at Home Park, a game Foster has already turned his attention to.
He said: “We’ll review the game, we'll show them how good they were in certain moments, and we've got to go again. We've got to replicate that level of performance, and that's what we're aiming to do next Saturday.
“I'm sure the fans are really proud of the players today. They’ve given them lots to scream and shout about today; we've lacked that of late.
“The players want the fans to get behind them, and we have to give them something. We've given plenty today, and the fans were outstanding - we thank them for that. We're just disappointed that they're going back with a point and not three.”
