Cooper's Cambridge Preview

Mike Cooper is hoping that a win against Cambridge United can be a springboard for a strong end to 2022 for Argyle – but accepts this will not be an easy task.

Argyle’s November results in Sky Bet League One consisted of away draws at Lincoln City and Burton Albion, with December beginning with a home defeat against Port Vale, the first time the Pilgrims had dropped points at Home Park this season.

The next opportunity to renew winning ways comes on Saturday at Cambridge United, who have just one win in their last ten league games. They have failed to score in their last six home fixtures, with just one point yielded in that run.

Meanwhile, it has been eight games since Argyle have kept a clean sheet in league action, and goalkeeper Cooper certainly has that on his agenda for the weekend.

“I think as a team it has been difficult,” he said. “Picking up two points from three games is not the form we have been on the past few months.

“At the same time, we still look a threat going forward. There are still positives to take from every game. We want to get back on the clean sheet train as a squad, because that gives even more freedom for the attackers to do what they can do.

“I think it says a lot about our standards, the way they have been this season, following on from last season. You get a couple of draws and a loss and everyone thinks it is the end of the world.

“We want to keep our standards as high as possible. A sticky patch of three games isn’t going to define our season. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off at the end of October and take that into the New Year. If you can hit a bit of a roll heading into the New Year things can shape up very well.

“A big thing I have learned from this league is that even though Cambridge have only won one in ten, anyone can beat you on your day if you aren’t at it. They know their ground really well and they know how they play, so it isn’t going to be an easy game at all, we need to be up for that challenge on Saturday.

“You have a little bit more expectation on yourselves to go out and win, however if you look past opponents you are going to be on the wrong end of a result so easily. We want to go out and get an away win, but we know it is going to be a difficult task at hand.”