Edwards looks ahead to crucial final day clash with Hull
Argyle captain Joe Edwards says that if Argyle are able to post a positive result in the final game of the Sky Bet Championship season, and stay in the second tier, then it could be a great experience for all concerned.
In his fifth season as a Pilgrim, Edwards has been part of two promotions, and the Greens cementing their position at Championship level would clearly mean a lot to the skipper.
The situation sees Argyle going into a game against Hull City on Saturday at the same time Birmingham City play hosts to Norwich City. The shorthand explanation is: match or better Birmingham’s result, and Argyle stay up.
The situation makes the game essentially feel like a cup final, and when the whistle blows to start proceedings at 12.30pm, we will be approximately two hours from finding out our fate. If that outcome is a positive, stand by for a feeling of celebration and relief to rival a promotion moment.
“In a funny way, you don't get many games in football where it means so much,” said Joe.
“I know there's going to be anticipation, nerves and anxiousness, but if you come out on the right side of that, then it's one of the best days you'll have in football. We need that belief, that mentality to go into that game.
“We're at home in front of our fans, in our city, where we know they're going to be fully behind us. We need to make sure we match that intensity and energy from them.
“[If we win] then you can look back on that day and it would probably be one of the better days you'll have in football.
“It's a fantastic opportunity for us. We are in front. We're the ones in charge. It's in our hands. We need to maintain that focus all week. Make sure we train like it means everything to us.”
Joe was speaking on the back of a 1-0 defeat at Millwall on Saturday, in which a late Jake Cooper header made the difference between the sides.
With Adam Forshaw still recovering from injury and Jordan Houghton unwell on the day, Edwards slotted into a central midfield role which he occupied often during his early days as a Pilgrim, but has become a less common sight in recent seasons.
“I don't mind coming inside and doing a job,” said Joe. “It was almost a ‘needs-must’ at this stage where we didn't have the boys available. They came to me and said: ‘is that alright?’ I said: ‘yeah, of course; it's part of my job. I'll do anything I can to help this team.’
“We needed that physicality in the middle a little bit and a bit of experience to deal with what was coming. I can talk to the lads when I'm in the middle of the pitch.
“It's disappointing [to lose]. We worked really hard, we had a game plan, and we knew it was going to be tough. We knew what type of game it was going to be. I thought we dealt with that really well at times. We’re gutted to lose it in that way.
“The effort was there, with the commitment and the work rate. We need to take that into the next game.
“It's an honest bunch of lads who work tirelessly to get results and achieve what we want to achieve. We need to use that going forward, and then we just need that little bit of magic to win a game.”
