Schumacher's Exeter Preview

Playing a Devon Derby against Exeter City is always a focal point of a Plymouth Argyle season, but add in the fact that the Greens are second in Sky Bet League One, with six games to play, and the occasion is shaping up to be singularly exciting.

Manager Steven Schumacher agrees.

“It’s the biggest game this season,” It's one we've been looking forward to for ages. We’ve had our eye on it since the fixtures were drawn. I’ve wanted to go back there since we last got beat all those years ago. I can't wait - and what's at stake as well is so important.”

Ah yes – ‘last time’. It has been three-and-a-half years since Argyle played at St James Park, in what was a chastening experience. The Pilgrims, managed by Ryan Lowe at the time, fell 4-0 to Exeter, which equalled the heaviest defeat Argyle have ever had in 113 meetings between the rivals.

Schumacher was the assistant manager at the time, and as he now plots Argyle’s return, he says that the key is trying to find the balance between being calm and passionate, just as his side did earlier this season when they beat Exeter 4-2 in a terrific game at Home Park.

“We need to make sure that we prepare as best as we can,” he said. “The players who've experienced it early on in this season know how big this game is. We need to make sure that we're at it.

“You don't want to be over-hyped because then you make poor decisions, but you don't want to underplay it either, because if you don't understand the importance of the game, then it's going to surprise you and catch you out. We don't want that to happen. You’re trying to get the balance right; trying to get the players the information that we can use, the experience that we've got in the room, who've been in this situation against them before.

“When we go out onto the pitch, make sure that we're fired up and ready to go. We've got to compete for every ball that you can. That's the first thing you've got to do in derby game; you've got to show that you're ready to stand up and fight. Then, after that, play football when you can.

“The message will be to try to be in the game, and try and get that first goal if we can. It’s so important in big derby games.

“When the fixtures were released, we looked at it and thought: ‘we're playing them with only six games to go.’ We knew that that could be quite feisty and that's how it's turned out.

“We’ll try to look at the evidence that's in front of us; try to make rational decisions rather than emotional ones; try to pick a team that we think is the right team to go and compete and win that game.”

Schumacher admits to being down following Argyle’s 2-0 defeat at home to Lincoln City on Saturday, but soon gained perspective from the defeat when considering Argyle’s league position.

The game takes Argyle into the final half-dozen games of the season, and they enter that section in second place, one point behind leaders Sheffield Wednesday, having played a game fewer.

“We need to stay calm,” said Schumacher. “Don't get too down if you lose one, which I felt I was guilty of on Monday. I was too down, when actually we have just won five league games out of seven, but I forgot that for a minute. I wasn't myself. I'm the leader of the group and I need to lead by example.

“We think we're in a good position. We've stuck to the plan. We've had a target line that we wanted to stay above. If we stay above the target line, then we'll be ok.

“At this moment in time, it's in our hands. If we put in performances that we know that we're capable of in this run-in, then we'll stay above that line and that'll be enough to get us promoted.”