Schumacher's Peterborough Preview
Just under three days since facing Peterborough United at Home Park in the Carabao Cup, Steven Schumacher is preparing his Argyle team for a return game against the Posh.
Wednesday’s game saw Peterborough prevail, and given that Grant McCann’s team are top of Sky Bet League One after two games, with the only 100% record in the league even at this early stage, Schumacher is ready for another stern examination.
Posh began with a 3-2 win at Cheltenham Town, having been 2-0 behind, and then won 3-0 at home to Morecambe. Three of the six goals scored thus far have come from potent strike pairing Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jack Marriott, both of whom were on the bench in the week, but seem likely to return to the line-up.
“We’re expecting another tough game,” said Schumacher. “They’ll make a few changes. They’ll strengthen their team.
“They’ve got unbelievable firepower. You might say the best two strikers in the league in Marriott and Clarke-Harris, and also strength in depth. Championship sides who come down to League One always do well and score loads of goals. We’re under no illusions, it’s a tough task. But we caused them problems the other night and probably should have got something from that game. We’re going to have to be at it to get something from this one.”
Argyle’s opening to the season has been a bit of a mixed bag, with a 1-0 win against Barnsley not doing justice to just how well Argyle played that day followed by a defeat at Fleetwood Town that left Schumacher frustrated. The loss to Posh in the cup was hardly ideal, but The Pilgrims’ second-half performance was very encouraging.
“Performances have been ok,” said Schumacher. “You need three or four games as a player to feel as though you are match fit and ready. We played really well against Barnsley, not so well at Fleetwood and played well the other night. We’re in the swing of things; it’s not going to be perfect after two or three games. We’ll keep working hard at trying to get things right.”
Saturday’s game is set to be played in extreme heat, with the sun beating down on the Home Park with the South West in the midst of a heatwave. Drinks breaks will be taken in the game, and Argyle’s coaching staff are managing their players to ensure they are in peak condition.
“The players need to take on plenty of fluid,” said Schumacher. “You forget about it a bit once you are playing. You concentrate on the game, and don’t worry about how hot it is or what time the drinks break is.
“We are monitoring what we do in training, not keeping them out in the heat for too long, because it wouldn’t be sensible. We’ve modified training sessions so they are short, sharp and to the point. When game day comes, you’ve just got to get through it.”
