Wilson's Barnsley Preview
The words ‘consistency’ and ‘James Wilson’ go so naturally together.
The experienced defender has been the model of reliability in his 84 games for Argyle over the past two seasons, and having been part of promotions in his career, he is looking for Argyle to keep their head and stay the course, with 11 games to go in the Sky Bet League One season.
Quizzed on whether the team’s approach or mentality is different at this stage of the season, Wilson said: “Nothing's changing, I don't think. We've just got to do what we've been doing all season and playing our style of football. That's defensively, as well. We always try to play one-v-one against every team we play, whether that's home or away.
“I think we just have to keep doing the same things and keep our feet on the ground.
“Any successful team is similar; there is a similar vibe. There are differences between this and other teams I've been in, but it's really enjoyable to be a part of. Everyone involved from the staff to the players, everyone is enjoying the season, so that's a great thing.”
Just under two weeks ago, Wilson and his team-mates were beaten 5-2 at Peterborough United, but have reacted to beat Charlton Athletic and Derby County at Home Park since then.
Wilson praised the atmosphere surrounding the football club and even the city of Plymouth, as the Greens continue the momentum towards a promotion push.
He thought back to the aftermath of the Peterborough defeat, when 1,500 of the Green Army had every right to be downhearted, but reacted positively towards their team, who were losing for only the fifth time in the season.
“It was a tough week last week, with the away performance [at Peterborough]” said James. “At the end of the game, the fans were still clapping us and that's incredible. Everyone's together. The whole place is together.
“It was just another great night here on a Tuesday night [against Derby]. We've had loads of them the last couple of years. It was a great atmosphere after.
“It says that we're in a good place. There are always going to be tough times in the season, there are going to be bad games. There are tough places to go in this league. But I think it shows a lot of resilience to bounce back like that.
“It's a great place to be involved. The city's buzzing. It's really good.”
Argyle head to Barnsley this Saturday, to take on the side in fourth place, 11 points behind Argyle and with two games in hand. The Tykes are also in stunning form, having won seven and drawn two of their last nine, scoring 22 goals into the bargain.
Argyle know where the net is too, however, and light has been shown this week on the startling amount of direct goal contributions – 30 – that have come from substitutes this season. It is by a distance the highest number in the EFL, and Wilson thinks that the malleability of the Argyle squad is a huge advantage to possess.
“It's something we discuss,” he said. “The manager’s got stats on the board of subs coming off the bench. You want everyone to be a part of it and everyone's got to be a part of it. If you want to be successful, the whole squad's got to play a part.
“It’s not always easy, but at the same time it's not easy to react against if you are the other team. We constantly are changing and doing different things. It just throws them off. It gets them on the back foot, and a lot of teams haven't handled that.
“[Barnsley] are a team in really good form. They'll be really good. It'll be a tough test. We'll use a squad, we'll go there and be positive like we always are. We’ll try to play our way and see what happens.”
