Western Morning News (Saturday)
Argyle ‘fighting like crazy’ to stay in Championship
Win over former Pilgrims’ boss Steven Schumacher’s Stoke would be boost for safety
PLYMOUTH Argyle are ‘fighting like crazy’ to achieve their goal of staying in the Championship, director of football Neil Dewsnip has declared.
The Pilgrims gave their survival prospects a huge boost by beating promotion-chasing Leicester City 1-0 at Home Park last Friday but Dewsnip has stressed they are not safe yet.
Taking another step towards that target is what he is focused on, rather than the fact that former Pilgrims’ boss and close friend Steven Schumacher will be in the opposition technical area for the game against Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium today (KO 3pm).
The pair go all the way back to when Schumacher was aged eight and he was coached by Dewsnip in Everton’s youth set-up, and later played under him at England youth level.
“It’s a long time, it makes me feel really old,” said Dewsnip about his close links to Schumacher, who left Argyle for Stoke in December, along with his backroom staff of Darren Behcet, Peter Cavanagh, Mark Hughes and Elliot Turner.
Now, Dewsnip is facing the prospect of coming up against Schumacher as Argyle fight for more precious points in their bid to avoid relegation to League One.
Dewsnip said: “First and foremost... my focus is very much on Plymouth Argyle and our team.
“We are not safe yet and we are fighting like crazy to achieve that goal. That supersedes my relationship with Steven, or Mark, or anybody else at Stoke City, or any other club.
“Our focus is very much around doing the best we can do in the game on Saturday.”
Dewsnip said: “I’m incredibly proud of Steven Schumacher. He’s a fantastic person, his family are absolutely top, I would like to think I’m a close friend of theirs, but on Saturday he will be in the opposing technical area.
“To be fair, whether it’s Steven or anybody else, I’m just completely focused on my job. That job is Plymouth Argyle, but I will know he is there.”
He added: “Let’s acknowledge Steven’s role at Plymouth Argyle. He did exceedingly well, he got us promoted into the league we are desperately trying to stay in, and we should acknowledge that very positively.”
Dewsnip does not believe the Argyle players who were at the club during Schumacher’s time there have anything to prove to him about their ability.
“He will know that already,” said Dewsnip. “They don’t need to show him that. What they do need to do is to perform at the highest level possible for Plymouth Argyle to win the game if we can to get us safe.”
Argyle are 18th in the Championship following their victory over Leicester, two positions and a point above Stoke, among several clubs fighting it out to avoid being the other two teams joining already relegated Rotherham United dropping down to League One next term.
Dewsnip said: “I’m really pleased we won on Friday night! Without those three points it could have looked a little bit more negative shall we say?
“But we did get the points, we earned the points in the manner we all saw and we all enjoyed, and we want to take that as a confidence boost into not just Saturday but the two games that will follow that one.”