The Insider: Lameiras the man who can hurt Portsmouth for Plymouth

Plymouth Herald reporter Chris Errington gives the lowdown on Argyle’s season so far ahead of Pompey’s clash at Home Park.
Ruben Lameiras. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty ImagesRuben Lameiras. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images
Ruben Lameiras. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images

There are a number of factors behind Plymouth’s turnaround in form.

Probably the main one has been the form of Ruben Lameiras, who has scored seven goals in the last seven games since returning to the starting line-up after a spell out of the side.

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He is playing with a lot of confidence now and has added consistency to the ability that the Green Army always knew he had.

Ruben Lameiras. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty ImagesRuben Lameiras. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images
Ruben Lameiras. Picture: Pete Norton/Getty Images

Argyle have also improved defensively compared to earlier in the season when the back four changed week-in, week-out because of injuries and lack of form and they conceded a number of really poor goals.

Over the past month, goalkeeper Kyle Letheren has played behind a settled back four and that has to have helped.

Argyle made just two signings in January, both on loan until the end of the season.

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Oscar Threlkeld returned to Argyle after leaving them last summer and completing a move to Belgian top flight club Waasland-Beveren as a free agent

He was a popular player with the fans sad to see him leave and thrilled when he returned last month.

Threlkeld has yet to feature for Argyle, though, partly due to fitness issues after playing only twice in Belgium this season but also because of the team's recent improved results.

The other January recruit was Plymouth-born centre-back Lloyd Jones, who was in Argyle's youth development system until he was sold to Liverpool as a 15-year-old in 2011.

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Jones made a permanent move from Liverpool to Luton last January but has only played six times for them at first-team level.

I think the vast majority are fully behind boss Derek Adams but, as is always the case in football, it is difficult if not impossible to please all the people all the time.

When the team were really struggling earlier in the season there was inevitably criticism of him from a section of the supporters, and it was quite intense after a couple of games. 

However, as Argyle's results have picked up that has pretty much disappeared and Adams was nominated for the League One Manger of the Month award for January.

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This will be his 200th game as Argyle manager in all competitions and has has an impressive win percentage of 44.2 per cent.

When Adams and Paul Cook were in opposition as managers I think what has always been a traditional Royal Naval rivalry stepped up a level when it came to the football clubs, especially as they battled to get out of League Two.

There were some exciting games played in front of full houses and tremendous atmospheres during that time.

The rivalry is still there, as evidenced by the size of the crowds for Argyle v Pompey games, but I would say it is less intense than it was.  

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The Pompey game is going to rank right up there with the visit of Sunderland, who were 2-0 winners at Home Park in early November.

The crowd for that match was a fraction more than 12,000, which is the capacity at Home Park while work on redeveloping the 1950s grandstand is carried out.

That is also why Pompey's ticket allocation is only 1,200 this time around.

One blow for Argyle in the build-up to the match has been left-sided attacking player Joel Grant having to have a thigh operation which could rule him out for the rest of the season.

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Otherwise, confidence within the camp is good after their run of results which have lifted them from bottom of the table to 16th.

First and foremost, Plymouth’s aim is to stay up this season. Anything else must be considered as a bonus.

Lameiras has been excellent for Argyle since the end of last year. He has taken over the mantle from Graham Carey as the Pilgrims' talisman and main provider of goals and assists.

Carey has not hit the same heights as he has done in previous seasons but is still someone the opposition need to watch, while the 13-goal top scorer is striker Freddie Ladapo, who has kept former Pompey striker Ryan Taylor for most of this season.