Plymouth Argyle

Argyle hand five youngsters deals
Plymouth Argyle have announced that five young players have been given their first professional contracts. Apprentices centre back Paul Kendall, midfielders Dan Smith and Martin Watts and striker Anthony Mason have impressed head of youth Gordon Bennett. Port Vale apprentice midfielder Jake Moult who has been on trial at Argyle has also done enough to earn a deal. Kendall said: "It is great to be given a deal but now we have to work hard and keep our feet on the ground."

Plymouth forced to close terrace
Plymouth have been forced to close the Mayflower terrace area in front of the main grandstand at Home Park. Premiership and Championship stadia are required to be all-seater, although Argyle were given three years' grace after they were promoted in 2004. The Pilgrims did apply to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport for special dispensation to retain the terrace, but this was unsuccessful. "The club is bitterly disappointed with the decision," a board statement read. "Secretary of State Tessa Jowell pointed out that even without the terracing, we would still have had sufficient seating to accommodate more than our average home game. "This, ultimately, appears to have been a persuasive influence on their decision."

Plymouth capture midfielder Abdou
Plymouth boss Ian Hollway has signed French midfielder Nadjim Abdou until the end of the season. Holloway's initial offer of a six-month contract to Abdou was turned down by the 23-year-old, former Sedan player. "He'll be a midfield player eventually and he'll be a Makalele type," Holloway told the club website. "He's very defensive-minded and he's got bundles of enthusiasm and I will try to play him on the right-hand side but that might take a few weeks."

Wotton comeback talk played down
Plymouth boss Ian Holloway insists captain Paul Wotton is still "a few weeks" away from a first-team comeback. The Argyle stalwart has been sidelined since damaging his knee ligaments against Hull last December, but returned for the reserves on Monday. He played for the first 45 minutes of the 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers in the Pontins Holiday Combination. But Holloway told the club website: "It is great to see him back, but he is nowhere near. It is a lonely old road."

Holloway content with Argyle win
Plymouth boss Ian Holloway was pleased with his team after the 2-0 win against Doncaster in the Carling Cup. "It was a good performance in which we worked hard and everybody chased hard," said Holloway. "Doncaster are a good side that pass the ball around exceptionally well but I felt we closed them down and won the ball back. "If we were a little bit sharper earlier on, we could have won by more but I cannot grumble."

Ebanks-Blake in determined mood
Plymouth striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake hopes his early season form will get him a place in the starting line-up. Ebanks-Blake, has already scored three goals this season, but had been used as a substitute until the last match. "When you're part of the squad, you've got to stay focused, whether you are on the bench or on the pitch, and that's what I've done," he told the Herald. "I've stayed professional and when I've come on and felt I earned my start. Hopefully, I'll stay in the team."

Gosling pens improved Argyle deal
Plymouth Argyle England youth international midfielder Dan Gosling has signed a new three-year deal. The 17-year-old, who has just returned from Korea where he helped England to the final stages of the Under-17 World Cup, will stay at Home Park until 2010. He said: "I'm over the moon and now I have got to crack on with the football. "Now I have to keep improving and training hard. I have got to try to cement a place in the first team. I want to be playing week in, week out."

Holloway resigns as Plymouth boss
Ian Holloway has resigned from his post as Plymouth manager and looks set to become the new Leicester boss. "Plymouth Argyle confirm that Ian Holloway has tendered his resignation as manager of the club," said a statement from the Championship side. "A board meeting has been convened for Friday where this will be considered." "In the meantime, Ian continues to be employed by the club and subject to the terms of his contract of employment," added the club. Holloway is understood to be Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric's top target to take the reins following Gary Megson's departure for Bolton last month. Megson left for the Premier League post after just six weeks in charge. Joe Royle, Graeme Souness and Peter Reid have been interviewed, but Mandaric has now turned to Holloway. The 44-year-old BBC Sport columnist became Plymouth manager in June 2006 after five years at QPR. The Pilgrims have been in excellent form in the Championship and lie just outside the play-offs. BBC Radio 5 Live correspondent Darren Fletcher said: "Ian Holloway would be Milan Mandaric's preferred choice providing Leicester have permission from Plymouth to speak to him and can settle a compensation package. "Before the international break, he promised the Leicester fans he would have a new man in place by this Saturday's game at Bristol City. "So if he's going to live up to that promise, he'll have to work fast."

Argyle caretaker unsure on future
Plymouth Argyle caretaker manager Tim Breacker says he is in the dark about his future at Home Park. He took charge for Saturday's 1-0 win at Sheffield United following Ian Holloway's shock move to Leicester. Breacker, who was Holloway's assistant, told SSB: "I have asked the chairman Paul Stapleton to keep me informed of what is happening. "But I don't think I am in the frame to get the manager's job here - I have not been told that I am." The former Luton and QPR defender added: "As for me going to Leicester, I don't know - it is not really in my hands." Swindon boss Paul Sturrock, who led Argyle to the Division Three (now League Two) title in 2001/02 and to the brink of the League One title two years later before leaving for Southampton, is the favourite to replace Holloway. Sturrock refused to be drawn on the speculation linking him with a return to Home Park after Swindon's 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers on Saturday. Family commitments meant Breacker had not been with the Argyle squad all week but he picked the team to face United along with coach Des Bulpin and goalkeeping coach Geoff Crudgington. Breacker added: "I really did enjoy Saturday. I don't know whether I will be with the players on Monday morning yet but I thanked them for their efforts. "This is a great club and whoever does take over here will get a good set of people. "It was an absolutely amazing performance considering the sort of week that the lads have had. It has been very difficult and I can't speak highly enough of them. "It was not a smash and grab victory, we could have scored two or three goals. The fear, leading by just one goal, was we would not get what we deserved. They threw everything at us but we fought all the way to the final whistle and it was a fantastic win. "We are doing well in the table and it is not down to luck that we are up there. Not many teams can compete with us if we do what we can do. It is not a false position but we have to keep going."

Boss Sturrock eyes Swindon exit
Paul Sturrock is set to quit as Swindon boss to take up the Plymouth vacancy, SSB understands. The 51-year-old Scot, who has been at the County Ground for a little over a year, is eyeing a return to Argyle following Ian Holloway's departure. Sturrock is meeting the Swindon board at lunchtime where it is expected the details of his exit will be finalised. It is understood Swindon will not stand in Sturrock's way and a compensation package is close to being agreed. Sturrock joined the Robins in November 2006 and oversaw a successful campaign that ended with a third-placed finish and automatic promotion from League Two. And this season the club have held their own in League One. They are currently 11th after picking up a first league win in five games at the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Bristol Rovers. Sturrock refused to be drawn on rumours regarding his future after the victory and said: "I never comment on speculation". However, it now seems likely he will return to Plymouth. He enjoyed a successful stint at the Home Park helm between October 2000 and March 2004 and topped a recent poll asking fans who they wanted to take over the top job. Argyle won promotion from what is now League Two under Sturrock in 2002 and they went on to finish top of the third tier of English football in 2004 despite his departure for Southampton in March that year. Sturrock lasted just 13 games at the Saints and spent more than two years at Sheffield Wednesday before being shown the Hillsborough door and taking on the Swindon job.

Plymouth set to appoint Sturrock
Plymouth will unveil Paul Sturrock as their manager for a second spell at a news conference on Tuesday at 1300 GMT. Argyle have agreed compensation with Swindon for the 51-year-old, who joined the Robins a year ago and succeeds Ian Holloway, who left to join Leicester. Sturrock's coaches Kevin Summerfield and John Blackley will move with him. The Scotsman guided Plymouth to promotion from what is now League Two in 2002 and they were promoted again in 2004 after he moved to Southampton. However, Sturrock lasted just 13 games at Southampton and spent more than two years at Sheffield Wednesday before being shown the Hillsborough door and taking on the Swindon job. The Robins, meanwhile, will begin searching for their sixth manager in just over two years. Sturrock steered them to promotion from League Two last season and the team have held their own in League One this term. Youth team coach David Byrne will take temporary charge of the side, starting with the FA Cup tie against Forest Green Rovers on Saturday, but he is also expected to join the exodus to Home Park.

King joins Argyle as chief scout
Plymouth Argyle have installed former Swindon Town manager Andy King as their new chief scout. He replaces Gary Penrice, who recently left Home Park to join former Argyle boss Ian Holloway at Leicester. "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm coming to a great club which is on the up," said King, 51. "Andy was chief scout at Sunderland for five years and already has a scouting network in place," Pilgrims manager Paul Sturrock told the club's website. "With geography being an important issue for us, it is a very important position and I know he will help us find the players we need."

Reid's stay at Wycombe ends early
Wycombe have ended striker Rueben Reid's season-long loan spell at Adams Park and he has returned to Plymouth. "It didn't work out for Reuben so we thought it would be best for him to go back," Wycombe head coach Ian Culverhouse told his club's website. "He would have returned to Plymouth in January anyway and it's unfortunate things didn't go quite as we hoped. "It leaves us short of strikers, but we're working hard to sign one when the transfer window opens." The 19-year-old has only started one league game for Argyle, but gained experience on loan at Kidderminster, Rochdale and Torquay last season.

Buzsaky leaves Plymouth for QPR
Championship side QPR have continued to be active in the January transfer window, signing Plymouth midfielder Akos Buzsaky for an undisclosed fee. The Hungarian international joined the R's on loan in October and is delighted to have made his move permanent. "I have enjoyed the last two months and we're improving each game," he said. QPR have already captured West Ham's Hogan Ephraim, Arsenal's Matthew Connolly, Watford's Gavin Mahon and Manchester United youngster Kieran Lee.

Argyle reject Ipswich Norris bid
Plymouth have turned down an offer from Ipswich for midfielder David Norris. Town manager Jim Magilton said: "David is a player that I have admired for a while and I can confirm that we made a seven-figure bid for the player. "That bid was rejected. That might not be the end of the matter but we are now exploring other possibilities and have made an offer for another player." Norris, 26, has also been linked with Leicester City, who are managed by former Argyle boss Ian Holloway. Ipswich are believed to have offered £1.5m and Argyle manager Paul Sturrock says it will take an "outrageous" bid to prise his best players away from Home Park with promotion to the Premiership a possibility. "We are seventh, with probably the biggest opportunity we have had in Plymouth's history," he said. "If I sell Peter Halmosi and Norris it just does not make any sense. Our top players will be going nowhere unless it is an incredible bid and we are not even close to an incredible bid at this juncture."

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