Plymouth Argyle

Folly completes Plymouth transfer
Plymouth Argyle have completed the signing of France Under-21 midfielder Yoann Folly from Sheffield Wednesday. The 22-year-old has moved to Home Park for an undisclosed fee having played under Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock at Wednesday and Southampton. "This is a fresh start for me - a new town and an exciting challenge," Folly told Argyle's website. Sturrock said: "He can be a passer, a sitter or support the front players. He has all that in his armoury." Yolly, who still had 18 months left on his Wednesday contract, handed in at transfer request at Hillsborough. He was unhappy with his lack of first-team opportunities at the club. Sturrock added: "When I went to Sheffield Wednesday after Southampton, I brought him there. "He was beginning to become a fans' favourite for his performances but finished up on the periphery again when a new manager came in. "Over the last six or seven games he's been playing quite regularly, and I was a little bit worried whether I'd be able to pick him up again. "I'm very pleased to add him to the squad."

Everton complete Gosling transfer
Everton have completed the signing of Plymouth Argyle youngster Dan Gosling. The 17-year-old, who can play in both defence and midfield, is a product of the Plymouth youth academy. Gosling, who made 24 first team appearances for Plymouth after making his debut at the age of 16, had signed a three-year contract last September. "As a club we simply couldn't stand in the way of allowing Dan the chance of following his dream, nor would we want to do," said chairman Paul Stapleton. Gosling travels in the opposite direction to Everton striker Lukas Jutkiewicz, who joined Argyle on loan earlier this week.

MacLean not fazed by record fee
Plymouth Argyle's new striker Steve MacLean does not feel under pressure after being signed for a club record £500,000 fee. The 25-year-old joined the Pilgrims on Friday on a three-and-a-half year deal from Championship rivals Cardiff City. MacLean will wear the number nine shirt vacated by Sylvain Ebanks-Blake when he moved to Wolves last week. "(The fee) won't put any extra pressure on me. I won't feel it," MacLean told SSB. Ebanks-Blake was Argyle's top scorer and MacLean will be hoping the shirt's luck rubs off on him. He had only scored one goal for Cardiff City this season, having seen his chances limited with the big name arrivals of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Fowler. "I played the first few games and then I got injured and I struggled from then on" he said. "I'd just like to put that behind me now and hopefully I can come here and prove myself and score some goals." MacLean rejoins manager Paul Sturrock after they had a successful spell together at Sheffield Wednesday when the side gained promotion back into the Championship. "He fits the bill for the type of player we're looking for at this football club," said Sturrock.

Norris transfer request refused
Plymouth Argyle midfielder David Norris has had a transfer request turned down by the Devon club. Norris' future at Argyle has been in doubt after he was absent from a club event in the build-up to Saturday's FA Cup tie at Portsmouth. Neither Norris or Argyle manager Paul Sturrock were at a news conference held on board HMS Albion on Monday. It is believed the pair held talks after Ipswich Town made a second offer for the 26-year-old midfielder. Ipswich have already had a £1.5m bid turned down and Leicester boss Ian Holloway has confirmed their interest. "I'm in the market for good players and sometimes a manager wants to bring in people they know," the former Pilgrims manager told BBC Radio Leicester. "It depends on what Plymouth want to do with him." In a statement on Tuesday Argyle said : "Argyle can confirm that they have received a written request for a transfer from midfielder David Norris. After due consideration, the request has been refused by the club."

Plymouth Argyle sign Hungarian
Hungarian international midfielder Gyorgy Sandor has signed for Plymouth Argyle until the end of the season. Sandor, who is out for at least a month with a knee injury, joins fellow Hungarians Peter Halmosi and Krisztian Timar at Home Park. "I like to defend and I like to attack. I'm a 50-50 attack and defend player," he told SSB. "He brings a completely different type of midfield role to the team," Argyle manager Paul Sturrock said. He added: "I've seen him play under-21 football and a couple of people I trust have seem him in the past three or four months." Sandor played 100 times for Hungarian side Upjest scoring 13 goals and made his international debut in November 2006 in a 1-0 win over Canada. The 23-year-old has joined Argyle until the end of the season when both the club and player will review their options. He says while his countrymen Halmosi and Timar helped him make up his mind, it was his decision to come to Home Park. "I decided myself. They just helped me when I arrived. I wanted to come here." Sandor joins on the same day that Exeter City striker Jamie Mackie signed for the Pilgrims for an initial fee of £145,000.

Argyle bid for Oldham's Trotman
Oldham Athletic have confirmed they have received an undisclosed offer from Championship side Plymouth Argyle for defender Neal Trotman. Latics chief executive Alan Hardy revealed to SSB the Devon club had made an approach but no fee had been agreed. Newspaper reports claimed Argyle had offered £350,000 for the 20-year-old. The Pilgrims broke their club transfer record by signing Cardiff striker Steve MacLean earlier this month.

Samba parts company with Argyle
Plymouth Argyle have confirmed that striker Cherno Samba left the club by mutual consent on deadline day. The 23-year-old Gambia-born striker was told last month by manager Paul Sturrock that he would be leaving. At the time, Sturrock told the club website: "Samba appreciates the situation. At this juncture, we have decided to part company." Samba was transfer listed at the start of the season and had an unsuccessful loan spell at Wycombe last year.

Holloway stunned by Argyle claims
Leicester boss Ian Holloway says he is "astonished" by claims he is to blame for some of Plymouth's players leaving and says he will talk to his lawyers. Argyle chairman Paul Stapleton says ex-boss Holloway, who joined City in November, played a key part in some high-profile players leaving Home Park. But Holloway told SSB: "I'm absolutely astonished. "I'm dealing with it in as professional a manner as I can. My lawyers are looking at the statements." Stapleton claims Holloway advised the board not to open talks over a new contract with striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who has since joined Wolves. And Stapleton also says Holloway promised midfielder David Norris a move in January. Foxes chairman Milan Mandaric accused his Plymouth counterpart of sour grapes over Holloway's move to the Walkers Stadium. Mandaric told SSB: "You don't have to sell, you are the chairman - the buck stops with you. "As chairman, you make the decisions not the manager." When asked if he thought it was sour grapes, Mandaric replied: "I think so. I'm disappointed and don't think it should take place." Mandaric says the timing of the outburst - ahead of Saturday's match between the sides at the Walkers Stadium - was wrong. "Usually a chairman doesn't go out two or three days before a game making this kind of statement and accusations about your ex-manager," Mandaric said. "This manager is our manager and someone I respect very much. "I think it is totally unfair to him and the club especially two or three days before the game." And Mandaric also says the Pilgrims should be thankful for what Holloway achieved during his time as manager. "I'm a little bit disappointed that Ollie didn't get enough credit for what he did there," added Mandaric. "He deserves it, he did a tremendous job there. "He developed these players into better players and for that reason the chairman and club were able to get a lot of money for them. "We need to concentrate on the game. This Saturday belongs to the players, manager and to out supporters - not to the chairman. I don't think it's necessary. "In a way that tells me we got the right man. They know he did a good job there and they hated to lose him."

Solid defence impresses Sturrock
Plymouth Argyle manager Paul Sturrock has heaped praise on his defenders as they bid to continue their best run of results this season. Argyle have won their last three matches and conceded just one goal in their past five league games. "I'm a great believer that back fours, when they get settled, win you football games," Sturrock told SSB. "In the past three, four or five games our goals against record has been excellent," he added. Sturrock bolstered his side's defence on Tuesday with the signing of Sunderland centre-back Russell Anderson on a month's loan. The Pilgrims run of wins has seen them climb back up the table and they are now just two points off the final play-off place.

We need more urgency - Sturrock
Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock says his team must start games better if they are to keep their play-off push alive. The Pilgrims went down 1-0 to Sheffield United on Saturday after a poor opening half at Home Park. Sturrock believes his players need to take the urgency they show in the second half of games into the opening periods of matches. "It's very strange how we start games as slowly as we do," Sturrock told BBC Radio Devon.

Sturrock promises title challenge
Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock is confident his side will be a force in the Championship next season if they fail to win promotion this year. His side's play-off chances suffered a major blow after a 1-1 draw on Monday with Sheffield Wednesday. "I can guarantee one thing - we will be near enough the first team in the league," Sturrock told SSB. "We will work very hard at our shape, we will be a team, and we will work very hard to win football games." He added: "The important thing for me now is to get the players working very hard to get three points on Saturday . "At the same time, I need to start targeting some of the players that we want to bring to the club."

Argyle sign three young prospects
Three of Plymouth Argyle's FA Youth Cup quarter-final side have been offered 12 month professional deals. Forward Damien McCrory, goalkeeper Lloyd Saxton and defender Shane White will be staying with the club. Argyle have released three other top age youth players in Toby Davis, Shane Duggan and Jarred Stevens. White captained the Argyle side which lost to Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup quarter finals in February, the furthest the side have got in 54 years. Saxton trained with the first team in March when Argyle were going through a goalkeeping crisis before their win at Bristol City. ""I have spoken to youth coaches, and taken on board what they have told me, as well as listening to the advice of my own coaches," said Pilgrims boss Paul Sturrock. "The three who have been taken on now have a year to prove to me that they are worthy of a longer contract," he added.

Argyle want new players this week
Plymouth Argyle manager Paul Sturrock is hoping to unveil some new signings later this week. The Scotsman is hopeful that new faces could be in place as soon as Tuesday as he bids to beef up his squad. Sturrock is looking for a new goalkeeper to replace the suspended Luke McCormick, as well as central midfielders and another defender. "I'd like to think that by Tuesday we'll have one or two others in," Sturrock told BBC Spotlight. He added: "I'd like to get them in as soon as possible because I don't want them to miss too much of pre-season training. "I think central midfield will be an area, with only two players in there at this moment in time who are regular centre midfield players. "Defensively I feel we need another utility player, so there's still a lot of work to be done. "There's a lot of clubs I'm in negotiations with, players I'm haggling with and agents I'm haggling with."

Owls report Argyle over Gilbert
Plymouth Argyle have been reported to the Football League by Sheffield Wednesday over an alleged illegal approach for full-back Peter Gilbert. A spokesman for the Pilgrims said the club is "aware" of the complaint but that they will be making no further comment for the time being. However, there is a board meeting at Home Park on Wednesday when it is believed the issue will be discussed. Gilbert previously played for the club during Paul Sturrock's original reign. The former Welsh Under-21 international joined Argyle in 2003 and made 78 league appearances during his two-year stay before joining Leicester in a £200,000 deal in July 2005. Gilbert then joined the Owls in January 2006 following a successful loan spell at Hillsborough.

Argyle waiting for Easter offers
Plymouth boss Paul Sturrock has said he has not received any reasonable offers for Welsh striker Jermaine Easter. The 26-year-old demanded a move last week due to personal problems. Sturrock has said if he does not get an offer which recoups the £210,000 the club paid for Easter in January, he will bring him back into his squad. And the Argyle boss told Radio Devon: "I've had no response of the standard of team that Jermaine would be comfortable with." Sturrock added: "If Jermaine is here I will bring him in and emphasise to him that he is a paid Plymouth Argyle player and I expect 210% from him." And he said it is up to Easter to put himself in the shop window if he does stay at the club. But he added: "If he's done really well here and he's come over his domestic thing there's a future for him here."

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