Football Season Guide

Plymouth are coming off an excellent season which saw them seal a return to the third tier following a six-year absence, with only Portsmouth's superior goal-difference preventing them from returning as League Two champions. Manager Derek Adams, who is going into his third full season in charge, has obviously had a clear plan on what he wanted done during the summer. This was shown by the fact that the Pilgrims completed a lot of their dealings during the month of June, therefore giving them far more time to gel than most of the others side in the division. Not a single regular has left the club, with all of the players that left being men that Adams didn't have in his plans in the third tier. A look at the list of their signings sees a pattern emerge as the Pilgrims have gone mostly for talented players who, for whatever reasons, have not been doing well for their former clubs lately. The brightest examples being Ruben Lameiras and Jamie Ness who are both top players at this level when on form but have had disappointing campaigns. The likes of Lionel Ainsworth and Gregg Wylde also have plenty of third tier experience and are potential starters for Adams's side. Plymouth are a very well-run side and certainly look stronger than they were last time around. Having said that, their squad is filled with either bottom-half League One players or players who never played at this level so it is difficult to see them push for anything more than mid-table safety.