Neil Dewsnip on Plymouth Argyle's approach to dramatic final day of season
Plymouth Argyle will have suitable plans whatever situation develops during the final day of the fight for Championship survival this season, director of football Neil Dewsnip has declared.
Dewsnip has been in temporary charge of the Pilgrims with first team coach Kevin Nancekivell since the dismissal of head coach Ian Foster on April 1 and they have guided them to seven points from five games. It has all added up to Argyle being one position outside the relegation zone, a point above Birmingham City, going into the fixture against play-off hopefuls Hull City at Home Park tomorrow (12.30pm).
A win will guarantee safety for Argyle, but a draw or defeat would open the door for Birmingham, who are at home to Norwich City, to potentially stay up and relegate the Pilgrims instead. So there is bound to be a lot of interest among the Green Army at a packed Home Park about the latest score from St Andrews.
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Dewsnip said: "I don't think we will have a plan to kind of know minute by minute, in terms of ourselves in the technical area, but you just know the fans are going to let us know what's going on don't you? So we will be aware, I'm sure."
Events at St Andrews, particularly the latest score and how it impacts the fight for survival, could well end up influencing Argyle's tactics and approach against Hull. Dewsnip said: "I think we get to half-time, see where everything is and then we will monitor it from there really. We will be organised with a suitable plan depending on what the potential outcomes are."
Argyle's director of football was asked whether he thought staying up in the Championship this term would be a bigger achievement than the Pilgrims winning the League One title with 101 points in 2022/23 and replied: "Let's hope we can have that debate in a few days' time.
"Both will be magnificent won't they? We have done one of those two, and that was a fantastic achievement and well done to everybody involved. This will be pretty special as well."
There will be huge financial implications for Argyle whether they stay up or are relegated given the massive increase in income Championship clubs will receive compared to those in League One as a result of a new TV deal between the EFL and Sky Sports which comes into effect from the start of next season.
Dewsnip said: "I don't think at our level on the training field we have discussed things like that. We are focused on how best we can go about winning the game on Saturday but I'm sure there is a bigger picture that is very important to Plymouth Argyle."
As for the pressure and responsibility which will be on Argyle's players against Hull, Dewsnip stated: "You have got to embrace it. If you want to be a talented footballer you want to play the big games. Sometimes they are about Champions' League finals maybe, sometimes they are about survival.
"If you want to be a coach, then you want to coach games which have the same sort of rewards - and risks, no doubt as well - with them. It's why we do it."
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