RYAN Lowe’s Plymouth Argyle look to continue their flawless start to the League Two season as they travel to Rodney Parade to face Newport County on Saturday afternoon.
The Pilgrim’s are on a strong run of form after three consecutive victories, including Tuesdays success over Leyton Orient in the Carabao Cup.
Lowe made five changes for the midweek clash and now has a conundrum on who deserves a starting place on Saturday.
The Argyle boss admits he has a ‘selection headache’ but told Plymouth Live that it is all part of his Job.
Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe
He said: “It’s a good part of the job. Some of the lads who played on Tuesday night were probably a little bit unfortunate not to start the first game of the season.
“But I’m the manager, I make the decisions, I have to pick the team. Sometimes you will get it right and sometimes you get it wrong.
“At the moment, it’s going right, but what I know – and what the lads know – is they are going to get opportunities, whether that’s through injury or through different cup competitions.
“When their chance comes along it’s over to them to take it.
He added: “Yes, they have given me a selection headache, but also the lads who played on Saturday have given me a selection headache.
“The lads know that. The group is very good and we just want to keep pushing.”
Argyle’s opponents on Saturday, Newport County, have had a much slower start to the season with two consecutive draws in the league.
However, success in the Carabao Cup midweek has seen them draw yet another Premier League side to Rodney Parade.
Newport will face West Ham in the next round and boss Micheal Flynn is hoping that both that and Argyle visit on Saturday will spur on his new signings.
Flynn told BBC Sport: “On Saturday they will get a taste of the real atmosphere Rodney Parade brings.
“Plymouth always travel well, have good supporters and are a big club – a very big club in this league.
“So its going to be a noisy afternoon. I am hoping we get 6000, we will see. It’s one of those games where if we win its an unbelievable start, if we don’t at least we only have to play them once more after this.”
Saturday’s away fixture will be a tough one for the Green Army as they face last season’s Play-off finalists but it will be a game where Lowe is determined to get a positive result.
Liverpool’s search for a Georginio Wijnaldum replacement has so far been unsuccessful, with countless links to players resulting in very little concrete interest.
However, with Wijnaldum officially becoming a Paris Saint-German player earlier this week, Jurgen Klopp is expected to make haste in his search for a new midfielder.
“It has not been easy for him to take the step of leaving Liverpool to sign for PSG."#LFChttps://t.co/tAs8sETUa8
There have been numerous rumours concerning potential targets for Klopp’s Liverpool, but three particular names continue to be part of the conversation.
Lille’s Renato Sanches, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Florian Neuhaus and Brighton’s Yves Bissouma all have been strongly linked with a switch to Merseyside in recent months. Therefore, in order to see who is best suited to the move, we simulated next season on FM21 with each of them as part of Klopp’s squad to find out who would be the most successful as Wijnaldum’s replacement.
Renato Sanches
Recent reports from French outlet L’Équipe have suggested that a move for Sanches is already underway following his impressive performances at the European Championships for Portugal and during the FM21 simulation the Lille midfielder continued to impress.
Renato Sanches’ attributes at the start of the 2021/22 season
Sanches made 30 Premier League appearances in a title winning season for Liverpool scoring six goals and gaining one assist, maintaining an average match rating of 7.52 over the course of the campaign.
The Portuguese midfielder also scored two goals in Liverpool’s run to the Champions League semi final but failed to make any assists.
Sanches’ stats for the 21/22 season
Sanches’ output far exceeded Wijnaldum’s 20/21 season for Liverpool where the Dutchman only scored two goals and had zero assists in 38 games.
Whilst Renato Sanches nailed down a spot in Klopp’s starting XI fairly quickly, Florian Neuhaus failed to achieve the same levels of success.
Florian Neuhaus attributes at the start of the 21/21 season
The Monchengladbach midfielder made just 17 Premier League appearances for Liverpool over the course of the season scoring just one goal and gaining just one assist
In fact, Liverpool’s season as a whole was less successful than with Sanches as they finished second in the Premier League to Manchester United and went out of the Champions League to Borussia Dortmund at the quarter-final stage.
Florian Neuhaus’ stats for the 21\22 season
Over the course of the season Neuhaus maintained an average match rating of just 6.91 which is significantly lower than that achieved by his Portuguese counterpart, despite making considerably less appearances.
The German was also not trusted to start any Champion’s League games for Jurgen Klopp, making just four appearance, all of which were from the bench.
Overall, Neuhaus failed to make an impression during our FM21 simulated season but as a whole Jurgen Klopp’s side underperformed, suggesting that the Monchengladbach midfielder was not entirely at fault for his lack of impact.
Yves Bissouma
Bissouma began our simulated 21\22 season slowly starting the majority of the games from the bench, however, from late October the Mali international secured a place in Klopp’s midfield.
Bissouma played a slights different role than the previous Wijnaldum replacements as he adopted a deeper role as a double pivot alongside Fabinho.
Liverpool’s starting XI in our FM 21/22 simulated season
However, a season ending injury in late January put an end to what was a fantastic debut campaign for Bissouma as in the first half of the premier league season he made 18 Premier League appearances, scoring four goals and making two assists.
Over the course of his first five months at Liverpool Bissouma attained an average match rating of 6.98 which is slightly higher than Neuhaus but lower than Sanches’.
Bissouma’s stats for the 21/22 season
Bissouma’s injury was felt by Liverpool as despite being top of the league in January, Klopp’s side went on to finish third. This highlights an important aspect of Wijnaldum’s game that was often under-appreciated, his availability. Any potential replacement will be expected to make 45+ appearances a season, something many players with injury records may struggle with.
Bissouma had a positive impact on Liverpool’s midfield but his injury was a massive blow for Klopp and is something that Liverpool will try their best to avoid with any new signing that is brought in to replace Wijnaldum.
Summary
Simulations on Football Manager 2021 are merely one way of predicting potential outcomes for players should they make the move to a new club and often the real life results may differ significantly.
However, in this case, FM21 has suggested that whilst a Wijnaldum replacement would benefit Jurgen Klopp’s side, it may not be as necessary as many believe. Of the three replacements, only Renato Sanches made more than more than ten Premier League starts, meaning that the current midfield will be tough to break into for any new signings.
This shows that any arrivals at Liverpool this summer will need to be of the highest quality to a make genuine impact but with funds reportedly limited this seems unlikely. Therefore, depth in quality is the most likely approach with Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago making up Liverpool’s starting midfield.
Overall, the simulation suggested that funds may be better used elsewhere and with the African Cup of Nations to come in January, another attacker may be Klopp’s priority.
At its core, FIFA Ultimate Team, or FUT, is about players creating their perfect squads, using their favourite footballers to compete against other Ultimate Team users.
For many, their favourite players are no longer actively playing, and the majority may have retired many years ago. However, the introduction of legends/icons in the last few years means playing with these players is possible once again.
There are currently 100 icons available to players in FIFA Ultimate Team, but many footballing greats are still yet to be recognised.
New additions to the game this year included Fernando Torres, Nemanja Vidic and Ashley Cole, and with new icons added every year, we looked at the players that may be involved in FIFA 22.
John Terry can consider himself unlucky to have not already been included as an icon in FIFA Ultimate Team. Fellow English centre-backs Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell and Bobby Moore, are currently part of the game whilst Jamie Carragher was once a Legend in FIFA 14.
Arguably, Terry’s legacy is only surpassed by the World Cup-winning Sir Bobby Moore, and thus an icon item in recognition of his achievements is the least that he deserves. Former teammates Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are also included in the game, further highlighting the odd exclusion of the former Chelsea captain.
Terry won five Premier Leagues titles, five FA Cups and two Champions Leagues during his career, a trophy haul that far exceeds many icons already included in the game. Furthermore, the serial winner was also included in FIFA’s team of the century, further empathising his brilliance on the pitch.
Terry would be a fantastic addition as an Ultimate Team icon. He was a born winner at Chelsea, and his leadership and defensive abilities helped create one of the best teams of the Premier League era. He was strong in the tackle, unbeatable in the air and as brave as can be. There is definitely a place amongst the footballing elite for Terry, and hopefully, next years edition of the game will include the three-time UEFA defender of the year.
Yaya Toure
Known for his prowess in midfield and his keen eye for goal, Yaya Toure was at the heart of Manchester City’s rebirth in the early 2010s, where he won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups.
Potential cards/ratings for Yaya Toure in FIFA 22
The former Ivory Coast international scored 82 goals in 470 appearances across his career. A quarter of which came when he spearheaded Manchester City’s 2014 Premier League success scoring 20 goals and providing four assists from the heart of midfield.
Elsewhere, Toure had success with Barcelona as part of their sextuple winning squad in 2009 as well as winning the African Cup of Nation with the Ivory Coast in 2015.
Often regarded as one of Africa’s best-ever players, the four-time African player of the year has achieved everything necessary to be considered an iconic footballing figure. Thus, an icon card to recognise this is likely to follow in FIFA 22.
Xabi Alonso
A player whose performances were the epitome of class and grace, Xabi Alonso is often a forgotten hero of the great Spanish teams of the 21st century.
Alonso played a crucial role in Spain’s domination of international football between 2008 and 2012, winning two European Championships and one World Cup.
Potential cards/ratings for Xabi Alonso in FIFA 22
Regularly overlooked due to the greatness of his teammates, Alonso was also vital to Liverpool’s Champions League final comeback against AC Milan in 2005.
Alonso made 547 appearances for teams such as Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Liverpool, and earned 114 caps for Spain. Therefore, a career laden with silverware whilst playing for Europe’s elite means the Spaniard is as deserving of an icon card as any player in the last 20 years.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been at the centre of the media frenzy concerning Gareth Southgate’s final squad selection for this summer’s European Championships.
There were countless reports that Alexander-Arnold would miss out on the chance to represent his country this summer with Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker making up a strong cohort for the right-side of defence.
However, after much speculation, the England manager decided on selecting all four right-backs in his final squad, leaving many questioning the need for so many defensive reinforcements.
Nevertheless, Southgate hinted that all four players could be used in various positions, with their versatility being invaluable. Southgate specifically suggested a role in midfield for Alexander-Arnold.
🗣 "Trent can play right-back, wing-back, I think can play in midfield."
Gareth Southgate speaking last week about the versatility of England's right-backs pic.twitter.com/v4csKPD7qB
In order to test the viability of Alexander-Arnold as a central option, we simulated last season on Football Manager 2021, with the young scouser at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield. We then compared Alexander-Arnold’s performances to his real life achievements and to his England midfield teammates.
Trent Alexander Arnold’s personal performances
The first consideration when moving Alexander-Arnold into midfield was to decide what type of player he would be. When analysing his statistics both in real-life and in Football Manager, it was clear that a box-to-box role was most fitting for the 22-year-old.
As well as being the most fitting for Alexander-Arnold himself, it is the role England would require him to play as it is an area of weakness in Southgate’s squad. Many of England’s midfielders are either attacking or defensive, not both.
Alexander-Arnold’s statistics at the start of the FM2021 simulation
In terms of output, Alexander-Arnold contributed just two goals and four assists in 31 games for Liverpool.
This is slightly lower than the two goals and seven assists that he actually achieved last season and is even further down on the four goals and 14 assists he achieved two seasons ago.
However, the Liverpool youngster did provide two notable performances with a man of the match performance against Wolves and a late equaliser against Everton in the Merseyside derby.
Evidence of match a winning performance from Trent Alexander-Arnold
The 85% pass accuracy achieved by Alexander-Arnold in the match against Wolves puts him just behind England’s regular midfielders Jordan Henderson and Declan Rice, who averaged 87% and 88%. Meanwhile, it matched the 85% pass accuracy of youngster Jude Bellingham who looks set to break into Southgate’s midfield.
This level of ball retention suggests a capability to adapt to a midfield role and achieve the levels of those competing against him for a starting place in Southgate’s XI.
Whilst, in reality, this season has been shown a drop in standards from Alexander-Arnold, during the simulation, he secured himself a place in the Premier League team of the season as a midfielder.
This highlights the consistency shown throughout the simulated season and suggests a capacity to perform from the centre of the pitch, even if the number of goals and assists are not as outlandish as years gone by.
Premier League Team of the Season in FM2021 simulation
Alexander-Arnold’s performances last season were erratic with previous high levels attainted at times but new lows also reached. This culminated in Southgate dropping the right-back from his squad for the World Cup qualifiers back in March.
However, the young scouser’s performances since then have really excelled with match winning moments against both Aston Villa and West Brom as well as a man of the match performance at Old Trafford. This upturn in form is what has caused such a dilemma for Southgate.
Overall, the simulation indicated that Southgate could utilise Alexander-Arnold’s talents in the centre of the pitch and still allow him to achieve high-level performances.
However, surely a more effective tactic would be to play to the player’s strengths and allow him to produce world-class numbers from a defensive position rather than potentially losing his impetus by playing him centrally.
Whatever decision Southgate makes will likely impact England’s chances at the Euro’s, but ultimately, he has already made his first correct one by including Alexander-Arnold in the squad. It is now up to both the player and the manager to produces performances England fans expect.
Grassroots football in the UK ground to a halt last week when the FA announced that all football leagues below the National League would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This has left thousands of clubs, players and managers confused as to what happens going into next season and frustrated that all their hard work this campaign has come to nothing.
Nowhere is this more applicable than with Cheltenham League Division Three club FC Lakeside Reserves.
Credit: Rob Morrison
Lakeside sit second in their division having won all 11 games they had played this season as well as having a chance at an unprecedented quadruple being in all three cup competitions including a county cup final.
Understandably, FC Lakeside reserves boss Warren Fitzgeorge is disgruntled with the news that the season has been voided and he believes that the decision should have been delayed.
Credit: FA Full Time
He said: “I personally think it’s too soon, I understand why they are doing it as everyone’s health and safety comes first before anything but I just think that they have done it way too soon.
“They could have at least waited four of five weeks to see where we are then… I just think it was a bit premature really.”
He added: “With us, it’s obviously more disappointing as we were obviously having such a good season being unbeaten all season and being in all four competitions still; a final, a semi-final and a quarter-final.
“Would I be saying this if we were sat bottom of the league, probably not, but I still think they made the decision just way, way too soon in my opinion.”
Lakeside were on the hunt for back-to-back promotions having won the double in division four last season with 23 wins out of 24 in the league and a goal difference of +123.
Credit: Rob Morrison
Fitzgeorge’s squad is packed with experience and talent with a number of players such as ex-Evesham United defender Leroy Odiero and Ryan Smith formerly of Cheltenham Saracens, playing at a much higher level throughout their career.
This blessing of a vastly talented squad may curse the start of next season as with promotion possibly off-the-table many players may wish to explore other avenues to work their way up the leagues.
Fitzgeorge said: “The situation we’ve got is that we are going to lose a lot of our players because they don’t want to play in that division anymore and it’s 100% going to be a problem going into next season.
“We have players that should be playing at a lot higher level but they came down to play for me because they enjoy it and they have friends in the team as well but they are not going to want to stay in Division Three and if a few start going then they all might follow.”
Credit: Rob Morrison
He added: “We could lose everything we have played for this year and then we could lose all of our squad next season.”
Lakeside face the possibility of their best players being picked off by higher division clubs going into next season should they remain in Division Three.
FItzgeorge is aware of the circumstances that his side finds themselves in but remain hopeful nonetheless that the Gloucestershire FA will promote them into a division that more suits their caliber.
He said: “100% [we should be promoted], they should look as what we were achieving this year, we were playing teams from division one in the Seniors Charity Cup and we were beating them and scoring a lot of goals past them.
“It’s not as if we can’t play up there and do well in that division but if it stays as it is we will still be two leagues below that.
“We’ve only had like two or three tough games this season and they were tough games but the lads need more of a challenge and by staying in division three that’s not going to happen.”
Credit: FA Full Time IMAGE: FC Lakeside’s 5-2 win over Division One Southside Star FC in the county cup
He added: “We can apply to go up two divisions as we would have done well even in the league above so we are looking at going into division one where it’ll be tougher with better teams in it and we would do well in there.
“We haven’t heard anything yet but we imagine that will come closer to next season when they hold their AGM meeting and we will have to put our case forward but I might have players moved on by then.”
Of course, in context football is redundant in the current climate but it still remains an integral part of people’s lives. People such as Fitzgeorge and his entire squad have put everything into a successful league campaign only for it all to be ripped away.
The priority, for now, should be to protect lives and get through this pandemic and come out the other side as strong as possible. However, the hard work put in before should not be forgotten and clubs like Lakeside should be rewarded for their efforts.
A war zone; surrounded by an army of claret and blue, just waiting to be ousted as the spy behind enemy lines. This was my expectation as I entered The Bobby Moore Stand at London Stadium. However, the hard-men of East London bitterly disappointed my need for excitement as the atmosphere sat a lowly as West Ham in the Premier League table.
To add some context, as a Liverpool fan who does not hold a season ticket, getting the opportunity to watch the reds is as rare as an Everton win at Anfield; it just doesn’t happen. Thus, when I saw the chance to witness a part of Liverpool’s greatest season in 30 years, I jumped at the opportunity.
As I strolled towards the magnificent structure that is London Stadium with the bitter taste of a paying £10 for a burger still in my mouth, there was an air of resignation, an expectation of disappointment amongst all who wore claret and blue. Murmurs of “I’d take a 3-0” and “I just don’t want to be embarrassed” plagued the pre-match conversation.
Embed from Getty Images
IMAGE: Players surrounding referee Jon Moss during West Ham’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool
The aura of negativity that surrounded the pubs and bars outside the ground spilled into London Stadium creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a doctor’s waiting room. Initially, I was bemused by the stunning silence that filled the ground, however, as I experienced my first few moments of the old Olympic Stadium I encountered the real issues with West Ham United.
VIDEO: A debate on what the issues at West Ham are and whether London Stadium has hindered their success
The most glaring issue is that view of the pitch is the equivalent of watching your television through the wrong end of a telescope. The empty void that it created caused a complete disconnect between myself and what was happening on the pitch. One older gentleman sat to my right even brought his own binoculars to try and see over the chasm that divided the fans from the players.
The player/fan divide was made even more evident with the response the team received upon entering the pitch. There was little to no noise made upon the team announcements and even the “I’m forever blowing bubbles” anthem was sung with as much enthusiasm as a teenage boy performing karaoke with his family.
However, the most damning aspect of my whole trip to West Ham was the group of supporters sat just five seats to my left. It wasn’t the fact that they were eating popcorn, or that they made the awful decision to wear a half-and-half scarf. It is not even that they insisted on recording every set-piece throughout the whole game. It was the fact that like myself they were not West Ham supporters but were actually openly supporting Liverpool.
VIDEO: Highlights from West Ham’s 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at London Stadium
As I took a closer look around me it was clear that they were not alone, I wasn’t amongst the ‘hard-men of East London’, I wasn’t even amongst fans of the Hammers. I was surrounded by people who just like me wondered onto the club website, booked tickets and sat and supported the opposition, all the while being welcomed to do so.
An adjustment period to a new stadium can be accepted, the distance between the fans and the pitch can be looked over, however, having rivals supporters in the home end diluting the atmosphere is unforgivable and an issue that West Ham must act upon rapidly.
“A terrible performance, I remember thinking, how awful is this kid? I could never see him being good enough to start for Argyle, he was off-the-pace, weak and couldn’t pick a pass to save his life. Seeing what he went on to achieve, I have never been so happy to be so hideously wrong in all my life”
The thoughts of lifelong Plymouth Argyle season ticket holder Ian Roper on Kevin Hodges’ first appearance were harsh but ultimately fair. Hodges seemed out of his depth when he lined up for the Pilgrims for the first time. Very few could have foreseen the vast impact the young winger would have on the club over the next 40 years.
Hodges’ journey to becoming an adopted Janner began when AFC Bournemouth disbanded their youth set-up in 1978, a 15-year-old Kevin Hodges was brought down the south-coast by his coach Bobby Howe to join Plymouth Argyle.
Embed from Getty Images
Kevin Hodges [right] tackling Kenny Swain [Left] during a Division 2 match on the 26th December 1986
Hodges made his debut against Bury that same year, but the young wide-player needed to transform into a man as his slight figure was too feeble for professional football. Hodges went away and worked on the physical side of his game and returned a year later stronger than the Janner accent.
Hodges cemented his place in the Argyle starting XI that season; a position he would hold for the next 12 years.
The biggest impact Hodges had during his playing days at Argyle was between 1984-86. Throughout this period Hodges was a mainstay in the side that got to the FA Cup Semi-final in 1984 and in Dave Smith’s promotion-winning side in the 1985-86 season.
Hodges won Argyle’s player of the year during the promotion-winning campaign in a season that Roper believes is the best in the Pilgrims history.
He said: “He was on another level that year, he made the game seem so simple. It was definitely the best individual season I’ve seen by an Argyle player.”
Hodges made his final of 620 appearances for Argyle against Stockport County in 1992 before leaving for Torquay United. The winger left Argyle after 15 years as their record-appearance holder scoring 87 goals, and as one of a select group to have two testimonial matches for a club.
Hodges may have parted-ways with Argyle but just like Plymouth’s derelict Dance Academy Nightclub, he couldn’t be gotten rid of as in 1998 he returned as manager taking over from Mick Jones.
The Argyle legend started well with what was an impossible job. However, with a paper-thin squad and a budget tighter than the squeeze of the Lyndhurst turnstiles he was sacked 18-months later.
VIDEO: Highlights of one of Kevin Hodges best performances as Argyle manager, a 4-0 win against Torquay United
This signalled a period of separation between Argyle and Hodges until 2008 when he was appointed as a part-time coach for the club’s Football in the Community project.
This is where the 59-year-old made his biggest impact on Plymouth’s community as he went around schools inspiring children to take part in football.
This was the case with South-West Peninsular footballer Jack Biscoe who was coached by Hodges whilst attending Yealmpton Primary School in 2009.
Biscoe said: “The way he worked was like nothing any of us had experienced before, he was so passionate and inciteful. As 9/10-year-olds we couldn’t help but be inspired by him.”
He added: “His training methods were so personal, he knew each and every player personally and knew what we needed to do to improve.
“From that group that he trained most of us are still playing football at some level. Whether that be locally at Elburton [Villa] like myself or professionally. I think that in itself shows how inspiring Hodges is not just as a coach but as a man.”
Hodges worked his way up the ladder at Argyle from community football to coaching the under 18’s to his final role as academy director.
Whilst working his way through, Hodges inspired countless players and parents to take an active part in football whilst also developing quality players through Argyle’s academy such as Tyler Harvey of Truro, Jack Stephens of Southampton and his own son Harry Hodges.
Right-back Harry Hodges is the son of Plymouth Argyle Under-18s boss Kevin Hodges, who is also the club's record appearance maker #ctfc
However, Hodges’ finest achievement is how much he positively affected the community around him. Hodges entertained, taught and inspired during his 40 years at Argyle and is a household name across three generations that saw him play, manage and coach football.
As much a part of Plymouth as Smeaton’s Tower or Pilgrim Pete, Hodges’ roots are so deep into the foundations of Home Park that his loss will send shockwaves through the community.
Hodges is more than a footballing-icon in the south-west, the honorary Plymothian has been a part of everything good about Plymouth Argyle over the last 40-years. He has become a vital pillar of our community and with his departure all those involved in football in the south-west owe him a massive show of gratitude.
“It never started as anything serious, just playing games whilst on holiday… I would never have seen myself where I am today. Back then I much preferred playing hockey.” She laughed
Sometimes the most important landmarks in a person’s life can go unnoticed until we look back and appreciate the small things that got us to where we are today. This has never been truer than with Britain’s next table tennis star Gemma Kerr.
IMAGE: Kerr [right] accepting her trophy as she won gold at the National League Championships
Kerr currently trains with Paul Whiting at JOOLA Plymouth and is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in British table tennis.
However, Kerr never had aspirations of playing table tennis but without even searching her family unearthed a gem in the south of France. With the hustle of a JOOLA training session in the background, Kerr reminisced over how her story began.
She smiled: “I started playing table tennis when I was about ten, but it was just when I went on holiday.
“They have tables everywhere so when I went to France and there was always a place to play table tennis so me and the family would just play.
She added: “It was never anything serious but most of the time my brother would win as he was training with Paul [Whiting] at the time.”
It wasn’t until Kerr’s family returned from the holiday that her brother’s coach Paul Whiting suggested that she come along for a few sessions.
This was a major landmark in Kerr’s budding career as she had to make the choice between her beloved hockey or a new adventure into table tennis.
She said: “One night Paul asked my mum if I wanted to hit a ball and maybe start up here [Joola Plymouth].
“After a few weeks, I realised that I was quite good but I had to decide whether to carry on or not.
“Hockey was on at the same time as table tennis as I would normally go there whilst my brother trained.”
IMAGE: Paul Whiting [Centre-left] and Gemma Kerr [Far-right] at the National Table Tennis Championships
Kerr continued: “I gave up table tennis for a few weeks, but after about a month Paul told my mum that I had to come back as I was too good to just give up.
“I’m so grateful that he convinced me as without him I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
Whiting played a vital role in kickstarting Kerr’s career and after helping her to represent England and win numerous 4* tournaments such as the Chippenham Juniors, the duo’s attention has turned to representing Team GB.
Whiting said: “She has everything it takes to reach the very top of the sport, obviously as her coach I am a little bias but I would see no reason why she shouldn’t be on the plane to Japan in the summer.”
Video: Paul Whiting taking a training session at JOOLA Plymouth
Whiting has high expectations of Kerr and his drive and determination has helped push the Plymouth girl to all the success she has had so far.
However, Kerr thinks that next summer’s Olympics is not realistic and is instead setting her sights on tournaments further down the line.
“Obviously it’s always been a dream since I started table tennis to play at the Olympics or at the Commonwealth games.
“Although, I think Tokyo might have come a little too soon.” She laughed.
The speed of Kerr’s voice grew faster than one of her serves when she spoke of Olympic and Commonwealth games. The excitement she had for representing her country was clear.
She rushed: “But definitely the next Commonwealths or even Paris in four years time would be the target, to represent Team GB at either of those would be a dream come true.”
TOP IMAGE: Olympic rings BOTTOM IMAGE: Gemma Kerr playing at Durham City Table Tennis Club
However, despite shooting up the national table tennis rankings over the last 18-months, the 17-year-old knows she must keep her feet firmly on the ground if she wants to achieve her full potential.
The atmosphere in JOOLA’s changing room switched as Kerr spoke about how she keeps focused, highlighting the seriousness she places on her grounded attitude; a trait that has been ingrained into her by both her coach and family.
In a more serious and measured tone, she said: “My family and Paul are so important they make sure I get my school work done, they make sure I’m always training right and eating right.
“Without their help, I would never have been able to achieve half as much as I have.”
A trip to France, a family game and a fantastic coach, the three ingredients that helped cook up Britain’s next table tennis prodigy. Kerr began her sporting journey unknowingly in the south of France whilst on holiday with her family.
An innocent game of “Ping Pong” turned into a lifestyle built around table tennis. At the time it may have seemed an unimportant side note in a standard family holiday. Nevertheless, it marks the start of Kerr’s rapid development that has seen her become Britain’s next Olympic star.
Deemed the “Jurgen Klopp of Devon” Ryan Lowe has begun his
tenure at recently relegated Plymouth Argyle.
The Liverpudlian joined the club after leaving financially
troubled Bury following their promotion into League One.
Lowe comes with a reputation of fast, high-intensity football
reflecting the styles of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
Last campaign his Bury side were promoted as the league’s top
scorers, scoring 105 goals in all competitions.
Ryan Lowe at his first press conference as Plymouth Argyle manager
The Green Army will be hoping a similar style of football is
replicated at Home Park next season but how will Lowe’s appointment affect
Jurgen Klopp’s young stars?
The newly appointed boss has made clear his strong working relationship with Klopp, reiterating the conversations the two have engaged in.
The partnership could end up being a mutually beneficial one
as the South-West has now become an option for Klopp to send his younger players
in order for them to develop in a similar style of play to his own.
As mentioned, Lowe is very strong on playing a certain
attacking style of football no matter what level you are playing at and believes
anyone can achieve this style with “Hard work and graft.”
He said: “I said before why can’t Bury play the same way as
a Liverpool, Man City or Barcelona? And now I’m here in Plymouth why can’t Argyle
play the same way?”
This attitude could be an attractive feature for the biggest
sides in England, more specifically Liverpool to send their youngsters down south
to develop in the right way.
Lowe is very much a manager for the younger player, giving
five youth players their first team debuts last year at Bury. This coupled with
his good man-management skills will see the younger players thrive under his
guidance.
The Argyle boss demands that 100% is given by all of his
players, all of the time and accepts nothing less, however he understands that
the end-product might not always be perfect.
He said: “I expect everyone to give 100%, at times I will
forgive lack of quality, but I will never forgive lack of effort.”
This relentlessness and drive, yet understanding of the
young player, is rare in the lower divisions of English football and something
that makes him all the more attractive for potential loanee’s.
Any young talent sent the way of Lowe will be worked harder
than ever before and learn more than they ever have but ultimately, they’ll develop
into top young players.
This would be the end goal for Klopp, or indeed any other
manager who sends players to the South-West and thus it is likely that many
players will tread this path.
In all, Klopp could do worse than to send his youngsters to Home Park and Lowe could do worse than taking some of England’s best talent on-loan. It seems like it could be a beneficial arrangement for both parties so don’t be surprised to see some young reds heading south this summer.
Brandon Russell: Sports News 