Ep.4: Julio signs, fixture list revealed

Argyle recruitment smashes it out of the park

Welcome to Ep.4 of One Team in Devon. We were working up a longer piece on Simon Hallett’s comments about Argyle on a recent podcast, but we’ve pushed that to next week to focus on a big 24 hours of news.

Earlier in the week it was revealed that Adam Randell had signed a new contract with Argyle until 2026, which is a huge investment into one of our brightest young players.

Then Argyle made a huge statement of intent with our first signing of the season, before the fixture list for 23/24 came out. It sounds the starter gun on what will be one of the most interesting summers in the club’s history.

Let’s run through the news.

Julio Pleguezuelo signs

The transfer window only opened on 14 June, but it seems like the wait for a signing has gone on for ages. Part of this has been the relative lack of rumours apart from a handful of links back in early June.

And then, out of nowhere the club announces its first signing, one that precisely zero so-called ITKs had predicted. And what a signing it is.

Julio Pleguezuelo joins Argyle as a free agent, having rejected a new contract at FC Twente.

The Spaniard, the first ever to play for the club, is a right-footed defender, that can play at RCB, RB or in a DM role.

He also has undeniable pedigree, having come through Barcelona and Arsenal youth systems – and he was Arsenal U21s captain.

He clocked up 84 appearances for Twente over three seasons and was certainly a core player, and well-liked by fans, if the small Twitter meltdown about him leaving to a so called “small team” is anything to go by.

He made 29 appearances for Twente last season in all competitions, with 14 starts and 11 substitute appearances in the league, averaging 59 mins per appearance. So he certainly wasn’t a nailed-on starter – and perhaps this is why Julio opted for a move.

And perhaps justifiably, as his numbers are excellent. Twente conceded a goal every 179 mins while he was on the pitch, which is an outstanding stat.

He ranks highly for both ground and aerial duels, but perhaps it’s his passing stats that caught the eye of the Argyle recruitment team. He is clearly an accomplished ball carrier, with decent passing stats and an 80% successful pass completion rate, compared to 70% for Wilson in the same role.

In his interview with Julio on Argyle TV, he comes across as a likable and smart person – which fits with Argyle’s desired profile for players. He also spoke excellent English, and from first look seems like someone who will slot into the dressing room nicely.

It’s an excellent statement of intent for Argyle, and if this is an indicator of how we’re doing our business this season, then it’s set to be a great summer ahead.

Fixture list is out

With such an incredible Championship line-up this year, it’s difficult to imagine what a good or bad fixture list looks like. But our immediate feeling is that Argyle has got a decent outcome.

The season starts at home, a good start, against Warnock’s Huddersfield. Every game is tough, and Huddersfield’s form under Warnock at the end of last season was imperious. But it will be great to start the season at Home Park, and Warnock’s return will add to the occasion.

We also get relegated Southampton in August, but again at home.

And then we don’t face one of the really scary relegated or top Championship teams until November – when we get Leeds, ‘Boro, Sunderland, and Coventry in a month.

But at least that gives us a chance to conclude our business and settle into the new season, hopefully with a few points on the board.

The full fixture list is below:

AUGUST

Sat 5 Huddersfield Town (H)
Sat 12 Watford (A)
Sat 19 Southampton (H)
Sat 26 Birmingham (A)

SEPTEMBER

Sat 2 Blackburn Rovers (H)
Sat 16 Preston North End (A)
Tue 19 Bristol City (A)
Sat 23 Norwich City (H)
Sat 30 Hull City (A)

OCTOBER

Tue 3 Millwall (H)
Sat 7 Swansea City (H)
Sat 21 West Bromwich Albion (A)
Wed 25 Sheffield Wednesday (H)
Sat 28 Ipswich Town (A)

NOVEMBER

Sat 4 Middlesbrough (H)
Sat 11 Leeds United (A)
Sat 25 Sunderland (H)
Tue 28 Coventry (A)

DECEMBER

Sat 2 Stoke City (H)
Sat 9 Leicester City (A)
Wed 13 Queens Park Rangers (A)
Sat 16 Rotherham United (H)
Sat 23 Birmingham City (H)
Tue 26 Cardiff City (A)
Fri 29 Southampton (A)
 

JANUARY

Mon 1 Watford (H)
Sat 13 Huddersfield Town (A)
Sat 20 Cardiff City (H)
Sat 27 West Bromwich Albion (H)

FEBRUARY

Sat 3 Swansea City (A)
Sat 10 Sunderland (A)
Wed 14 Coventry City (H)
Sat 17 Leeds United (H)
Sat 24 Middlesbrough (A)

MARCH

Sat 2 Ipswich Town (H)
Wed 6 Sheffield Wednesday (A)
Sat 9 Blackburn Rovers (A)
Sat 16 Preston North End (H)
Fri 29 Norwich City (A)

APRIL

Mon 1 Bristol City (H)
Sat 6 Rotherham United (A)
Tue 9 Queens Park Rangers (H)
Sat 13 Leicester City (H)
Sat 20 Stoke City (A)
Sat 27 Millwall (A)

MAY

Sat 4 Hull City (H)

Dewsnip transfer comments

Back to incomings, Neil Dewsnip made some interesting comments to Plymouth Live.

He urged patience, of course, and revealed that Argyle could target around ten new signings.

And, of course, Dewsnip revealed that Argyle would be hitting the loan market again – and this would take some time given that players haven‘t even reported back to their clubs yet.

Dewsnip also revealed that talks were ongoing with some former loan players:

"I would love one or two of them, if not more, to return. They all have different circumstances.

"We have already talked about the possibility of some of them returning. Some of those conversations were stopped dead, some of them are very much alive."

I can’t think of a loan player from 22/23 that I wouldn’t want back at Argyle, although some – Mumba, Azaz, Whittaker – would certainly be cause for excitement.

Summer training camp

The players report back for duty on 28 June and will have fitness tests, and then there’s warm weather training in Spain.

The club will obviously want to have new signings in place to gel for that camp, but Dewsnip also reminded fans that it’s not essential.

Loan players Mumba and Whittaker didn’t attend last season’s camp, so it’s not a prerequisite for a good start to the season.

But there was more good news as Plymouth Live reported that Michael Cooper will attend the training camp, providing a boost that his return from injury could be sooner than expected. Cooper will be working on handling and patterns of play, but obviously won’t be in full training.