Evaluating Argyle’s defensive rebuild at the halfway stage of the summer

After conceding 80 goals in 46 league games last season, Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe decided he needed to freshen up the Pilgrims’ back line, which saw the club head into the summer with no defenders contracted for 2021/22.

Kell Watts, Jerome Opoku and Sam Woods would always have been leaving the club, having been on loan from Newcastle United, Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Scott Wootton’s time at the club had looked to be coming to an end for some time having been loaned out to Wigan Athletic in January, but the departure of Will Aimson, promoted under Ryan Lowe at both Bury and Argyle was slightly more surprising.

Brandon Pursall was the only centre back at the club still contracted, but being just 17-years-old he is unlikely to be involved with the first team next campaign.

If you include wing-backs as defenders, then Argyle did still have George Cooper contracted going into the summer, but the wing-backs in Lowe’s system play more like wingers than traditional wing-backs.

Only three defenders were offered new deals at the club, although two of these were wing-backs, in Ryan Law and Joe Edwards, and the other, Ollie Tomlinson, was fresh out of the academy with one league start to his name.

The youthful nature of last season’s back line was put down as a key factor for the number of goals conceded by Argyle in 20/21, and was something Lowe said he would address during the window.

Now, at the halfway point in the summer, 45 days since Argyle’s 1-0 defeat to Gillingham on the last day of the 2020/21 season, and 45 days before the opening weekend of the season, Argyle’s new defensive line is starting to take shape.

The players offered new deals all signed the contracts offered to them, meaning the scale of the rebuild was not as grand as it may have otherwise been, although the defence was still lacking in senior players.

The first new addition at Home Park was defender James Wilson, released by Ipswich Town after winning their player of the season award. The 32-year-old has more senior appearances to his name than Watts, Opoku and Woods combined and looked a solid first arrival.

The second new signing, Dan Scarr, was also a centre back. Scarr arrived having turned down a new deal at Walsall in League Two, a club who were dragged into a relegation battle in the second half of the season after a long winless run.

On paper the signing of 26-year-old Scarr was not as exciting as the arrival of Wilson, however, although Walsall finished just eight points clear of the relegation zone they only conceded 53 goals over the course of the season, fewer than everyone else in the bottom half bar Stevenage, and fewer than play-off winners Morecambe.

Scarr was also among the best in the division when it came to winning aerial duels and second balls, and while his distribution has been questioned by some supporters of his previous club, if played in the middle of the back three with ball-playing defenders either side of him then that shouldn’t be as big an issue.

Less than a week later, the third new addition was confirmed, with Macaulay Gillesphey agreeing to join at the end of his contract at Brisbane Roar in Australia.

Gillesphey was linked to Argyle two seasons ago before moving to Oz, but has now decided to join the Pilgrims.

It is likely that Gillesphey, Scarr and Wilson will line up together as the first choice back three. Scarr down the middle, Gillesphey on the left and Wilson on the right.

Any new arrivals could shake up that line up however, Ryan Lowe has suggested he will have a player in on trial at the start of preseason, and that a loan defender may come in as cover.

If a loan is the route taken by Lowe it is likely the player would be under 21-years-old so as to not count to the 20 player squad cap in place for this season, down from 22 last campaign.

Ahead of the defence, Argyle are still in need of a defensive midfielder. Adam Randell may take up that role following his return from Torquay, but having played in a variety of positions last season it is not clear where he will play should he make the team.

A wingback to challenge Joe Edwards should also be on the shopping list, Edwards will likely be first choice, as he was last season, but Lowe will likely want another player to compete for the spot.

Another central midfielder and at least one more striker will also be expected to arrive at Home Park before the transfer window closes, leaving a lot of work still to be done, but the issue of bringing in a first choice defence does look to have been solved, allowing Lowe to now look elsewhere to strengthen the side.

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