Q & A | Can Pilgrims pull off spectacular double?

With the 2022/23 season entering its final straight, the glint of silverware is a teasing prospect for some fans across the country - with League One leaders Plymouth in the mix for a potential league and cup double. 

Set to face Bolton in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley on Sunday, Steven Schumacher's Pilgrims have it all to play for, and we caught up with Plymouth fan account Argyle Life to discuss pre-final butterflies and the extent of fans' expectations ahead of their big day out. 

PM: A trip to Wembley awaits for Argyle supporters which is, correct me if I’m wrong, Plymouth’s third ever? Quite bluntly, though, is the Papa Johns Trophy viewed as a ‘bonus’ by fans or is winning a cup viewed in a similar way as potentially earning promotion this season. 

AL: A bonus - for sure. 

I think the general consensus is that should we gain promotion, come what May, no one will really care if we lose the final on Sunday; however winning this alongside promotion makes this season easily one of our greatest ever. It’s only a bonus if we go up. 

Winning the EFL Trophy and not going up? That’s a disappointing season, in truth. 

PM: On from that comparison, though, how special will another day out at Wembley be for supporters? Especially in what could be a crowd that pushes towards 75,000 in total. 

AL: As you’ve already alluded to, this is only our third visit to Wembley (in either guise) in our history - any trip to Wembley is fantastic but to do it while sitting top of League One - for now - is incredible. 

This club has come on leaps and bounds in recent seasons and it’s hard to see where the positives let up. Wavering fans are coming back to Home Park in their thousands and the mood around the whole club is buoyant right now - I can imagine Wembley Way will be a sea of green come Sunday.

I was always a bit cautious of any success in this competition and how that would affect our run in for promotion, but now the day is finally upon us I’m starting to get really excited; a weekend in the capital watching Argyle at Wembley in a cup final?. Dreamland. 

@Getty /

PM: The injury to your goalkeeper Michael Cooper led to quite a few people believing The Pilgrims might fall away from the automatic promotion spots this season, but you head into the final on the back of four wins in your last five. Given that, how do you view your chances of winning against Bolton? Red-hot favourites?

AL: Trust me, many still believe that to be the case. We joke on the Green & White podcast that we’re not given the respect we feel we’ve earnt this season  - we’re sitting top of the league and in the EFL Trophy final but because we’ve not got the history of some of the huge clubs in this league we’re talked out of any praise.

As bitter as it sounds, we also like it that way. We’re happy to be underestimated all the way to promotion.

Getting back to the question in hand though, Michael Cooper’s loss is a tough one to take, especially when you couple that with Callum Burton’s - Cooper’s replacement - initial nervy performances. He’s since grown into the side and looks to have settled somewhat, our last league game - the win over Accrington - he looked very assured. Confidence coming at the right time, we feel. 

I wouldn’t class us as ‘red-hot favourites’, however I’m very confident in Steven Schumacher’s tactical nous over Ian Evatt. Both sides are similar in shape and style, but having not lost in our last 5 against Wanderers with 4 wins in that run, you have to be confident ahead of the final. 

PM: Where do you see Plymouth’s key strengths ahead of the match and is there any specific cause for concern in your expected line-up? 

AL: We’ve an abundance of talent right now, I can’t remember an Argyle side with as many options as we do now. On their day any number of those in the 10 role are phenomenal; Finn Azaz and Danny Mayor namely.

Up top the varying options of Niall Ennis, Ryan Hardie, Sam Cosgrove and surprise signing of Kiwi international Ben Waine all offer incredibly different things to this side and all have goals in this competition so far. 

@Getty / David Horton - CameraSport

Bali Mumba is outrageous going forward too. Deployed on either flank, the Norwich City loanee has made himself one of the first names on the team sheet with his electric pace and ability to beat a man - he’s not afraid to score a worldie too, finishes against Exeter City and Ipswich Town come to mind. (Though the less said about his defensive ability, the better). 

Hopefully Adam Randell is passed fit to play after missing the last few with injury - I personally think he’s the one to watch in the middle of the park. Couple his on-ball ability with Jay Matete’s workrate just behind Finn Azaz’s quality and you have yourself a phenomenal well oiled machine capable of blowing any EFL side away, on its day. 

The only slight cause for concern I do have is at the back; we seem to be littered with injuries and Dan Scarr’s return from injury against Accy was forced as James Bolton hobbled off before the half-hour mark. Should the first choice three of James Wilson, Dan Scarr and Macaluey Gillesphey all be fit and raring to go, we should be fine. 

PM: The long trip north to Lancashire and Morecambe away is on Good Friday. That starts an eight-match run-in whereby you could achieve 2nd tier football for the first time since 2010. Are you confident that the cup final will not distract from those efforts? 

AL: I genuinely trust Schumacher and this group of players to see it out now. Win or lose at Wembley, I can see them back on the training pitch come Tuesday and already focused on promotion. We’re yet to lose two on the bounce all season, the instant turn around from setbacks has been phenomenal all year. 

Results in the last week or so have all gone in our favour while we haven’t even played and with the ‘games played’ column looking equal again we’ve put ourselves in a very good position to go and get that promotion that this side rightly deserve.

Write us off, everyone else does. 

PM: Plymouth’s honours list does not yet include a cup triumph… where would a double-winning season in League One go down in the history of Plymouth Argyle? 

AL: I think any talk of the title is a little premature at this stage, however should we complete a League One title and EFL Trophy double it would be, without any doubt in my mind, Argyle’s greatest ever season. 

When you throw our budget into a comparative league table, compare our squad to those around us in the league, when you compare our location in the country and how difficult that is to attract talent, factor in the history books of those in League One - and we’re sitting on top? 

All with a rookie manager in his first full season? 

Phenomenal. 

🏆 EFL TROPHY FINAL PREVIEW POD
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🏟 70,000+ Attendance
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🐷 @TrotterChatPod
🥟 Pasty Barms!? https://t.co/LQ0LUr5eYs #pafc #bwfc

— Argyle Life (@ArgyleLife1886) March 28, 2023