Steven Schumacher hails Plymouth reaction to heavy loss as Norwich put to sword

Posted Sunday, September 24, 2023 by PA

Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher was thrilled to see his side show their true colours after bouncing back from their midweek mauling at Bristol City with a stunning demolition of Norwich.

Argyle were humbled 4-1 at Ashton Gate on Tuesday but it was their turn to dish out the pain on Saturday as they thrashed the Canaries 6-2 at Home Park.

Morgan Whittaker led the way with a hat-trick while Dan Scarr, Finn Azaz and substitute Luke Cundle were also on the scoresheet for the rampant hosts, who led 4-0 at half-time.

Norwich pulled two goals back through Adam Idah’s brace but they were already 5-0 down at the time and well on course for a comprehensive loss.

Schumacher said: “I thought we played really well and I spoke earlier in the week about how our performance on Tuesday didn’t look like us.

“It’s been a while since we had a performance like Tuesday and we felt we could do something about it.

“It wasn’t a hard fix really. It was just about putting in a bit more effort and obviously getting people in the right positions and doing the basics right.

“When we get that right as a team we always look a threat and so I was really pleased with the reaction from the lads.

“We knew that the speed that we have got up top would cause their centre-backs problems.

“What pleased me the most was the understanding of what we were trying to do and then the execution of it was brilliant.”

Whittaker opened the scoring in the 15th minute and Scarr added a second 20 minutes later but it was in first-half stoppage time where Plymouth did the real damage as Azaz and Whittaker doubled their lead in a decisive spell.

Schumacher added: “We were thinking of going in at 2-0 at half-time and all of a sudden we were going in at 4-0. That was a bit of a mad few minutes but it gives you that cushion.

“We spoke about having to concentrate because we know the quality they have got and if they got the first goal early then there would be 45 minutes for them to score three goals and they could easily do that.

“We said stick to the plan keep doing what we are doing and if we got another opportunity to counter-attack try and take it.

“When we got the fifth goal it settled everybody down.”

Whittaker was celebrating his first Championship hat-trick and Schumacher said of the 22-year-old: “I am buzzing for Morgan. He’s obviously a huge player for us.

“Before today he had one goal and four assists, now he’s got four goals so he’ll be pleased with his day’s work. I thought him and Finn Azaz today were outstanding.”

Canaries boss David Wagner was left fuming at his side’s performance, saying the players lost their heads.

He said: “It was a disappointing result and a horrible afternoon for us.

“I am very angry about how we responded after we conceded the first goal which was an offside situation.

“For the second goal we didn’t do our job in the wall when they had two players on the ball, and after the two goals unfortunately we totally lost our heads and this is something that should not happen.

“Then we conceded four counter-attack goal -because we lost our heads we played in spaces where we shouldn’t play.

“We have been quite solid at the back in the past and haven’t looked vulnerable on the counter-attack and today was totally the opposite and this is something that is not good enough.

“We lost our heads after the first two goals and conceded a deserved heavy defeat because of it.

“We wanted them to win the second half and make it better but we conceded two further counter-attack goals in the transition.

“This game is quite easily explained, and the players are smart enough they know exactly what went wrong and we will show them again and discuss this.

“This can’t happen. Football is a game of mistakes but you can’t lose your head.”