Argyle returned to the second tier as League One champions, but have only won two of their opening seven league games and were hammered 4-1 at Bristol City in midweek.
But David Wagner is wary of the Canaries falling into the same trap that snared them at Rotherham prior to the international break.
“Who judges them on the Bristol game makes the first mistake, to be totally honest. We didn’t look on it, we didn’t analyse the Bristol game, they made seven changes for an away game,” he said. “It doesn’t count for us.
“We take this very seriously and we’ve seen, and we learned our lesson from Rotherham, where we reset, and the guys have shown since the international break we are better than that. This is now a real test.
“I don’t like to compare the teams, Rotherham and Plymouth, because they have a totally different approach. What you can compare is both teams, especially at home, in their stadium, can create a very tricky atmosphere, one where you have to keep your head down, be very calm in ball possession, and be ready for the fight.
“This is where we have prepared my guys. We have to show that we learned our lessons out of the Rotherham game.
“It helps if you are clinical, it helps if you don’t give them a breather, it helps if you don’t give them energy, because they win some battles, or they are successful, it makes it even more difficult. And this is exactly what we have to do, and what our aim is from the first second. Be ready. Show our strength.
“Make sure that we play to our strengths as well. And we said this more often than not it’s about us, and this is for sure the case.
“We have everything to be successful, but with every respect to Plymouth.”
Norwich slipped to a 2-0 Carrow Road defeat to title favourites Leicester City in midweek, but on Friday Wagner talked up the positives.
“What stands out for me, after I saw the game back, is how energetic and how aggressive we were, how we really closed down the spaces,” he said. “Let’s be honest, they are a top side with top individuals and they don’t need a lot of space to hurt you.
“We gave them very little. And in the tight spaces we fought quite well. And this is exactly how it should be against the technical side, against a side which likes to play football.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the point, or even more out of this game. We got beaten by quality. And we left this game quickly behind us, because we know we’ve done a lot of things right. But we didn’t get the three points, or the points which were on the table. Since Thursday we looked forward to Plymouth.
“A very difficult game, especially at home. They have a good home record, play some very good football for a promotion team, a totally different approach, they have a lot of freedom, a lot of fluidity. They play was happiness, especially offensively, obviously, defensively, they give some spaces as well.
“This is a real challenge, a real test for us after Wednesday night, and we have to make ourselves ready to go again. And we will. For these points we will fight like hell. These points count as much as Leicester.”
Ashley Barnes is out until November with medial knee ligament damage, with fellow frontman Josh Sargent previously sidelined for three months after undergoing ankle surgery.
Midfielder Marcelino Nunez remains in a protective boot, following his ankle issue on international duty for Chile.
“The boot comes off at the beginning of the next week. And then we have to see, I think, before the October international break. It’s quite tight. Let’s wait and see how it looks,” said Wagner.
Read the full article here
