Plymouth Argyle have picked up four points from a possible six since the dismissal of manager Ian Foster.
Even though they didn’t put on the most compelling show, Queens Park Rangers is still in control of their own future.
Since the new dugout was installed, Morgan Whittaker, an Argyle, has changed how he appears on the pitch and is already reverting to his previous persona.
The struggles of Whittaker under Foster
Whittaker ended Foster’s brief reign as the team’s manager with six goals and two assists.
This includes the two FA Cup matches against Leeds United in addition to the 14 league games. Although it may not seem like much, this is a significant decline from his early-season performance.
During Steven Schumacher’s reign, the Argyle forward was up against the likes of Southampton’s Adam Armstrong and current leader Sammie Szmodics at the top of the Championship scoring statistics.
Whittaker went five games without a goal or an assist between February and March, including a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough and four losses.
He scored just 0.54 xG+A throughout this time, with the home loss to West Bromwich Albion being the lowest of the lows at just 0.03. He had one chance and completed ten passes, however his lone shot of the game was blocked (FotMob).
A fresh start at Home Park
The first game after Foster was fired, Argyle defeated Rotherham United away, with a goal by Bali Mumba.
Whittaker, another record-signing, helped Mumba, and together they made a lot more of an impression than they had in previous weeks.
The former Swansea City player delivered a fantastic pass, and Mumba did a great job finishing.
Whittaker finished with 52 touches, four passes into the final third, and two fouls. Other than that, he produced three opportunities and had five shots, two of which were on target.
Whittaker’s performance in the most recent match against the R’s wasn’t nearly as successful, but it was still a significant improvement over his numbers during Foster’s tenure.
The wide player’s willingness to take up the ball anywhere in the attacking third, move forward, and get shots off feels like a night and day difference from when he was playing under a lot of restrictions under the previous manager.
Whittaker recorded an xA of 0.44 and an xG of 0.16 in the draw against fellow relegation contenders QPR. This was derived from a 74% pass accuracy and four shots in total, two of which were once again on target.
Although statistics can always be used to demonstrate an attacker’s effectiveness, they can also be used for much more. The fact that Argyle’s best player appears to be having fun with the game again could prove to be the difference in this pivotal final stretch for the Greens.
When he was playing well earlier in the season, Whittaker was one of the Championship’s most dangerous forwards; if he can maintain his pre-Foster standards of play, Argyle might not need to worry about relegation.
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