Plymouth manager’s pleasure as Argyle set up a game with Hull City with a thundering Norwich City triumphs.
On Saturday, the Pilgrims travel to MKM Stadium to play the in-form The city of Hull
Plymouth manager Steven Schumacher was overjoyed to see his team show its true colors after rebounding back from a midweek thrashing at the hands of Bristol City with a magnificent destruction of Norwich to set up a trip to Hull City next weekend.
Argyle were defeated 4-1 at Ashton Gate on Tuesday, but it was their turn to inflict misery on Saturday, when they smashed the Canaries 6-2 at Home Park the day before City defeated Stoke City 3-1.
Morgan Whittaker scored a hat-trick, and Dan Scarr, Finn Azaz, and substitute Luke Cundle also scored for the exuberant hosts, who lead 4-0 at halftime.
Norwich pulled two goals back thanks to Adam Idah’s brace, but they were already 5-0 down and on course for a humiliating defeat.
“I thought we played really well,” Schumacher said. “I spoke earlier in the week about how our performance on Tuesday didn’t look like us.” We hadn’t had a performance like Tuesday in a long time, and we thought we could do something about it.
“It wasn’t a difficult fix. It was simply a matter of putting in a little more work and, of course, having people in the right places and completing the basics correctly. When we get things right as a team, we always seem like a threat, so I was extremely happy with the lads’ reaction.
Whittaker scored in the 15th minute, and Scarr added another 20 minutes later, but it was in first-half stoppage time that Plymouth inflicted the most damage, with Azaz and Whittaker doubling their lead in a pivotal spell.
“We were thinking of going in at 2-0 at halftime and all of a sudden we were going in at 4-0,” Schumacher explained. That was a crazy few minutes, but it gave you that cushion.
“We talked about having to concentrate because we know the quality they have, and if they got the first goal early, they’d have 45 minutes to score three goals, which they could easily do.”
“We said stick to the plan, keep doing what we’re doing, and if another opportunity to counter-attack presents itself, try to take it.” When we scored the fifth goal, everyone calmed down.”
“I am buzzing for Morgan,” Schumacher said of Whittaker, who was enjoying his first Championship hat-trick. He’s certainly an important player for us. He had one goal and four assists prior to today, and now he has four goals, so he’ll be satisfied with his day’s work. I felt him and Finn Azaz were fantastic.”
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