'Kept my word': Plymouth Argyle boss explains Newcastle United role in shock Sunderland result

Plymouth Argyle boss Miron Muslic said he was indebted to Newcastle United after watching his Plymouth Argyle side snatch a late point against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Argyle had come into the game in wretched form after losing 5-0 to Burnley on home turf in midweek, but were more than worthy of their stoppage-time equaliser on Wearside. Storm Éowyn had threatened to derail Plymouth’s pre-match preparations, forcing the team to travel north a day early to avoid the worst of the conditions on Friday. Muslic said he had then called in a favour to Newcastle’s Sporting Director Paul Mitchell, turning a potential disadvantage into an advantage as he enjoyed the opportunity to bond with his new group of players.

“We came up a day early,” Muslic said.

“I used my contacts, I know Paul Mitchell at Newcastle United, and we used the training facilities there. They gave us everything we needed so we actually used this storm to work on the pitch and we also stayed together for two days. We could do some tactical work, some video analysis, but also just get to know each other a bit more. In the end, a possible disadvantage turned into an advantage for us. The only thing they told me was that we cannot lose the game, so I have kept my word to them.”

Muslic praised his players for their defensive application in the game, while a decision to bring goalkeeper Conor Hazard straight back into the starting XI after injury also proved crucial for the visitors.

“It’s a step forward,” Muslic said.

“We are moving slowly but we are moving. It takes courage and I’m very happy that we showed this character. I said at half time against Burnley, we won’t change the result but we have to show courage to get out of the game and if we can manage this, it will be a step forward. That’s what it was.

“The reaction was there. I don’t think anyone put a penny on us getting anything today but we believed we could. We had a very good defensive structure and we had moments where we created goalscoring opportunities. To score this late you need a little bit of luck, of course, but that’s football. We couldn’t just defend, they are too good collectively but also individually. I think in the end, we deserved this point.

“The journey our fans made, it showed me how important this club is and I said before I left the dressing room, we have an obligation to give everything and I think we did this. I felt sorry for Daniel [Grimshaw] because not one goal was his fault at Burnley, and he was our best player a couple of days before at QPR. But I also said to Conor that I saw him as our number one, and I think it is very important to have a number one. So I said that when Conor was recovered, he would be back in our goal. I know I can trust Daniel but it’s important to have a number one because this position is all about confidence.”