Sturrock will restore discipline

PAUL Sturrock has laid down the law. Plymouth Argyle's players have been given a code of conduct to abide by next season. It is just one of many changes the Pilgrims' manager is implementing at Home Park this summer.

Sturrock, who is in his second spell in charge of the Pilgrims, does not want to preside over a repeat of last season, when Argyle came too close for comfort to dropping out of the Coca-Cola Championship. "Last year was the first year in which I've lost more games than I've won [as a manager]," he said this week, when his players started their pre-season training programme. "I don't like that.

"It wasn't me. There were things that I had to do because of the situation we were in. There were times when I had to bite my lip, so much so that I had blood rolling down my chin, and I'm making sure that doesn't happen this year.

"We're having a discipline and an organisation at this club. It will be back to how it was when I was here in the past. The rules and regulations of this football club were handed to the players this week, at my first meeting with them.

"I'm changing the job specifications of my coaching staff, as well," Sturrock added. "We've also brought in a psychologist this year, and a full-time fitness trainer. We've added to our staff."

This week's changes in the Home Park boardroom – Sir Roy Gardner has replaced Paul Stapleton as Argyle chairman – have not altered one aspect of the manager's job this summer, however.

The Scotsman knows that he needs to trim the size of his first-team squad. He declared: "We've got too many players. I can't stand for that. I've got to dramatically cut the squad so that I can bring in four or five new players."

Progress could be imminent. "We've had several clubs or agents approach us to ask about the availability of certain players," Sturrock confirmed. "That's as far as it has gone at the moment."

Aberdeen could help the Pilgrims to reduce their squad. They are keen on Argyle left-flank player Jim Paterson.

It was reported last month that the Scottish Premier club wanted to borrow the former Motherwell man for the coming season. Mark McGhee, the Dons' manager, said this week: "Jim Paterson is a player we are interested in, but we are waiting to speak to Plymouth again. I'm waiting to hear from Paul Sturrock."

Belgium striker Emile Mpenza, whose contract with Argyle came to an end last month, has been having talks with Swiss side Sion. He has also been linked with a couple of clubs in Greece.

It was confirmed this week that the Pilgrims' boss will be taking his team back to his previous club, Swindon Town, for a pre-season friendly on Saturday, August 1. The Wiltshire outfit were not best pleased last summer, when Sturrock sent a young and inexperienced Argyle side to the County Ground to play a friendly against Swindon's first XI.

Sturrock will take his full squad to take on Town next month. "It's a kiss-and- make-up game," he admitted. "Last year they were a wee bit disappointed in me, because I sent the kids. I thought it was appropriate at the time to train the first team [back in Plymouth]."

Sturrock is also looking forward to welcoming Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian to Home Park for a friendly on July 29. "I'm very pleased that we've got somebody to play at home at that time," the Argyle boss said. "I think we'll have one or two new players in by then, and it will be good for them to have a taste of playing at home.

"I'm hoping to have us up and running by the time we play Hearts and Swindon. Over the years, my pre-season training has never been geared to getting teams up to a gallop too quickly. This year we've changed some aspects of the pre-season work, and I'm hoping that will allow us to have a better start to the season than we normally have."