<div class="article"><div class="articleText"><h3 id="headline" class="headline">OLLIE UPBEAT </h3><div id="articleBody" class="articleBody"> <span>ARGYLE face their second game in the space of just three dayswithout influential French defender Mathias Kouo-Doumbe following hisharsh red card in Sunday's 3-1 win over </span><span>Derby </span><span>County</span><span>.</span></p> <span>Doumbe's natural replacement, Hasney Aljofree, suffered a broken nose in the game but should be fit enough to play at </span><span>Barnsley tonight</span><span>,</span></p> <span>Naturally, manager Ian Holloway refused to be downbeat andregards the suspension to Doumbe and any injuries as the perfectopportunity for others to stake their claim for a regular startingberth. </span></p> <span>"It adds to our spirit and gives everybody a chance," said Holloway.</span></p> <span>"I have got people here who have not been given their chanceyet and hopefully they will step in and take it, and if they do well,they will stay in."</span></p><p align="center"><span></span></p> <span>Dutch defender Marcel Seip is the example for others tofollow. Seip came into the team at centre-back when Aljofree sufferedconcussion in the 1-0 defeat at </span><span>Southampton</span><span> and the Dutchman has kept his place after three solid displays, which have included two goals from corners.</span></p> <span>Holloway said: "Hasney did not deserve to be left out but Marcel has come in and he scored two, and stayed in.</span></p> <span>"I will reward good behaviour and I will be upfront, and tell them what they need to hear and not what they want to hear.</span></p> <span>"Everybody likes to deal with the truth because it lets you know where you are."</span></p> <span>Holloway is expecting a tough battle against the </span><span>Yorkshire</span><span> outfit. </span><span>Barnsley</span><span> were promoted to the Championship after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over </span><span>Swansea</span><span> in the Play-Off Final and Holloway was in the commentary box for that game.</span></p> <span>Barnsley</span><span> manager Andy Ritchie is greatly admiredby Holloway. Ritchie has stuck to his attacking principles sincepromotion and it is a philosophy he probably picked from his playingdays as a talented striker for the likes of Manchester United and </span><span>Oldham</span><span>.</span></p> <span>"It will be a very tough game," said Holloway.</span></p> <span>"</span><span>Barnsley</span><span> play </span><span>4-2-4</span><span>and they attack and attack and attack. That might half suit us becausewe are happy to soak up bits and pieces, and then hit them on the break.</span></p> <span>"I like Andy a lot. He was a fantastic player, very skilfuland you do not go to Manchester United if you are not very, very good.He is a gentleman.</span></p> <span>"I was a commentator for the Play-Off Final and I thought </span><span>Swansea</span><span> created the better chances but you can never write Barnsley off and boy do they like to attack."</span></p> <span>Argyle are currently on a run of three successive wins, whichhas seen them rise to fifth in the table and Holloway is looking tobeat the run of seven wins he achieved during his time as manager ofQPR.</span></p> <span>He remains confident that Aljofree will be fit enough to playhis part in that quest and revealed that his forced withdrawal from the</span><span>Derby</span><span> game was down to the amount of blood pouring from the Mancunian defender's nose.</span></p> <span>"I told the players that I want to beat the seven wins in a row that we got at QPR," said Holloway.</span></p> <span>"I think he [Aljofree] will be fine. He can smell round corners now, so we might have to straighten that nose up. </span></p> <span>"He has definitely bust it but I have said to him that he wastoo good looking for a centre-back and he is starting to look like areal one now.</span></p> <span>"It was the bleeding. He did not come off because it was hurting, it was just the bleeding.</span></p> <span>"I have broken mine five times and always carried on playing.As long as it is not affecting his breathing or his airway, then hewill get out there because he is made of the right stuff."</span></p><p align="center"><span></span></p> <span>One definite absentee is striker Nick Chadwick, as he hasfailed to recover from a niggling groin injury that has bothered himfor the last fortnight.</span></p> <span>Holloway was, therefore, understandably relieved that fellowstrikers Barry Hayles and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake both came through the </span><span>Derby</span><span> game unscathed, especially with young Reuben Reid out on loan at </span><span>Kidderminster</span><span>.</span></p> <span>Ebanks-Blake will probably feel less tired than the rest of the team after he was substituted early in the second half against </span><span>Derby</span><span> as Holloway introduced Aljofree as cover for the dismissal of Doumbe.</span></p> <span>Holloway said: "Chadwick is really upset because he expectedit to clear up over the last two weeks and it has not, although he ischuffing at the bit to play.</span></p> <span>"I have told him not to risk it. Things may have backfired abit because I loaned out Reuben Reid, although I still think that wasthe right decision. Both Sylvan and Barry came through."</span></p> <span>"I had to take Sylvan off. What else could I do? He keptlooking over and he knew it. I could have moved him outside to the wingbut I had to do something."</span></p> <span>Holloway singled out skipper Paul Wotton as a shining light against </span><span>Derby</span><span>.Wotton scored two penalties and also performed manfully as an emergencycentre-back in the closing stages following the departures of Doumbeand Aljofree.</span></p> <span>The manager was delighted for his captain, especially afterWotton received unwarranted criticism from sections of the media andparts of the </span><span>Home </span><span>Park</span><span> crowd following the miraculous 3-3 draw with runaway leaders </span><span>Cardiff</span><span> earlier in the season. </span></p> <span>"Take people for granted at your peril," said Holloway.</span></p> <span>"I thought Wotton was terrific at centre-back when he had togo back there in the end, absolutely fantastic and I am glad he got manof the match. It shows the measure of the man, again."</span></p><p align="center"><span></span></p> <span>Youngsters Gary Sawyer and Scott Laird will now come intocontention in the absence of Doumbe but experienced defender AnthonyBarness has not travelled due to the imminent birth of his child.</span></p> <span>Holloway said: "Sawyer will come into contention and ScottLaird may have to come in. I had to think about Anthony Barness becausehis wife is about to give birth.</span></p> <span>"I know he is a player but that comes first, always has andalways will. If you are a Father, you deserve to be at the birth. It isa miracle and no-one should miss that. You made it together and thenyou should bring it in to the world together."</span></p> <span>Argyle's wonderful recent form has inevitably led to thoughts of reaching the promised land of the Premiership.</span></p> <span>Holloway fully understands that notion as he believes theChampionship this season is as tight as any division he has ever knownand clubs will do all they can to reach the top-flight, and all theriches that entails.</span></p> <span>He said: "This division is the most even there has ever beenand everybody is trying to reach that pot of gold, and they will keepinvesting. People will lose their jobs and more players will be boughtbecause they are all chasing the dream.</span></p> <span>"When you get there, it is not a dream, it is a nightmare, from a managers' point of view, but we are all living to do it.</span></p> <span>"The only clubs that have been really successful at doing ithave been going up, coming down, going up, coming down and then theybecome good enough and solid enough to stay there. The examples are </span><span>Bolton</span><span>, Charlton, and </span><span>Portsmouth</span><span>.</span></p> <span>"The balloon payments when you are relegated from the Premiership means the rich are getting richer."</span></p></div></div></div>
