There comes a point in every season when selection decisions stop being about loyalty or reputation and start being about momentum. For Plymouth Argyle, that moment has arrived in goal.

This is not an argument built on one result. The Boxing Day defeat to Reading simply crystallised issues that have been present for weeks. Too often, Argyle look uncertain in their own box, hesitant when crosses are delivered, and slow when possession turns over. Those problems feed directly into pressure, and pressure eventually becomes goals.

Conor Hazard is not a bad goalkeeper. That needs stating clearly. At his best, he has shown he can make strong saves and keep a team in games. The issue is that goalkeeping at this level is no longer just about shot-stopping. It is about command, communication, and control of space. That is where Argyle are falling short.

Hazard’s reluctance to leave his line is becoming a tactical problem rather than a stylistic quirk. Crosses hang in the air longer than they should. Second balls land in dangerous areas. Defenders drop deeper because they do not trust the space behind them to be protected. Once that happens, the entire shape of the team suffers.

Distribution compounds the issue. When a goalkeeper takes extra touches, waits for pressure to arrive, and then goes long without purpose, it hands the initiative straight back to the opposition. In a side trying to play through midfield and build attacks with structure, that disconnect is glaring. Argyle often look like a team with two different ideas, one outfield, one in goal.

CONOR HAZARD. HOW HAVE YOU SAVED THAT!?#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/FrKQ0G3gct

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) February 9, 2025

Is Ashby-Hammond the answer?

That brings the conversation to Luca Ashby-Hammond. He is not without fault. Mistakes earlier in the season are on the record and cannot be ignored. But football decisions are rarely about perfection, they are about fit.

Ashby-Hammond offers something different. He is more proactive off his line and more willing to play early passes into midfield areas. That matters in a team that wants to progress the ball through the thirds rather than bypass them. It also matters psychologically. A goalkeeper who steps forward, claims space, and takes responsibility can lift the confidence of those in front of him.

Recent results underline the need for a reset rather than stubborn continuity. After the Reading defeat came a 1-1 draw with Wycombe Wanderers, followed by another 1-1 at Stevenage. Neither performance screamed crisis more than we already thought, but neither suggested stability either. Argyle look caught between ideas, and nowhere is that more obvious than in goal.

There is also a broader squad management question. Hazard is out of contract in the summer. Ashby-Hammond is younger and still developing. If one goalkeeper is likely to be part of the medium term picture and the other may not be, logic suggests investing minutes accordingly. Waiting until the end of the season to answer that question risks wasting valuable information.

January recruitment may yet change the landscape. A new number one could arrive and settle the debate entirely. But that cannot be assumed. Until it happens, Argyle still have to choose the option that best aligns with how they want to play now.

Persisting with Hazard feels like hoping the problems resolve themselves. Giving Ashby-Hammond a proper run feels like an active decision, one that either confirms he can grow into the role or clarifies the need for decisive recruitment.

Football rewards clarity. At present, Argyle lack it in goal. A change will not solve every issue, but it may remove one that is holding the rest of the team back.