PLYMOUTH Argyle's players have become used to the presence of Paul Mariner, the Pilgrims' new head coach, on their training ground at Harper's Park during the past fortnight.

They have also reaped the benefit of having their manager in the thick of their practice sessions, rather than settling for an onlooker's role or attending to other duties. Paul Sturrock is taking a leading role on the training ground, and he is making the most of doing so.

"Getting back on the training ground has been a huge bonus for me," the Argyle boss confirmed this week. "I didn't know how much I had missed it until the last two weeks. "It's been hands on," the Scotsman added. "I've definitely got a spring in my step, thinking about what the training will entail, what we need from individual players, and what the shape of the team will be.

"Those things have come to the fore again. It's better to be hands on, and have your finger on the pulse. It's better to be in amongst it, rather than outside looking in. I'm getting back to having one-on-ones with players again."

While Mariner was added to the Argyle staff last month, assistant manager Kevin Summerfield and coach John Blackley left the club. That prompted Sturrock to return to duty at Harper's Park.

"We'd got into a routine and there was a lot of administrative stuff to take care of, but there has been a changeover," the Pilgrims' manager said.

"We lost two and we only gained one, so it didn't need a rocket scientist to work out what needed to be done. Getting back into it has been a great tonic for me."

Argyle have gained four points from their last two fixtures in the Coca-Cola Championship, to give their quest to climb out of the bottom three a boost. Sturrock is adamant that he and Mariner are not the only people who deserve credit for what has been achieved in the past fortnight.

"You have to remember there are other parts of the coaching staff as well," the Scotsman said.

"The sports scientist, Scott Russell, is doing a fantastic job, because he's combining that work with doing ProZone. Clare Taylor, the physiotherapist, has come in and has done very well."

Sturrock also praised goalkeeping coach Geoff Crudgington. The Pilgrims' boss said: "Romain [Larrieu] went through a wee sticky spell, and Crudgie has done a lot of work with him over the last two weeks and Romain has reaped the benefit. The staff deserve a lot of credit."

Sturrock is planning to add to Argyle's coaching staff, but he admitted that it will be a "slow process". He added: "I have several people in mind, but people are coaching at other football clubs and people are playing at other football clubs. There's a lot of water to go under the bridge before anything happens on the score.

"The important thing was to work with the team. There's no point in having great ideas about the coaching staff if, all of a sudden, you're dead and buried in the league."

Sturrock and Mariner have been concentrating on working with their squad

on the training ground, and one player who has caught their eye is Jamie Mackie. The former Exeter City forward scored the only goal of the game in Argyle's 1-0 win at Middlesbrough last Saturday, and his appetite for hard work has impressed the coaching staff.

Mackie is being encouraged to keep on honing his talent. Mariner said: "There are loads of areas in which players can improve. Jamie is such a willing work-horse, and we're trying to work on some of his runs.

"A lot of the stuff is between the player's ears, and you can save yourself a lot of yardage if you switch on. It might sound like a simple thing to do, but it isn't so easy when you're in battle."

Mackie's efforts this season have been noticed by rival Championship clubs, and Derby County manager Nigel Clough has admitted taking an interest in him. Sturrock has not been surprised to hear that.

"I expect most managers will have been impressed by Mackie," he said, "but that does not bother me. That's a compliment to Jamie. He has done well for himself.

"I feel that playing him on the wing [earlier in the season and for part of last term] was a benefit to him, because he now has an idea of the whole picture of attacking play. Now, away from home, he has been devastating through the middle. I'm pleased for him, because he has worked very hard."

Argyle winger Craig Noone has been assisting Mackie's previous club, Exeter, during a spell on loan to the Grecians this term. He was recalled by the Pilgrims this week, and will be back in their squad for Saturday's home game against Doncaster Rovers.

Noone, who was plucked out of non-League football by Argyle last year, made the most of his time at St James' Park, according to Sturrock. The Scotsman said: "He has got his confidence back. When he came here, he was carefree. Then we tried to get him to think about the game, and his confidence was on the wane because of that.

"Now, to be fair to him, he has learned his trade again," Sturrock added. "He went away and he did a lot of work with them [Exeter], and he realises now that he has work to do when the other team has the ball. He can influence games, whether he comes off the bench or starts, and having him back gives me food for thought. He has proved he can play in League One, and I've brought him back so that he can prove to himself that he can play in the Championship – which he has done already, but not as a regular occurrence."

Noone is likely to be involved this weekend, probably as a substitute. The Argyle boss said: "We've got a couple of niggling knocks and a couple of suspensions, and we didn't want to leave ourselves short. Craig's form has been good, we're at home this weekend, we want to be on the front foot, and we need his kind of player."