Listen to The Fans – Why Tom Cleverley Needs to Go If Plymouth Lose Against Port Vale

Listen to The Fans – Why Tom Cleverley Needs to Go If Plymouth Lose Against Port Vale

Football Blog

Listen to The Fans – Why Tom Cleverley Needs to Go If Plymouth Lose Against Port Vale

When Tom Cleverley took over at Plymouth Argyle ahead of their return to League One following a disappointing relegation, expectation and hope were quietly positive.

Cleverley had faced a somewhat undeserved and unfortunate sacking at the hands of Watford's notoriously trigger-happy owners, and his performance had turned heads in the English lower tiers.

So, despite some uncertainty around Plymouth, the new season looked set up for Cleverley to have a decent crack at making the club's return to League One a successful one.

Unfortunately, that hasn't come to fruition… at all.

Plymouth currently sit rock bottom after 15 games with just 13 points. They boast (if you can call it that) the worst defence in the entire division and a distinctly average attack which has struggled to keep up with the rate at which they have shipped goals.

This has understandably led to the expectation, which was leaning toward positivity, being entirely reversed – with fans now calling for Cleverley's head.

Not only that, but some have even labelled Cleverley's reign more disappointing than Wayne Rooney's, and boy is that saying something.


Where Has It All Gone Wrong?

Now, it's difficult to sit here and put the entirety of the blame on Cleverley himself, because the circumstances around the club haven't helped him.

But one of the things he keeps preaching is that Plymouth need to get 'back to basics'.

That appears like a great sentiment on the surface, but it only works if you practice what you preach, and it's safe to say Cleverley hasn't done that in any capacity.