Cleverley Urges Plymouth to Toughen Mentality After Lincoln Defeat
Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley has been clear about one thing: his team must toughen up mentally if they are going to turn this season around. After suffering a 3-2 defeat away to Lincoln City, their third straight league loss, Cleverley admitted that the Pilgrims are playing like a side waiting for things to happen instead of taking control from the start.
The game itself was frustrating for Argyle supporters. Lincoln raced into a 3-0 lead, leaving Cleverley’s side looking lost for long stretches. It wasn’t until the final 20 minutes that Plymouth finally showed some fight. Goals from Owen Oseni and Xavier Amaechi brought a late surge of hope, but the comeback fell short. By then, the damage had already been done. Cleverley, speaking after the game, noted that it is always easier to play freely when there’s “nothing to lose,” but he warned that this mindset is not sustainable if they want to compete in League One.
Defensively, Argyle have been far too open. In just three league games, they have conceded eight goals—one of the worst records in the division so far. Even if their attacking play has shown promise, Cleverley admitted that the defensive fragility is holding the team back. Including their Carabao Cup tie against QPR, Plymouth have let in ten goals across his first four matches in charge.
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What makes the challenge harder is the big turnover in the squad following relegation from the Championship. Cleverley, who only took over in the summer, is still working to settle his players into a new system. But he pointed out that no amount of training can fully prepare a team for the pressure of playing in front of thousands of fans. Mistakes that might pass unnoticed in practice suddenly carry weight when a crowd is watching and points are on the line.
He even hinted that his future team selections might lean either on experienced heads who can handle the pressure or on fearless young players willing to take risks. Right now, in his words, Plymouth look like “a team scared of losing,” and that is a mentality he is determined to change.
There was also controversy late on when midfielder Brendan Wiredu was sent off for a second yellow card. Cleverley was furious with the decision, insisting Wiredu had been clipped in the box and should have been awarded a penalty instead. The coach said he expects an apology from the referee, just as Lincoln themselves had received in a previous match.
Looking ahead, Plymouth face Leyton Orient at Home Park on Tuesday night, and Cleverley knows how important it is to get that first league win under their belts. He stressed that supporters should not expect an automatic return to the Championship just because Argyle were recently relegated. The task, he admitted, is much tougher than that, and only by embracing the hard work and building the right mentality will Plymouth climb the table.
For now, though, the message is simple: Plymouth must stop waiting for games to spark into life and start landing the first blow themselves.
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