Three goals conceded at home to average opposition. Same defenders, same issues, same result. Plymouth Argyle’s defensive frailty should surprise no one.
The warning signs were all there, and they were ignored.
This Defence Didn’t Just Appear – It’s a Holdover From a Collapse
Last season, Plymouth Argyle conceded 88 goals in the Championship. That statistic doesn’t go away simply because the club now finds itself in League One. And yet, judging by the way the defence has been discussed in some quarters, it’s as if that catastrophic record has been chalked up to the quality of the opposition rather than the failings of the players involved.
That logic has now crumbled. Conceding three times at home in the opening fixture to a Barnsley side that looked functional at best confirms what many suspected: this is the same defence, and the same flaws are still baked in. The only surprise is that some were surprised.
Key figures from the backline remain: Matty Sorinola, Victor Palsson, Callum Szucs, and Brendan Galloway, and many of them are now being deployed in a flat back four that offers none of the protection they previously relied on. Under Míron Muslic’s brief stabilising tenure, the back three was masked by the intelligence of Maksym Talovierov and the presence of Neven Katić. Both are gone. The current line-up has neither their quality nor their authority.
Positional Naivety, Tactical Confusion, and a Lack of Leadership
The goals conceded weren’t the result of opponents carving Argyle apart with brilliance. They were handed over with the sort of amateurish defending that typified the back end of Wayne Rooney’s tenure. Poor clearances, missed first contacts, defenders clattering into each other under no pressure – all basic failings that point to more than just individual mistakes.
Palsson, often cited as an “experienced international,” continues to look unsuited to a back four. Szucs, though better than he showed last time out, appears to be suffering without a reliable partner alongside him. The full-back areas are no more secure. Sorinola’s attacking intent does little to balance his defensive inconsistency, and his inability to finish 90 minutes consistently borders on the unprofessional.
Meanwhile, the decision to invert full-backs and leave centre-halves exposed suggests either an overcomplication of tactics or a squad ill-suited to the system being asked of them. Either way, positional sense is absent and communication is minimal.
The Bigger Problem? This Defence Wasn’t Rebuilt
The midfield and forward line understandably took priority in the transfer market after relegation and departures. But in doing so, the club failed to adequately refresh the one area that screamed for a complete reset. Only MacKenzie has been brought in, and even he arrived as something of a project rather than a plug-and-play solution.
Palsson and Szucs are still here. So is Galloway, whose injury record continues to cast a shadow. Pleguezuelo is perhaps the best of the group, but he’s currently on Plymouth’s injury list. No commanding new centre-half, no vocal organiser, and still no dominant goalkeeper. It all adds up to a defensive unit sleepwalking into another season of soft concessions and unnecessary pressure.
And for all the hope pinned on Cleverley’s attacking intentions, they’ll count for little if Argyle are 1–0 down by the 12th minute every other week.
Personnel Isn’t the Only Issue – But It’s the First to Address
Talk of tactical tweaks is valid. A return to a back three may ease the pressure on this group. Better midfield screening could help. But those are patches, not solutions. The real fix involves recruitment – another centre-back, ideally one with experience, leadership and the ability to marshal those around him. Without that, Cleverley may find his first season defined not by his ideas but by the weaknesses he inherited and didn’t resolve.
Until then, every team in League One will fancy their chances. Gift-wrapped goals aren’t just accepted in this division, they’re punished. And unless Argyle make immediate changes to the shape, personnel, or both, that punishment will continue.
Conclusion
The defence wasn’t good enough in the Championship, and nothing significant has changed since. Plymouth Argyle had a chance to rebuild this summer and didn’t take it. The result was there for all to see against Barnsley: a team that looked defensively fragile from first whistle to last. Cleverley has work to do – and not much time to do it.
