Plymouth Argyle cannot keep drifting, and responsibility ultimately rests with Simon Hallett to reset the club’s football direction, or leave.
Recent defeats against Mansfield and Exeter City, appointments and recruitment have combined into a pattern that leaves Plymouth short on identity, with Simon Hallett now facing a decision between doubling down or recalibrating the football model against League One reality.
The strategy has overreached on risk
Across recent seasons, the club’s choices have skewed towards theory over pragmatism: youthful squads built for resale, left-field coaching picks, and an insistence that being “smarter” will outpace the league.
That posture has produced too many variables for Plymouth to control week to week, leaving Tom Cleverley trying to mould a coherent side without the ballast of hardened Championship or League One experience.
The football department needs less ideology and more balance: 3 or 4 robust, proven professionals around whom the likes of Bali Mumba, Xavier Amaechi and emerging talents can continue to grow.
Tom Cleverley on tonight.
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) October 28, 2025
The manager debate is real but secondary. Coaching matters, yet structure matters more. Without a seasoned recruitment lead, a clear head of football, and a recruitment plan anchored to the division, Plymouth will continue to oscillate.
This is where Simon Hallett must act: elevate the football expertise above personalities, and empower specialists who understand EFL margins.
Appointments, timing and the cost of churn
Hiring bold names has not translated to stable outputs. The sequence of coaches has created tactical whiplash: different pressing heights, different build-up preferences, and constant re-learning.
That churn has left Plymouth chasing rhythm while rivals bank continuity. It is on Simon Hallett to break the loop by prioritising fit over profile, and by installing a senior operator who can set guardrails for Tom Cleverley and whoever follows in the Home Park dugout.
“Greens away aha aha, we hate it aha aha” 🤬🎶
Plymouth Argyle fans weren’t happy with their sides performance after a 2-0 loss away at Mansfield Town this evening 🫠#PAFC
— eflpublished (@eflpublished) October 28, 2025
Recruitment must also shift gears. Squads cannot be dominated by development projects and expect to survive a winter of injuries, fixture load and aerial bombardment.
A recalibrated window should target 3 profiles: a domineering centre-back, a reliable goalkeeper, and a ball-secure midfielder who sets tempo. Add those to the better pieces already at Plymouth and the load on Cleverley reduces, the margin for error widens, and the team’s floor rises inside League One.
The communication piece matters too. Silence in tough times cedes the narrative. A short, honest update from Hallett that sets out structure, roles and the January plan would stabilise the discourse around Plymouth, restore a little trust, and give clarity to Home Park on what happens next.
None of this dismisses the off-field progress. Facilities, women’s and academy provision, and a more modern business operation are real achievements. But the men’s first team is the locomotive that pulls the rest of the train. If the on-pitch product stalls, commercial momentum follows, and even smart long-term projects feel detached from Plymouth’s week-to-week reality.
Mansfield Town FC’s in-form striker Will Evans opens the scoring against Plymouth Argyle in a League One fixture played tonight. Evans celebrated with a “bun in the oven” celebration after a team celebration. It’s Evans second goal in as many games. pic.twitter.com/2mGMQ2lNAd
— Camera Maynard (@Camera_Maynard) October 28, 2025
That is why the next moves belong to Hallett, why they must be football-first, and why they must be decisive within League One parameters. If he can’t do this? Perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate his position at the club.
The fix is not romantic. It is experienced hires, targeted signings, and a cooling of the “smarter than the league” reflex. Put a proper football spine in place, empower a recruitment grown-up, and commit to a pragmatic, hard-running identity at Plymouth.
If Hallett leads that reset now, the season can be salvaged; if not, the slide will not be slowed by theory, only by action worthy of Home Park. If not? Hello, Harrogate Town.
