Plymouth Argyle have reiterated that Tom Cleverley will be given time to implement his vision after a poor start to life at Home Park.
The Pilgrims opted to bring in the 36-year-old in the summer after the shock departure of previous boss Miron Muslic. Although they suffered relegation from the Championship, the current Schalke manager was a popular figure amongst supporters.
Cleverley had found himself linked with a number of positions after being dismissed by Watford in May. Plymouth pulled off a major coup by securing his signature, and he was tasked with launching a promotion challenge in League One.
It’s fair to say things haven’t gone to plan though. The Devon-based side are winless since September and currently sit in the relegation zone. Last night’s 2-0 defeat at Mansfield Town was their third reverse in a row and there are now calls for Cleverley to be cut loose.
Is Tom Cleverley under pressure? #pafc pic.twitter.com/d6uQOioasx
— The Real EFL (@RealEFLSocial) October 23, 2025
Plymouth CEO Maintains Support
Cleverley’s appointment in June was coupled by chairman Simon Hallett insisting that the rebuild at Home Park would be a long-term strategy. This has now been reiterated by CEO Paul Berne, who remains unwavered in his support of the head coach.
In a statement posted earlier today, Berne admitted results haven’t been good enough but issued the following update regarding the former Manchester United midfielder’s future:
“In the case of our Head Coach, let me be more explicit. We hired Tom as a young, bright, ambitious Head Coach who could come and be a big part of Argyle’s next phase.
“We are a quarter of the way into Tom’s first season with us. Whilst results have been disappointing, nothing has changed in terms of Tom being the right person for this club. We need to bring that stability throughout the club, and this comes from Head Coach downwards.
“We are confident that things will improve. We’ve had a number of circumstances which have hit us in recent weeks, resulting in key players being missing throughout the opening 14 league games. This was emphasised last night, with Tom unable to fill the substitutes bench, and nine players being unavailable for selection, with the vast majority considered first-team starters.
We all recognise our very disappointing start to the season.
As a club, we need stability, and Tom Cleverley retains our full backing as Head Coach.
A message from Chief Executive, Paul Berne. 🗣️
— Plymouth Argyle FC (@Argyle) October 29, 2025
“These are not excuses, but facts, and are clearly not ideal circumstances for any Head Coach to deliver consistent, winning performances. But, we believe Tom has all the tools to still deliver this.
“Throughout all of this, the support of the Green Army has never wavered, with continued sell-out home crowds and incredible away backings. This support is never taken for granted by anyone at the football club, especially Tom, his staff and the players.
“We are One Argyle, and as history has proven, when we are united we can achieve special things. Let’s stick together. COYG.”
Writer’s View
Many will see this as the dreaded vote of confidence but it is clear that Plymouth still believe they have the right man. Cleverley was rightly applauded for the job he did at Watford but League One football with a team in a rebuild phase is a completely different animal. It’s fair to say that he has found this out the hard way.
Supporters have already lost faith and it will be difficult for the young head coach to turn things around. The question is, if League Two football starts to look a real possibility, how long will the board remain patient?
