1 day ago
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Plymouth manager Tom Cleverley acknowledges his team is "a long way off it" in both penalty areas - and finds himself embroiled in a relegation scrap following a third consecutive defeat.
Strikes in either half from Will Evans and Jordan Bowery secured all three points for Mansfield on Monday, as Cleverley's team fell victim to further errors and woeful defending once again. The result leaves Plymouth sitting 22nd in League One after 14 matches.
Plymouth's decline is staggering, considering it beat Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup just eight months ago, thanks to Ryan Hardie's penalty. Since then, Argyle have been relegated from the Championship and could be relegated again if they're not careful.
On Monday, Plymouth's Brendan Galloway and Brendan Wiredu, collectively, failed to deal with a goal kick after six minutes, allowing Will Evans to pounce for the opening goal.
Plymouth goalkeeper Liam Roberts did produce a vital stop to thwart Tegan Finn after 77 minutes before Jordan Bowery wrapped up a fifth league match without defeat for Mansfield after 84 minutes.
Cleverley, who is a former Manchester United midfielder, said after Monday's game: "We are in a relegation battle.
"I don't think there is any part of our performances or consistency to suggest otherwise, so let's face the situation we're in head on.
"This is not something that is going to fix itself overnight. No one has a magic wand to make this issue go away. We are putting in performances that mean we deserve to be where we are at.
"It's never been a sacking club, and it's been hurt by managers leaving at the first bit of success.
"However, that does not give me the right to have nine lives, and I have to turn things round really quickly. I have never seen a team concede so many from direct play, and it's worrying."
Liverpool's loss to Plymouth last season ended the Reds' dream of winning the quadruple under Arne Slot, as the Reds went on to lose the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle and get knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain.
Cleverley added: "There’s no one who wants to stick his chest out more than myself and deal with it and work through it, but I think we have to acknowledge now that this is not something that’s going to fix itself overnight or anyone’s got a magic wand to make this issue go away.
"We’re putting in performances that we deserve to be where we’re at. We have to acknowledge that, and we have to take ownership of that, and I’ll be the first to do that."
Asked if he was worried for his job, Cleverley replied: "Of course, we’re human beings."
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