Plymouth Argyle fans give brutal Tom Cleverley verdict after Exeter defeat

PlymouthLive readers have been voicing their thoughts on Plymouth Argyle's recent 2-0 loss to Exeter City. The Green Army didn't hold back their disappointment, booing and jeering Tom Cleverley and his team after the Devon derby defeat at St James Park.

Cleverley acknowledged the fans' frustration, describing their reaction as 'deserved' following the disappointing performance against Exeter City.

Currently sitting 21st in the League One table with 13 points from an equal number of matches, the Pilgrims have already suffered eight losses this season.

Their performance against the Grecians was particularly lacklustre, with the opposition taking control from the 18th minute when Reece Cole scored the opening goal.

The defeat has sparked a flurry of comments from supporters online. Post-match discussions highlighted issues such as basic defending, poor team cohesion, confusion over tactics, and a lack of motivation.

Some fans also raised concerns about recruitment and the overall direction of the club.

One reader, Ozplym001 comments: "After taking a step back from what was a disastrous performance, it’s clear there are some serious and recurring issues that need addressing. Opposition teams are finding it far too easy to hit long balls over the top. Where most sides would deal with them confidently, we fail to do so, allowing second-ball chances and putting ourselves under unnecessary pressure.

"Secondly, the link between defence, midfield and attack is almost non-existent. The defenders spend too long passing sideways before eventually going long, leaving Tolaj to battle for hopeless balls against two centre-backs. The midfield lacks drive and creativity, and we’re barely delivering any quality service into the opposition box.

"Thirdly, the formation simply isn’t working. Playing three at the back makes us look lost and nervous, leading to countless errors and soft goals. A switch to a more solid 4-2-3-1 setup, especially in away games, could make us far harder to break down.

"Finally, the biggest concern is desire and energy — or rather, the lack of it. Other teams, like Wimbledon and Exeter, have shown real fight, throwing themselves at everything and defending like their lives depend on it. They’re not world-beaters, but they outwork us every time, and that’s damning. Injuries are no longer an excuse. The squad is mostly fit, yet performances remain flat and uninspired. Unless something changes quickly, this season could slip away completely — and worse, we could find ourselves dragged into a relegation battle that should never have been on the cards."

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Brisieboy agrees: "I couldn’t have put it better-sums it up in a nutshell." As does Bananainthefruitbowl, who states: "Excellent assessment Oz and so very factual."

Sloopdog1 writes: "That is the most embarrassing performances I’ve seen against a poor Exeter side in decades, all the players wearing the green shirt need to take a long hard look at themselves, that was just not acceptable and I hope that's what Cleverley said in the changing room. Hallet needs to go he is slowly dragging us down to the national league but he will probably sack Cleverley by Xmas."

GreenNomad feels: "STRENGTH, SPEED, PASSION, oh and some SKILL. Well that was Exeter, what happened to us? Supposed to be a blood and guts derby."

MCollings believes: "TC has 3 games left then goodbye, far too slow from everyone, Hazard had more touches than the midfield combined, tippy tappy football does not work, no heart, no passion, no idea. They deserved to be booed off by argyle fans. This bad performance isn’t a one off."

Gazzie thinks: "TC just haven't got a clue with the bunch of players he has, the majority of new players just ain't good enough for league 1. The recruitment process that SH insist on just does not work, (buy cheap inexperienced players to sell on for a profit) they are cheap for a reason! It's nearly impossible for TC to coach these players as they are probably at their peak now."

PilgrimSean offers: "I do feel for TC. For me this is all Halletts fault. SH made one decent decision when he poached Lowe & Schuey from Bury. They then bought success to PAFC. Ever since then Hallett's decisions have been terrible. The biggest was not investing in the men's first team. Diverting money to other areas of the club meant any quality player has walked. Gibson, Maxi, Hardie, Cooper. All should have been offered more money to stay. Then there were other terrible decisions by Hallett. Foster, Rooney, Randall, Fox. No new investor will come in, all because Hallett is interested in is making money out of PAFC. Ironically at the end of this season we will be back were we started for SH, in league 2. The whole club is a mess."

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