Tom Cleverley facing big Ryan Hardie dilemma at Plymouth Argyle - he must take this action | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley is set to be unveiled as the new Plymouth manager, and there's one thing that he needs to make his first priority once it's done.

It now seems certain that Tom Cleverley is to be appointed as the new manager of Plymouth Argyle, and as soon as he is in the hot seat at Home Park there's one thing that he's going to need to do.

Plymouth's hunt for a new manager didn't take long following the surprising and fractious departure of Miron Muslic to Schalke 04.

Cleverley was sacked as Watford manager in May after they finished the 2024/25 season in 14th place in the Championship, but he hasn't been out of work for long. He remains highly thought of as a young coach, and Plymouth have identified him as being capable of getting their club back out of League One again next season.

Cleverley has one job which needs to be addressed before anything else

But there is one task ahead for Cleverley that he will need to address as soon as he is in his new position.

Ryan Hardie has been a critical component of the Plymouth team since he first joined the club in 2021, but there have been rumours circulating for several months that he could be set to leave Home Park.

At the start of May, for example, there was a suggestion that Wrexham could be interested in signing him, a move which would have kept him in the Championship and which may well have offered him a substantial pay rise.

It's absolutely crucial for Plymouth and Cleverley that the striker stays to spearhead a push for promotion in League One.

Hardie joined Plymouth from Blackpool, having already had a successful loan period at the club. Over the last four seasons, he hasn't failed to hit double-figures in terms of goals scored, netting a total of 51 League goals for the club. His League One record stands at 34 goals and 15 assists in 131 appearances - it's the division he's been most prolific in.

The transfer rumours that have been circulating haven't come to anything and, with a year left to run on his contract, Plymouth have no obligation to sell this summer, although there will be pressure.

The unsettling nature of such rumours could cast a spell over Plymouth as they head into the new season, and Cleverley needs to ensure that this cloud has dissipated by the time they kick off again.

The new manager needs players like Hardie to spearhead a quick return to the Championship. As a freshly-relegated club, challenging for that will be the expectation of the owners, and a failure to do so will almost certainly lead to him losing his job.

This is also about more than anything that mere statistics can ever relay. Hardie's leadership skills can't be easily measured, but having that presence in the dressing room, on the pitch and at the training ground could be invaluable to any new manager, and certainly for a relatively young coach who's only been in this position for a few months.

Tying Hardie down to a new contract would send a very clear message, that Plymouth are absolutely serious about that quick return, and that other clubs should stop circling and look elsewhere. Cleverley needs to make this his first priority upon his appointment being confirmed.