"I'll go back next year" - Tony Pulis makes Plymouth Argyle claim | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle are just two points above the relegation zone heading into the final Championship games of the season.

Argyle have had a mixed season so far as they battle against relegation back to League One after just one year in the league. They won the title with an incredible 101 point tally last term but it was always likely that they would be in for a relegation scrap in their first season back.

That's in part due to the finances and resources at the club's disposal compared with their second tier peers, and has been made more difficult following a good start to the campaign, where Steven Schumacher then left the club for Stoke City.

A downturn in form under Ian Foster then left them just a few points above the relegation zone. Their form has declined significantly to worrying levels up until recent weeks, with Argyle winning just one of their last 11 league games with Foster.

In a surprising move, Director of Football, Neil Dewsnip, was announced as the replacement until the end of the season. Even though he had had a similar role in the past, it was still a bold move for the club as they battle to stay in the Championship.

But, it proved to be a smart choice initially, as Argyle picked up seven points from three games under Dewsnip, which included an impressive win against high-flying leaders Leicester City. However, defeat to Stoke City over the weekend kept them in a perilous position.

The Pilgrims currently sit 20th in the Championship table, and have just two games to achieve survival in a fierce battle at the bottom, with multiple teams separated by just a matter of points.

Tony Pulis' Plymouth Argyle relegation verdict

Plymouth face an away trip to Millwall, and a home clash on final day to Hull City in order to secure enough points to survive, but their former boss is not sure if they will have enough to stave off the drop.

Tony Pulis spent one season with the Pilgrims back in 2005/06, and secured a mid-table finish in the Championship before moving to Stoke City. He believes Plymouth are going to have to pull up some trees to stay up and will be 'really disappointed' if they go down.

Pulis said via OLBG: “I had a great time at Plymouth, I'll go back next year, hopefully.

“The chairman has done a great job and they were very unfortunate to lose Steven Schumacher as everything was balanced quite well.

“They're going to have to pull up some trees to stay up, but their supporters are absolutely magnificent. They took two-and-a-half thousand to Stoke on Saturday. “I remember my first game managing them. It was against Southampton in the Championship when Harry Redknapp was managing them. About three or four thousand Plymouth fans filled the whole end behind the goal and it was an eye-opener for me. Dave Kemp encouraged me to join the club there as I didn't know much about them.

“I will be really disappointed if they get relegated because the chairman has invested good money and the local people around the club are good people.”

The silver-lining for all clubs involved in the relegation battle in the second tier is the clash between Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town, which guarantees at least one side dropping points before the final day of the campaign.

However, Plymouth should still feel confident, given they have less difficult fixtures than at least a few of the other sides down there, albeit their away form is a concern, despite the Millwall game looking favourable on paper.

Their goal difference is also worth an extra point over most teams, should they be in need of it on final day in the second tier. Plenty of their hopes will also lie at the feet of their star man, Morgan Whittaker, and whether he can come up with another moment of magic or two in the last couple of matches.