Tom Cleverley told to make two things a priority at Plymouth Argyle as Adam Randell, Ryan Hardie concern raised | OneFootball

Incoming Plymouth Argyle boss Tom Cleverley has been told he must do all he can to retain Adam Randell and Ryan Hardie this summer.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Tom Cleverley has been told he must do all he can to keep Adam Randell and Ryan Hardie as he prepares to take the Plymouth Argyle job.

The Pilgrims, who suffered relegation from the Championship last season, are on the lookout for a new boss after Miron Muslic made the decision to leave for Schalke.

Since then, a host of names have been linked with the vacancy at Home Park, but it’s Cleverley who is taking over.

Tom Cleverley inheriting Plymouth Argyle squad facing uncertainty

With Cleverley having impressed at Vicarage Road, this will be seen as a coup for Argyle, and the next task for the board will be to back the new boss in the market, as promotion is sure to be the aim.

However, it won’t all be about new recruits, and when asked by FLW about the potential issues facing Cleverley when he walks through the door, FLW's Plymouth fan pundit Luke Hodge explained that retaining Randell and Hardie must be a priority, even if it’s difficult due to their contract situation.

“He knows that he’s on to a good thing at Argyle. He’s an ambitious manager that wants to manage in the Championship, and I know for a fact that Argyle have sold their ambition to Tom. We want to be an established Championship club ourselves, and we’ve got a very good, young squad.

“The Green Army will back him, the board will back him, so he’s on to a good thing, but the priority for me, is the lack of backroom staff. We need to stabilise, and it would be very positive if Tom can bring a few in with him.

“The second priority is ensuring we can keep the likes of Adam Randell and Ryan Hardie. Both are out of contract in 2026, and I don’t think the club will want to lose them for free next year. So it’s an important summer now, whether they stay and sign an extension. That would be the icing on the cake, but that’s one thing that Tom will be looking to try and do.”

Plymouth must back Tom Cleverley ahead of 2025/26 season

This seems like a valid concern for Cleverley, as Randell and Hardie were two standout players last season, and they proved they were capable of flourishing in the second tier.

So, you would expect interest in the pair, and the contract situation means Argyle may be vulnerable to losing the duo.

If that happens, it would be a setback, but no player is bigger than the club, and the Plymouth hierarchy must ensure that they give Cleverley the support he needs to make his own mark on the team.

The ex-Man Utd man will have his own ideas and targets in mind, and he will only want a group that are fully committed to Plymouth and ready to help in their promotion push.

As outlined above, a huge summer awaits, and, providing he gets the job, it will be very interesting to see how Cleverley’s Plymouth look when the new season starts in August.