What Tom Cleverley has said about landing Plymouth Argyle job - supporters will be buzzing | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley has officially been confirmed as Plymouth Argyle's next manager

Tom Cleverley has outlined the importance of the Plymouth Argyle supporters following confirmation of his appointment as the club’s next manager.

The Pilgrims are preparing for life back in League One after suffering relegation from the Championship.

Cleverley is embarking on his second role in management, having previously been in charge at Watford, guiding them to a 14th-place finish before being dismissed at the end of the campaign.

The 35-year-old will be hoping to lead the Devon outfit to promotion back to the second division at the first attempt this season, taking over from Miron Muslic in the dugout at Home Park.

However, they will face stiff competition in the race for promotion from the likes of Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers and, of course, the other two sides relegated from the Championship, Cardiff City and Luton Town, among others.

Cleverley makes Plymouth appointment claim

Cleverley has shared his admiration for Plymouth following his appointment as manager, highlighting their impressive facilities and the connection he feels with the people involved with the club.

He also outlined the importance the supporters have to the Pilgrims.

"I’m very honoured and really proud [to be here]," said Cleverley, via Argyle TV, hitting the right tone with supporters instantly.

"You can see the size of the club when you’re sat here [at Harper’s Park], the quality of the facilities, the stadium and the size of it in the background.

"As soon as I connected with people at the club, I knew this was a great move for me in my career.

"I feel like we're both craving real longevity and stability, and that's something that Argyle brings me.

"I can't wait to get started."

Cleverley will discover the name of his first opponent in a competitive game as Plymouth manager when the fixtures for the new League One campaign are released later this month on 26 June, with their first league games set to take place during the weekend of 2 August.

Plymouth’s promotion aims

Plymouth spent two seasons in the Championship after winning the League One title in 2023 under Steven Schumacher, coming 21st in their first year back in the division.

However, a poor start to the previous campaign under Wayne Rooney left Muslic with a lot of work to do when he arrived as manager in January of this year.

Despite some positive form, including an FA Cup fourth round win over Liverpool, they were unable to overcome the gap to the clubs sitting outside of the bottom three.

This led to relegation, with the team finishing 23rd in the table, three points clear of safety.

Cleverley’s aim will now be to hit the ground running and immediately lead the Pilgrims to a promotion push in the upcoming season, with their sights set on a top two finish, or at least earning a play-off place.

Plymouth will no doubt look to the transfer market in order to bolster their chances of automatic promotion.

The Pilgrims have already been active in the market, which only officially opened last Monday, bringing in four fresh faces to the club.

Bradley Ibrahim, Jack MacKenzie, Jamie Paterson and Caleb Watts have all already agreed to join Plymouth this summer, with Cleverley likely to seek further reinforcements before the market closes.

The League One side will have until 1 September to confirm any further signings, with outgoings also likely to shake up the squad ahead of their return to the third tier.