Plymouth Argyle backed to appoint "very popular" ex-Watford boss to replace Miron Muslic | OneFootball

FLW's Pilgrims fan pundit believes that this man should be the one to take over from Miron Muslic

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…

Plymouth Argyle's search for a Miron Muslic replacement continues, with a new name being shot to the top of the line of potential successors.

The Pilgrims have been heavily linked with the likes of Ian Evatt and Jack Wilshere since Muslic left the club in favour of German club Schalke at the end of May, but now it seems that Tom Cleverley's chances of landing himself the managerial gig at Home Park are increasing, if the bookmakers' odds are to be believed.

The former Watford boss was sacked at the beginning of May following a first full season in management where he led the Hornets to a 14th-placed finish.

According to FLW's Plymouth Argyle fan pundit, Luke Hodge, this will be a much more popular choice if the higher-ups at Home Park can get the deal over the line.

Tom Cleverley is a standout in the "underwhelming" manager shortlist

Having seen the reaction of Plymouth fans on social media, Hodge feels that Cleverley is the right man to take over the club, with his name evoking an excitement that the rest of the current crop of prospective managers did not.

"Going off of Argyle's socials, he would be a very popular appointment with the majority of the fans," he said.

"He's another young and possibly potential risk-taking appointment, but he's managed 60-odd games at Watford, which gives us a bit more comfort compared to someone like Jack Wilshere - although he's still someone I'd be happy with."

Wilshere is on the lookout for a first permanent managerial job after he left Norwich City in search of opportunities elsewhere. The former Arsenal midfielder took interim charge of the Canaries' final two games of the 2024/25 season.

Hodge continued: "From the three managers currently in our shortlist [Evatt, Wilshere and Des Buckingham], the feedback seems to be a little underwhelming.

"But when the Cleverley news broke, the mood definitely changed and there was far more positivity in the fanbase, so overall he seems like a very popular choice to take over the reins."

Tom Cleverley's style is likened to Miron Music - it can only be a good thing for Plymouth Argyle

When discussing Tom Cleverley's style of play, Hodge compared it to former manager Miron Muslic, who had Argyle playing at the rate of a mid-table Championship side since he took over from Wayne Rooney in January.

"[His style is] adaptable, focusing on efficiency and a more attacking approach over time, which is something we tried under Muslic last season," he explained.

"While we were still relegated, performances were improving under him, so keeping with that same philosophy may well be the way Argyle want to go, and the four new signings seem to have signed with that in mind."

The Pilgrims have already brought in Jack McKenzie, Jamie Patterson, Caleb Watts and Bradley Ibrahim this summer, with Watts and Patterson agreeing deals whilst Muslic was still in charge.

The quartet will give Plymouth a big chance of an immediate return to the Championship, and Hodge feels that appointing Cleverley will do so too.

"He likes high energy, playing for the badge, and he can adapt his style of play, as seen in the Championship, which we are aiming to get back to."