Plymouth Argyle ‘concern’ exposed ahead of Devon derby versus Exeter City, with Tom Cleverley’s side stepping into St James Park ‘cauldron’

Exeter City will welcome Plymouth Argyle to St James Park on Thursday for the first Devon derby in over two years.

The two played frequently in League Two during the 2010s, but they have only met twice in league action since 2019, when Plymouth was promoted to the Championship the season after Exeter was promoted to the third tier.

Anticipation was already high for this game when the date was announced before the season began, but after the first few months of the season, in which both teams picked up 13 points, even more seemed to be at stake.

Pre-season, the Grecians may have expected outcomes similar to the two in the 2022/23 season, when the Pilgrims won both games against their rivals, but there is now hope that Gary Caldwell’s side may take all three points on Thursday.

For Tom Cleverley, a loss in his first Devon derby could see his side drop to the bottom four by the end of the weekend, raising questions about his job security.

Luke Hodge, Football League World’s Plymouth fan analyst, has dismissed those accusations, believing that a second consecutive relegation to League Two is unlikely and that the Pilgrims should trust the process with the former Watford manager in charge.

Plymouth Argyle’s pulse was tested prior of the Devon derby against Exeter City.

Plymouth have had an inconsistent season thus far under Cleverley, with positive performances against Stockport County and Burton Albion overshadowed by disappointing defeats and poor defensive performances.

As a result, our Pilgrims fan pundit is apprehensive about which Argyle team will arrive at St James Park on Thursday evening.

Everyone linked with the hosts, from the stands to the players on the ground, will be ready to go, and Hodge believes Plymouth can match that energy.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous ahead of Exeter on Thursday night,” Luke told me.

“Devon derby, away from home, under the lights, the place will be a cauldron with an electric atmosphere, and we’re going there as an Argyle side who have shown zero consistency all season.”

Hodge believes the young Argyle side is adjusting to the toughness of the third tier, but concedes that it can be intimidating for some of Cleverley’s players.

“What worries me is that we get physically bullied and lose the game that way, which we have on occasion so far,” the coach said.

“We’re a young team, an extraordinarily talented young team, but we’ve seen many times that physicality is an important aspect of this league, and we’ve struggled with that.

“We can’t do anything about that until January, so let’s hope the good Argyle can turn up and get a result, which we’re perfectly capable of doing.”

Tom Cleverley’s future at Plymouth is being addressed if Argyle loses to Exeter City.

Losing to your bitter rivals can be a major setback, but if Plymouth is relegated to the bottom four by the end of the weekend, it will just aggravate the situation.

A significant portion of the season has been completed, and a defeat would be the Pilgrims’ eighth in 13 League One games under Cleverley.

However, Hodge believes that it is a case of trusting the process under the rookie manager, and that as long as his side avoids relegation, which he believes they can achieve comfortably, they will be in an excellent position to ascend the division in the future.

“What about Tom Cleverley? Is his job on the line? “Definitely not,” Hodge responded.

“This is a project, and he is the finest guy to lead it forward by developing and improving young players. It doesn’t matter who is in charge right now because the players will not improve significantly because they are a young team getting to know each other.

“Provided we avoid relegation, which I think we will, then I think we need to trust in Cleverley and the team, improve physically in the transfer window, and hopefully we can see the team grow in confidence and put together a little run.”

Patience is crucial for the fan pundit, who believes it’s only a matter of time before Plymouth returns to the upper mid-table.

“If we put together the run of games, before you know it, you can be mid-table and not far away from the play-offs,” he told the crowd.

“We just need to be sensible, not overreact, and keep going.”