Pilgrims need to find their mental strength

CLEVERLEY PLEASED WITH EIGHT OUT OF TEN HALVES OF FOOTBALL

- By CHRIS ERRINGTON

TOM Cleverley has called Plymouth Argyle's inability to pick up any points from losing positions in League One games this season a 'mental hurdle we need to get past.

Cleverley revealed there had been a detailed look into the Pilgrims' chance creation during the 2025/26 campaign, both for them and the opposition, and there has been a significant disparity between when they have been winning and drawing to when they have gone behind in matches.

A good example of that came last Saturday when Argyle had the better of the first half against Northampton Town at Home Park but did not score and then conceded three goals within 22 minutes in the second period as they were beaten 3-0.

It was a result which left the Pilgrims in 23rd position in the table, and increased the criticism of Cleverley and his players from the Green Army.

Argyle did come up with a positive response when they went to Leyton Orient in the Vertu Trophy round of 32 on Tuesday night and won 1-0 after a last-gasp goal from Lorent Tolaj. Next is a tough league challenge against third-placed Bradford City at the Theatre of Greens today (12.30pm).

Cleverley said: "In the last five games if you split it down into halves I have been really pleased with eight of them. All the way back to Huddersfield, if you go from there.

"Huddersfield, Bristol Rovers, Port Vale, Northampton and then Leyton Orient, there has been some really good performances in pretty much all of them.

"Now the second half at Huddersfield and the second half against Northampton unravels a lot of that, and I understand that the period of the five games doesn't feel as good as it should do because of two halves of football.

"Focusing on the positives, there has been a lot more consistent long periods in games for us. Now what we need to overcome is those are the only two halves we have been behind.