Can Adams help to bring the good times back to Home Park after being named director of football?

IT was clear something had to happen at Plymouth Argyle given their dreadful recent run of results, something to try to change the direction of the season for the Pilgrims.

- By CHRIS ERRINGTON

While Tom Cleverley, only appointed as the head coach in the summer, has been coming under increasing criticism from fans the club have been giving him their continued backing, with new chief executive Paul Berne making that clear in a statement on Argyle’s official website a fortnight ago and also in an interview with Herald sport last week.

Then, on Tuesday afternoon, Argyle announced the appointment of their former promotion-winning manager Derek Adams as the club’s new director of football. In their own words, he ‘will manage the men’s first team structure and support head of football operations David Fox and head coach Tom Cleverley, providing strategic guidance rather than day-to-day coaching responsibilities.

Adams, who will start work in his new role on Monday, was first appointed as Argyle manager in the summer of 2015 and led them to the League Two Play-Off Final at the end of the following season, when they were beaten 2-0 by AFC Wimbledon at Wembley.

The Pilgrims were promoted in 2016/17, though, as they finished as runners-up to Portsmouth on goal difference, and then came seventh in League One in 2017/18, missing out on the playoffs by one position.

However, Argyle spiralled towards relegation towards the end of the following season and Adams was fired after the penultimate match, a 5-1 defeat at Accrington Stanley. The Pilgrims did win their final match, 3-2 at home to Scunthorpe United, but it was not enough to save them from dropping into League Two.

Adams went on to have three different spells as manager of Morecambe and also spent time in the same role at Bradford City and Ross County in Scotland. Now, he is coming back to Home Park.

Herald Sport's Chris Errington asked on X (formerly Twitter) for Argyle fans to give their reaction to the return of Adams as director of football. Here are some of the many replies he received, with some mixed opinions given.