'We have made mistakes. We are fixing them' - Hallett

SIMON

- By CHRIS ERRINGTON

Hallett has declared that Plymouth Argyle are working to fix the mistakes they have made which have led to the Pilgrims dropping out of the Championship and almost to the bottom of League One.The anger and frustration of the Green Army has been increasingly audible at recent matches, with Hallett, the board of directors, head coach Tom Cleverley and the players all coming under fire.

In a lengthy statement on Argyle's official website, Hallett has moved to try to quell the disquiet. "Trust between the board and supporters has been damaged over the last two years," he said. "I hear the chants and the criticism, and I do not pretend it doesn't affect me. It does. But being hurt is not the same as being discouraged. I remain committed to this club, even when it is difficult."

The Argyle chairman gave his backing to Cleverley during a fans' forum at Home Park last week, as did recently-appointed director of football Derek Adams, and Hallett has now expanded on the reasons for that support during such a tough time for the first team in his message to the Green Army.

Hallett said: "I wanted to follow up with a note to you all after the recent Fans' Forum. It was a difficult evening for everyone involved - results have been poor, the club is under pressure and feelings are understandably high. The mood around Home Park reflects that, and I am not deaf to what is being said. I understand the anger. I share the disappointment.

"Just over a year ago, we were mid-table in the Championship. Today we are in a relegation fight in League One. That is a steep, rapid and painful change. There is no point pretending otherwise. Over the last 18 months we have made too many decisions that did not work. Some of the structures and processes that helped us succeed in previous seasons eroded. We changed too much, too quickly, on and off the pitch.