Tom Cleverley: if Plymouth maximises, promotion is achievable

Tom Cleverley believes promotion is achievable if Plymouth Argyle maximises every detail, a conviction he voiced as the first‑team bus left the Home Park training complex just after 6 am on a damp Devon morning. The early departure set the tone for a 14‑hour day that would include two training sessions, a tactical meeting, a squad debrief and an evening kick‑off 300 miles away.

The demanding schedule reflects Cleverley’s hands‑on approach; he drove the bus himself and oversaw every element of the day, ensuring the squad experienced the full intensity of preparation. Two training sessions were slotted before the tactical meeting, followed by a comprehensive debrief before the players travelled for the night fixture.

Cleverley arrived at Plymouth in late November and lifted the club from the depths of League One to the brink of the play‑offs last season, a run that ended just shy of the promotion chase in the final minutes. The near‑miss was credited to his resilience and the club’s patience in keeping him in post.

The upcoming campaign will be tougher, with the Pilgrims set to face clubs such as Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday, both possessing far greater resources than Plymouth. This heightened competition underscores the increased difficulty of the promotion target.

Financially, the club has already felt the impact of a £4 million departure as star striker Lorent Tolaj moved to Bristol City, leaving only a partial recoup to fund a replacement. The reduced budget adds another layer of challenge to the promotion push.

“I’ve learned a lot,” Cleverley said, emphasizing his growing knowledge of League One after researching every opponent and experiencing the heat of battle. He noted that while he wants to spend 14 hours a day on the training ground, that intensity “has a short shelf life.”

Cleverley also leaned on former Manchester United teammate Michael Carrick, who allowed Plymouth to train at United’s Carrington base last season before a trip to Stockport County. He mentioned seeing Jonny Evans and Michael at Carrington and discussed potential loan deals with them.

His tactical philosophy is flexible; he admires Unai Emery’s adaptability and refuses to pigeonhole himself into a single style. Cleverley explained that he aims to get the best out of the players by identifying strengths and weaknesses and crafting a game plan accordingly.

Travel demands are a constant reality: Plymouth earned 39 away points last season, just one fewer than when they won the title in 2022‑23, and their schedule often involves early morning departures, training at opposition facilities and returns as late as 4 am, leaving players only a day and a half to recover. “The travelling isn’t mentioned as much internally as it is externally,” he said, adding that the club recruits players who do not moan about small things.

During the summer, Cleverley refreshed his credentials with a stint at St George’s Park for his English Pro Licence, after weeks at home in Manchester and a holiday in North Wales. His career spans more than 400 games, includes 13 England caps and a spell under Roy Hodgson, who once compared him to Cesc Fàbregas. Plymouth also secured a £65 000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund to launch a programme supporting women through perimenopause and menopause, highlighting the club’s community focus alongside its promotion ambitions.