The final match of 2025 is a familiar enough one for Tom Cleverley’s Pilgrims.
Argyle met Wycombe Wanderers in November, in the Emirates FA Cup, and took a bit of a humbling. Wanderers, playing at home, were on top in virtually every department, and won the game 2-0. No complaints.
Five weeks or so later, the teams met in Sky Bet League One action, and it was a different Argyle. Wycombe still had plenty of the ball, but the Greens were defensively solid, refused to let the Chairboys through, and when Owen Oseni scored by rounding Will Norris and tucking the ball away, it was a goal Argyle deserved, and one that won them the game.
That Argyle win ended an unbeaten run from Michael Duff’s side that stretched back 11 games in all competitions. Wycombe have played three times since their loss to the Greens, with a draw, a win and, most recently, a 4-0 loss to Luton Town on Boxing Day.
Argyle also shipped four on Friday, with a 4-1 loss to Reading, in curious circumstances, with a Joe Ralls sending off and suddenly being 3-0 down, before a spirited fightback to make the game closer than the scoreline at the end would suggest.
“I think like any game of football, there are some positives I can take and there are some not-so-positives that we need to improve,” said Cleverley, speaking to Argyle TV.
“The fundamentals are there: the work-rate, the togetherness, the never-say-die attitude, the bravery on the ball, they were there [against Reading].
“I thought they won the edge of both boxes, second phases, and kept things alive in our box, so we'll do some work on that. There's things that we can improve, which we will. In order to keep improving, we have to take the positives and improve what we can.
“It's two wounded animals from [Boxing Day’s] games. I still look at Wycombe in a very positive light. They've only lost two in 12 league games. You could spin that and create something negative maybe on their form, with them getting done four in the FA Cup as well.
“They'll be looking to react; they are a good side. I think they're one of the form teams since Michael went in there. They've got top six, top eight form, so we're expecting a really tough test, [although] they're a side whose form drops off significantly away from home, and we'll try to capitalise on that.
“I think the first game in the FA Cup, we can acknowledge that with the ball, if you let them be, they can hurt you, they can make you suffocate, and they did in that FA Cup tie.
“In the league game, they did make us suffer at times, but I thought we were much more disciplined, controlled, aggressive when we needed to be, and dangerous ourselves in transition.
“I expect the game, in terms of control, to be a lot more balanced, with us being at home, with being mentally in a much better place, consistency of our game plan.
“I thought we showed a much better version of ourselves in the second game. It is an advantage that they are the team we know the best this season, the team I've watched the most of, and we're fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses.”
