Argyle’s win at Peterborough United, more comprehensive than the 1-0 scoreline suggested, was not only a third win in a row for the Pilgrims, but one Head Coach Tom Cleverley described as the best of the season.
On one hand – what a compliment. For a squad that has suffered two serious spells of adversity, but now find themselves having lost just one in nine, things are looking up, and their boss has just lavished praise upon on.
On the other, the season is only 26 games old. There are 20 to go, and Argyle are still in the bottom half. Football has a habit of biting you if you think you have cracked it.
Everything is in the balance for 14th-placed Argyle. They are four points above the drop zone, and six behind the play-off places. They are also six behind Luton Town, Saturday’s opponents, who are only out of the top six on goal difference.
Earlier in the season, the Greens won 3-2 in an unusual, topsy-turvy encounter at Kenilworth Road, and since then Luton have changed their manager, replacing Matt Bloomfield with Jack Wilshere, a former England colleague of Cleverley’s – and indeed many times an opponent within a Premier League midfield.
“There’s been a really good balance between feeling confident, and staying hungry and humble,” Cleverley said, about his team. “The players understand why our performances have improved recently and are eager to keep it going. You can see it in their eyes — they’re playing with more confidence, but without losing that edge.
“Last Saturday set the bar for us, especially in possession; it was a really complete performance. We didn’t play at our best against Bristol Rovers but still found a way to win, which is also pleasing as a coach. When things don’t go exactly to plan, it’s important to still get the job done.
“We’ve beaten some very good sides this season, and that gives us belief. Luton are under different management now, so it’ll be a different challenge. They’re in decent form, they like to get the ball down and play through the lines, and it’ll be a good test for us.
“They’ve got a good balance between penetration and control. That’s probably the main challenge we’ll face; they’ll want to dominate the ball and probe, so we’ll need to be really efficient out of possession.
“On paper it’s a very well-balanced squad: pace, experience, technical quality, physicality. There are some high-quality players in there, so it’ll be a tough game. But football’s a team game, and my team is in a good place right now. I’m sure Jack feels the same about his.”
To watch the full interview with Tom, go to Argyle TV now.
