Argyle lost 4-2 at home to Coventry City in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, but the exit from the competition did not heavily damper an evening of several positives.
The first four minutes was not one of them. Coventry raced into a 2-0 lead, but Argyle rallied, and played some eye-catching football, with debutant Oliver Irow getting a goal back. Substitute Xavier Amaechi scored to make it 2-2, and it was only a late flurry from the Premier League side that took them to a victory that looked more comfortable on paper than in reality.
Irow’s debut came alongside Tyreeq Bakinson starting the game, the pair having joined the club on Monday, Bakinson returning for a second loan spell. Goalkeeper James Storer also made his debut, as did 17-year-old youth prospect Joe Mwaro, who caught the eye at right back.
Speaking to Argyle TV after the game, Tom Cleverley seemed upbeat, and wants to take the positives int Saturday’s game against Bradford City.
“The main thing we were trying to get out of tonight is to lose that little bit of tension that we've shown with the ball in the first two league games,” said Tom. “Take the handbrake off a little bit, free ourselves up. I was really pleased with how the players did that.
"It’s never easy going 2-0 down, to such a high-class opposition, so early. We could have gone into our shell, and that tension could have grown and looked even worse. But the character, the ability, the mindset that we have to take into Saturday was there for all to see. We made it a competitive game of football. We gave as good as we got for 80 minutes against high-level opposition and I'm really proud of the players.
“Nothing in the first five minutes went to plan. [I had to] stay calm, don't show any sort of red flag signals to the players. Really, really small mistakes that we make in the first couple of actions that on any other weekend in League One or the Championship wouldn't be punished.
“The first goal was high, high class. We're slightly out of position by a yard and it's punished. The third goal, slightly out of position in midfield, get punished. The lads were inch perfect for a lot of tonight, with and without the ball, and we were punished by a very good side at times, but gave as good as we've got.
“I think the new guys brought a lot to that this evening. They showed no fear, grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and really added to a performance that there was a lot of positives in.
“I thought we were a little bit too one-dimensional at the weekend, with the ball. We we’re very competitive, but a little bit one-dimensional.
“On Saturday, what do we want here? We want as much competitiveness, as much aggression in the duels, but can we have a little bit more control and class, which the players have got?
"Really take the game to Bradford here on Saturday when we've got the ball.
“I saw a lot of that tonight, a lot of individual performances that gives me a headache to pick the team Saturday. The only thing that was missing was winning the game.
“I’m super proud of Joe [Mwaro]. He's such a good character, such a good professional, playing for a long time at youth-team level to a high level, and needs that next step up. That was in pre-season. His consistency day in, day out gave me the confidence to put him in.
“You're always curious of how they adapt to the situation. This isn't a Vertu Trophy game in front of six or seven thousand. It's Premier League opposition in front of 14. I thought he dealt with the occasion incredibly well. I'm really pleased with him, with and without the ball. It'll be a night that Joe remembers for the rest of his life.”
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You can watch Tom Cleverley’s Coventry City reaction on Argyle TV, in full, here.
