Tom Cleverley is hoping to take Tuesday night’s defeat at Leicester City and parlay frustrations felt from that into a successful Saturday at Doncaster Rovers.
The Argyle Head Coach was understandably vexed by the 2-0 defeat at King Power Stadium, as his side created numerous chances for themselves, typically by putting massive pressure on Leicester’s goalkeeper and backline, but failed to convert any of them.
Saturday’s trip to South Yorkshire offers a chance to react to that swiftly, even if the tight turnaround and distance to travel means that training ground time is limited.
“It was one of those defeats that really, really hurt,” Cleverley told Argyle TV. “You want to improve the team - and you become a little bit obsessed by that. There's been a lot of work on why we didn't get the result we want, and then how do we get better at it and put it into Saturday. That's all I've done since the game and let's hope we see the benefits of that on Saturday.
“We really understand what we are as a team. We're going to put the opponent under a lot of pressure when we've not got the ball. We're going to sustain a lot of our attacks with good possession and control in the opposite half - I think we can improve and get back to what we were last year with that - and we're going to be really effective at set-pieces.
“As part of the first bit, the high press, we were very good at then transitioning and getting good chances from that. That’s the part of Tuesday we were really sloppy at.
“We created a lot of moments where we turn the ball over near their goal and you've got to be clean for two or three actions to make sure you get a good chance. We were not near what we usually are in that respect. The application of the pressure, the intensity, the organisation of it, is a huge platform to build on and keep getting those opportunities in transition.
“You can improve with repetitions and work on the training pitch, but the patterns to get there is a work in progress. We’ve got a new strike partnership. We've changed system a couple of times. We didn't have to change the full squad like we did last summer, but five or six of the last two starting line-ups have been new players, so it's a fairly new team.
“Those relationships in a 4-4-2 are really key to it being successful, and they're new, so it needs time on the training pitch, time that we understand right now we haven't got, and we have to pick as many points up in the process.
“We'll prepare well for Saturday. We need to respond from Tuesday and give our supporters, who were fantastic on Tuesday night, something to shout about this weekend.”
Doncaster, managed by Grant McCann, are yet to win this season, but have drawn three of their four league games, as well as drawing with fellow Sky Bet League One side Stockport County in the Carabao Cup, before winning on penalties. Despite their winless start to the season, pushovers they shall not be.
“They definitely try to play,” said Tom. “I don't think they'll be as risk-taking as Leicester were, but they certainly try to play. I saw that in their last home game on Tuesday night against Notts County. They're a team who have done really well since they've been promoted from League Two. Really well coached. Grant's done a great job there.
“Without getting too carried away down a data tunnel, the big stuff - the set-pieces, the xG for and against, the transitions for and against - they are top six for everything. Maybe, a bit like us, for the start of the season, they're suffering in the final actions, whether that's keeping the ball out of the net or putting it in the net. In between that, they're a very, very effective team and we've got to be on our A-game.”
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You can watch Tom Cleverley’s Doncaster Rovers preview on Argyle TV, in full, here.
