Tom Cleverley is relishing the challenge of taking Argyle to Hillsborough on Saturday, with the Head Coach looking for his side to build on their recent results, against Sheffield Wednesday.
The Pilgrims travel to South Yorkshire having taken four points from their last two SkyBet League One fixtures against Cambridge United and Reading, and will be looking to end a demanding run of games against teams around them in the table on a positive note.
With both sides targeting a place in the top six, Cleverley is expecting a difficult test against an opposition looking to make an immediate impression under their new manager.
Speaking to Argyle TV, he said: “It’s a game that always stands out in the fixture list. It’s a really historic stadium, a historic football club, and one that will have the same ambitions as us – to finish in the top six this season.
”It’s a very exciting fixture for us. We’re coming into it off the back of a really tough period in the league where we’ve faced all the teams in and around us, and this game concludes that run of fixtures, so I’s a really important game for us.
“We want to back up the win against Cambridge and the draw with Reading with a really positive result this weekend.”
The Owls will be heading into the fixture under the guidance of new manager Dave Challinor, who joined at the start of November, having most recently been at Stockport County. Saturday’s game will be his first league match in charge of Wednesday, following defeats to Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup and Accrington Stanley in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy.
Cleverley addressed the challenges of preparing for an opponent under new management, but insisted the onus is on what his side can bring to the table.
He said: “We will go back to the memories of playing against his Stockport team last season and what they looked like in terms of style. Certainly, we go back and look at the Oldham game at the weekend, and a little bit on their Jersey Mike’s Trophy game – but that team was a hugely changed one.
”It’s a really interesting preparation when it’s a new manager. We’ve not got a lot to go off, so you do go into the archives a little bit, but the most important thing is to not lose sight of what we are.
“We are intense, aggressive, attacking, robust and resilient. We will look to impose our stamp on the game.”
Argyle have shown signs of returning to their best in recent weeks following defeats to Huddersfield Town and Stevenage, with Cleverley pleased by the response shown by his players.
He said: “That week we got punished for not being at the races and sometimes that can be good, because it means you don’t get a false sense of security about getting the right results despite doing the wrong things.
”We didn’t compete well enough, we didn’t duel or run hard enough, we weren’t together enough so we got punished, and rightly so.
“The overriding improvement has been the basics – the duels, the runs, the togetherness, the competitive spirit – and that’s what we are. That’s what has brought us more success than in that worrying week, and we’re certainly getting back to our levels.”
Injuries have created chances for several fringe and younger players, with Joe Mwaro, Seb Campbell, Frankie Maund and Jared Rendle all starting Tuesday night’s fixture against Swindon Town. Cleverley is also hopeful of having further options available at Hillsborough, with Owen Oseni returning to contention, Caleb Watts likely to travel and Matty Sorinola making progress.
Argyle’s Head Coach said: “Where there is injury, there is also an opportunity, and the players have taken those chances, certainly in the cup competitions. We’ve got quality across the squad, not just the starting 11.
“We’ve lost three or four players, and we’re disappointed by that, but that’s an opportunity for others. So, it’s not all gloom and doom, and we’re really excited by the opportunity for a great game on Saturday.”
Cleverley is aware of the challenge awaiting his side but is confident they can produce a performance capable of earning a positive result.
He said: “We would be in a great position [if we get a good result], especially with three or four teams around us not playing this weekend. We felt like the Leyton Orient game that we managed to win was a similar situation, and that ended up being a really key weekend for us.
”Sheffield Wednesday will be feeling the same, of course. We aren’t under any illusions and we know that it’s going to be a huge test, but one that we are very confident that we can impose ourselves on and come away with a good result.”
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You can watch Tom Cleverley's Sheffield Wednesday preview on Argyle TV, in full, here.
