Tom Cleverley previews trip to Blackpool

Tom Cleverley

After three wins in the last four games, including winning the last two, Argyle head to Blackpool this weekend in confident mood.

In consecutive Saturdays, the Greens have won 3-2 at Doncaster Rovers, then 3-0 at home to Barnsley, and they now head to a ground at which they won 4-0 last season.

Head Coach Tom Cleverley is warning against using last season’s victory as a guide, but he is pleased with what the recent run of form as done to Argyle’s position in the Sky Bet League One standings, as well as for the atmosphere around the camp.

“Back-to-back wins can do a lot for the way the league table looks, but also the environment,” Cleverley told a press conference on Thursday. “It's had a real positive effect on the group. Training's mirrored that. We look hungry, we look bright. The two performances were very pleasing and headed in the right direction.

“I think our attacking output, the quality of chances that we've been creating has improved. We're very pleased with the clean sheet against Barnsley, and we're starting to sustain attacks, get attacks from different avenues - set plays, transitions. When we're like that, we're difficult to stop because there are different areas we can be really efficient in.

“I still think we can improve. I think there were opportunities last weekend where we were quite loose on our final pass. Second half, were we as relentless as we can be? [We’re] striving for perfection and always looking to improve. Now we're in the top six, we don't rest on anything. We fight for our lives to stay there, starting with Saturday.”

Argyle head into the game with no fresh fitness concerns, and will take on a Blackpool side that have an inconsistent start to the season. The Seasiders began with a 1-1 draw at Wycombe Wanderers, before picking up wins against Stockport County and Peterborough United. Ian Evatt’s side then lost at Barnsley and Reading before their most recent result, a 2-2 home draw with Bromley.

“They've had a mixed bag, with 2-2-2, wins, draws, lost,” said Cleverley. "You can clearly see what Ian's trying to do there and they play a nice brand of football. [They’ve] got some real good technicians in the team.

“There'll be no reference to what happened there last year. It'll be a really tough test for us Saturday. We have to be as close to perfect as possible to make sure that we come home with three points.

“I had the luxury of naming the same team last weekend after the Doncaster win and I have the option to do so again, with Jack McKenzie returning to training as well.

“A by-product of that is the quality of training has gone up because the competition is so strong. The group are driving each other from within.”

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You can watch Tom Cleverley’s Blackpool preview on Argyle TV, in full, here.