“It’s unacceptable”: Cleverley apologises as Plymouth slide from first to fifth
Thursday 22 October 2026 · By Simon Treloar
Tom Cleverley has apologised to Plymouth Argyle supporters after a 3–0 defeat at Stevenage on Tuesday night completed a miserable week. Top of League One a week ago, Argyle are now fifth.
It was the second defeat in four days, after the 2–0 home loss to Huddersfield Town on Saturday. BBC Sport reported that it was the first time Plymouth have lost back-to-back league games since early February.
Stevenage scored twice in eight first-half minutes at the SPORTA Arena. Michael Mellon fired in low from the edge of the area in the 19th minute after a link-up with Josh Magennis. Eight minutes later Ben Broggio’s cross-shot was pushed out only a few yards by goalkeeper Murphy Cooper, a former Stevenage loanee, and Magennis drilled in the rebound. Argyle improved after the break, mainly through half-time substitute Xavier Amaechi, but Phoenix Patterson added a third seven minutes from the end.
Cleverley did not look for excuses. “I absolutely hold my hands up and apologise for that performance this evening because it’s unacceptable,” he told BBC Radio Devon.
“When you represent a big club, you get a lot of pats on the back when it’s going well and these players have built up some credit over the last 11 months. But that can diminish very quickly with performances like that, and we need to not take that support for granted.”
He was blunt about what had gone wrong. “The bare minimum I have to coach, demand, pick a team to be able to do is compete, and the last two games we’ve not at all,” he said. “Two centre forwards who were well managed by two centre-halves at one end and two centre forwards who caused mayhem at the other end.”
He promised “real clarity and direction come Thursday”, and said that “top of the priorities will be picking a team that is going to fight and compete”.
Selection will be affected by the absence of Mathias Ross. The Danish centre-back has missed both defeats with an infected foot that put him in hospital overnight at the weekend, and Cleverley has confirmed he will also miss Saturday’s game. “It’s a nasty infection he has had in his foot. He spent a night in hospital,” he told the Plymouth Herald.
Alex Mitchell and Alex Hartridge started both games at centre-back. Julio Pleguezuelo, back from a knee injury, came on as a late substitute at Stevenage and could be an option, the Herald reported.
Plymouth are fifth on 19 points from 12 games, still inside the play-off places but three points off the top. They have played more games than any side above them.
The response has to come quickly. Argyle travel to fourth-placed Cambridge United on Saturday (15:00 BST), a point behind their hosts, before Reading visit Home Park on Saturday 31 October (12:30 GMT).
In the FA Cup first round, Plymouth will host seventh-tier Alvechurch on the weekend of 7 November.
Cleverley has asked for fight. Saturday will show whether he gets it.
Home Park has been Plymouth Argyle’s home since 1901 and sits in Milehouse, just off Outland Road, postcode PL2 3DQ. The ground is compact, all-seater and close to Central Park. Capacity is around 17,000 for matches. For visiting supporters it is a straightforward day: one away enclosure, short walks from park-and-ride, and a pitch that is never far from the stands.
Away fans are housed in the Kawasaki Barn Park End, behind the eastern goal. The usual allocation is blocks 21–23, with extra seats released for bigger fixtures. The rest of that end is used by home supporters, so expect a lively shared terrace of noise rather than a distant pocket. Views are good, the stand is covered, and there are wheelchair spaces. Turnstiles for visitors are at this end. Collection booths sit outside those gates if your club has left tickets for pickup. Gates typically open about 90 minutes to two hours before kick-off; check your club and Argyle on the morning of the game.
Opposite you is the Babcock Devonport End. That is Argyle’s loudest home end, especially blocks 3 and 4. The club usually attacks that goal in the second half, so if you arrive expecting a quiet first 45 you may hear the Green Army swell after the break. Along the north touchline runs the long Lyndhurst Road Stand, the biggest of the four, with Zoo Corner at the Barn Park side and a family area towards Devonport. The south side is the two-tier Beacon Electrical Mayflower Grandstand, rebuilt and fully reopened in 2020. Dugouts, tunnel, directors and hospitality sit there. Lower rows around the ground can get wet if rain blows in.
Getting there is simple if you allow time. Home Park is about a mile from the A38. Milehouse Park and Ride is the usual advice on busy afternoons. Street parking near the ground fills early and is not worth chasing. Plymouth railway station is a short taxi or a longer walk through the city and park; coaches for away parties are directed to the Barn Park side. The Argyle Superstore and ticket office sit by the Mayflower. A fan zone has operated on the Lyndhurst concourse and near the main stand on recent matchdays; away ticket holders are often welcome, but confirm on the day.
Food and drink inside are standard kiosk fare. There is usually a van and bar just outside the away gates, which many travellers use at half-time to dodge concourse queues. Cashless tills are common. Programmes are often a free digital download rather than a printed sale. The ground is all-seater: sit in your allocated seat, keep yellow hatched walkways clear (they are for safety and wheelchair sightlines), and expect stewards to move people off the front rail during the warm-up.
Pubs that generally take away colours include The Britannia (Wetherspoons), a ten-minute walk, plus options nearer the city and station if you want to avoid a crush at the ground. Plymouth is a naval city with a long waterfront; if kick-off is 3pm there is time for a look at the Hoe or Barbican before heading inland to Milehouse. Bring a coat. Devon weather does not respect covered roofs, and the lower Mayflower rows in particular can feel the rain.
Tickets for visitors are sold through your own club first. Leftover stock is sometimes sold on the day at the away enclosure, but do not travel hoping for that. Prices vary by category. Families and disabled supporters should contact Argyle’s ticket office or PADSA in advance; visitor wheelchair spaces are in the Barn Park End. Persistent standing is discouraged. Segregation netting sits between home and away blocks in Barn Park, so pick seats accordingly if you want to be in the thick of the away group rather than against the divide.
Home Park is not a vast modern bowl. That is the point. You are close to the pitch, you can hear both ends, and the walk out drops you straight into a city park rather than a ring road. Treat the allocation as a proper end behind a goal, get there early enough to learn which gate is yours, and you will have a clear view of a proper West Country ground.