Tom Cleverley must deploy key Plymouth Argyle change – It can help Tolaj and Oseni thrive | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley should look to shift the system at Plymouth Argyle to partner both Owen Oseni and Lorent Tolaj up-front together.

Having had their relegation from the Championship mathematically confirmed on the final day of last season, Plymouth Argyle endured a tumultuous summer in which the effects are now still being felt at the start of this season.

Plymouth appointed former Watford boss Tom Cleverley over the summer to try and lead them back to the Championship this season, with the Pilgrims dealing with a lot of playing departures and an overhaul of their squad.

That overhaul has led to Cleverley believing that a 3-4-2-1 system is the way to go, with it also being the formation and style that Plymouth used to win League One with over 100 points back in the 2022/23 campaign.

The start to this season has been an indifferent one, albeit there had been a recent improvement in their performance level before a 1-0 loss to struggling Peterborough United at Home Park at the weekend.

Cleverley has also recently been dealt the blow of Caleb Watts being ruled out for a few months due to a hamstring injury, and he was imperative to playing the system as one of the two in behind.

He has not yet made a shift in terms of their formation, but it could well be the way forward because the form of Owen Oseni is surely difficult to ignore, and it could help Lorent Tolaj, too.

Owen Oseni surely deserves a chance for Plymouth

After an impressive time of it at Gateshead in the National League, Owen Oseni moved to Saint Mirren and struggled last season, before moving back down to England and joining Plymouth for an undisclosed fee over the summer.

Having only ever thrived in non-league football and also struggled in the Scottish Premiership, there are natural concerns over the overall quality of Oseni, and whether he should be a starter for the Pilgrims.

However, having scored his fourth of the season across all competitions in a recent 6-2 defeat of Tottenham Hotspur’s U21 side in the group stages of the EFL Trophy, he will surely be knocking louder

on the door of Cleverley.

The injury to Watts has so far seen Cleverley bring in Owen Dale, who joined on loan from Oxford United before the close of the transfer window, into one of those two, rather than shifting the system.

Oseni has made just one start in League One for Plymouth, with three other substitute appearances so far this season, having been an unused substitute in each of their last couple of outings.

In one of those sub appearances, Oseni came off the bench and scored in a 3-2 loss to Lincoln City before then only being given a 51-minute start against Leyton Orient a few days’ later.

There is surely now cause for Oseni, who has scored four goals in 405 minutes worth of football so far this season, to get more of a chance in League One and be trusted by Cleverley.

Lorent Tolaj could benefit from a partnership with Owen Oseni

Having made the reportedly £1.2 million signing of Lorent Tolaj from Port Vale over the summer, there is no way in which Argyle would or should drop the Swiss attacker.

He has had a reasonable start to his time in Devon, albeit has been responsible for some glaring misses that have undermined it thus far, but it could help him to have a partner in attack.

A simple tweak from the 3-4-2-1 to a 3-5-2 with Bali Mumba perhaps returning to his more orthodox role as wing-back would give Plymouth more verve from that position, whilst also accommodating for the absence of Watts.

It would also allow Oseni to get regular game time, whilst keeping Tolaj in the side – and the former Port Vale striker has often shown his best football in a front two.

Tolaj played most of his football for Aldershot Town in a 3-5-2 system and then had an excellent stint at Vale Park last year playing in the same role in the same shape for Darren Moore’s side as they gained automatic promotion from League Two.

It could well be that Tolaj benefits from a shift in the shape as well as Plymouth as a whole, with Cleverley able to give Oseni much-needed and deserved extra game time.