Plymouth Argyle star divides Home Park opinion - 'League One is potentially his level' | OneFootball

FLW’s Pilgrims expert assesses Bali Mumba’s form and future at Home Park

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Few players at Plymouth Argyle inspire quite as much debate as Bali Mumba.

At his best, he embodies the exhilarating, front-foot football that defined Argyle’s League One title win under Steven Schumacher: explosive pace, direct running and a sense that something might happen every time he picked up the ball.

But in a season where little has gone right for Tom Cleverley’s side, Mumba has become a lightning rod for wider frustrations.

Argyle’s return to League One has been bruising. A summer exodus of senior players, a new head coach still finding his feet and a squad light on experience has left the Pilgrims bottom of the table after 15 games, staring down the possibility of back-to-back relegations.

They have struggled to impose themselves in games, struggled to break down low blocks at Home Park and struggled for goals - problems Cleverley has openly acknowledged while challenging his remaining attacking players to step up.

Mumba is central to that conversation. The 23-year-old is one of the few players in this side with both the track record and the raw attributes to change games - something Cleverley has repeatedly stressed when urging him to rediscover the productivity of his 2022/23 campaign.

Yet his form has faltered this term, despite 13 league starts and three assists, and the debate around him has sharpened: is he still the match-winner who lit up Argyle’s title run, or a player whose limitations are now more visible in a struggling team?

Bali Mumba identified as Plymouth Argyle’s most divisive player

To get a clearer read on the mood among supporters, Football League World turned to in-house Plymouth fan pundit Luke Hodge for his take on the club’s most hotly debated player.

“Probably Bali Mumba would be the one player that divides opinion the most,” Hodge told FLW.

“Listen, he had a fantastic season in League One when we got promotion under Stephen Schumacher. And you know, he was brilliant along with Whittaker and Azaz and numerous other players, Randell, etcetera. We had a great season.

“But the thing with Bali Mumba is that what he lacks in football ability, he makes up for in pace and athleticism and I think a lot of fans sort of see that side of Bali. He is dangerous and he can be - however, I do believe his decision making is often poor and he runs up blind alleys.

“However, as much as I can criticise that side of him, would I start him in Argyle’s starting 11 this season? Absolutely I would.

“He is the one player that has the ability to unlock defences because he is quick - especially in League One - but he certainly hasn't lived up to those heights and the expectations of him this season so far. However, no one has - bottom of the league, it’s been quite poor.”

Hodge also pointed to a lack of rhythm upsetting Mumba’s form.

“Another reason, probably for that, is lack of consistency in positions. He's so versatile. 
He has played in literally every position barring in goal, centre defence and centre midfield.

“He's played as tens, as wingbacks, as fullbacks, as wingers. So, he hasn't really been settled in a position.

“But I think a lot of a lot of fans sort of see Bali and see how quick he is and they get excited by him and think he's absolutely the bee's knees.

“I do think League One is potentially his level. I think when we got promoted to the Championship, I think he got found out because the quality in that league, and it's not just about pace and athleticism, it's about footballing intelligence, and I think he did get found out a little bit in the Championship.

“But he's one for me, what side of the fence do I sit on? I would start him in my 11, however, I don't think he's the greatest player by any means.

“And if, and when, if that may ever happen, we get promoted back to the Championship in a couple of years - it's looking like we might get relegated at the moment.

“But if that was to happen, I do think that Bali Mumba may well be one of those players that may be replaced in the starting 11.

“That might be a little bit harsh, but for me, I don't think he's as good a footballer as what some people think he is.”

How Plymouth Argyle’s struggles have reframed the discussion around Bali Mumba

There is a central tension to the Bali Mumba conversation: he is simultaneously a player who frustrates, and a player Argyle can scarcely afford to be without.

Even in a difficult season, he remains one of the few who can beat a man, shift the tempo or unlock a defence - qualities that matter even more when the side is labouring through low-confidence spells and running into entrenched defensive shapes.

His versatility, while often cited as a strength, has also been a double-edged sword; Mumba has operated everywhere from wing-back to winger to 10, never fully settling into a defined role as injuries and tactical reshuffles have forced constant change around him.

This season’s downturn has not been about him alone - far from it. Argyle’s broader issues include a lack of leaders, a lack of cohesion and an unsettled squad still adjusting after a tumultuous summer.

But because of his profile, his past production and the expectations attached to him, Mumba inevitably becomes a barometer for the team’s direction. When Argyle spark into life, he is usually involved. When they fade, his shortcomings are easier to highlight.

Layered onto all of that is the residual noise of the transfer cycles that once seemed to orbit him every summer. There was a stretch where it felt as though he was permanently on the cusp of a move - linked away from Home Park often enough that the speculation became part of his identity.

Those rumours have perhaps inflated the sense of what he might become, and they still colour the way his form is interpreted now.

Where the debate lands may depend on Argyle’s trajectory from here. If Cleverley can stabilise results, set clearer attacking structures and restore some of the energy that defined Argyle at their best, Mumba may yet re-emerge as a driving force.

If not, the questions raised about his long-term ceiling will only grow louder.