Plymouth Were Never Going To Be Battling Drop Insists Leyton Orient Boss | OneFootball

Plymouth Were Never Going To Be Battling Drop Insists Leyton Orient Boss | OneFootball

In partnership with

Yahoo sports
Icon: Inside Futbol

Inside Futbol

·17 February 2026

Plymouth Were Never Going To Be Battling Drop Insists Leyton Orient Boss

Article image:Plymouth Were Never Going To Be Battling Drop Insists Leyton Orient Boss

Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens has lauded Plymouth Argyle for sticking with Tom Cleverley, stressing that the Argyle boss is showing his ‘true colours’, ahead of this evening’s clash between the two teams.


OneFootball Videos


The League One club had a disastrous start to their current campaign following their relegation from the Championship last season.

Former Argyle boss Miron Muslic’s departure rocked the Devon-based outfit, who went for ex-Watford manager Cleverley.

However, following changes in the squad, Argyle struggled majorly in the early parts of the season.

When the Pilgrims were struggling badly, there were calls for Cleverley to be sacked as Argyle were mostly in and around the relegation zone.

Article image:Plymouth Were Never Going To Be Battling Drop Insists Leyton Orient Boss

However, the former Hornets boss has turned things around at Home Park as Plymouth currently sit 12th in the league table with 40 points.

Wellens is not surprised to see the Pilgrims sitting high up in the table now, stressing that they were never going to be down around the relegation zone for the whole campaign.

The O’s boss hailed Plymouth’s hierarchy for believing in Cleverley, who he insisted is showing his true colours as a manager now.

“They [Argyle] were never going to be down there [in the relegation zone]”, Wellens told Orient TV (4:26)  when discussing the Pilgrims.

Article image:Plymouth Were Never Going To Be Battling Drop Insists Leyton Orient Boss

“I’m glad they have stuck with Tom because now Tom’s showing his true colours.

“If you are a manager and you have injured players, and Plymouth at that time had a lot of injured players – it was really, really difficult, but they have got through that.

“They have been on a really good run.

“I think they have lost two in their last seven or eight games against Stockport and against Lincoln, who are obviously right up there.”

Argyle are currently nine points from the top-six of League One, and will need to show next-level determination to go above the cluster of clubs above them.

Cleverley has a player like Lorent Tolaj at his disposal to make a difference, and one former striker expressed his awe at how Argyle were able to get their hands on a striker of his quality.

Plymouth have the sixth best form in the League One standings taken over the last 12 games and will look to continue that when they face Wellens’ Leyton Orient tonight.

View publisher imprint