Simon Hallett deserves 'serious respect' for bold Plymouth Argyle decision - fan backlash was mounting | OneFootball

FLW's Plymouth fan pundit shares their thoughts on whether owner Simon Hallett deserves credit for sticking by Tom Cleverley

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…

Tom Cleverley has turned Plymouth Argyle's fortunes around in recent weeks, with the Pilgrims climbing away from the League One relegation zone and within an outside shout of a top-six place come the end of the season.

Upon their relegation from the Championship last season, Plymouth were dealt a huge blow upon the commencement of the new campaign, with Miron Muslic leaving the club to join German side Schalke, when it had been expected that the Bosnian would lead the Pilgrims into the third tier.

This left the Argyle board scrambling for a replacement and settled on former Watford boss Tom Cleverley, who had recently been dismissed by the Championship side.

Cleverley's start to life at Home Park was difficult, to say the least, with the club shipping an unprecedented amount of goals and falling well short of pre-season expectations.

However, in recent months, things have begun to improve, with just three defeats in their last 16 games across all competitions, with victories over the likes of Peterborough United, Blackpool and Leyton Orient seeing them shoot up the table.

At one point, it looked as though Cleverley would almost certainly be dismissed from his role with fan backlash mounting, but in what is an increasingly uncommon occurrence in modern football, owner Simon Hallett stuck by the former Manchester United midfielder, a decision which looks like it will pay dividends.

Simon Hallett deserves enormous credit for sticking by Tom Cleverley through Plymouth's rough patch

Football League World's Plymouth fan pundit, Luke, has shared their thoughts on whether Hallett deserves credit for not dismissing Cleverley when results and performances were well below the standard.

Luke said, "Yes, I think Simon Hallett deserves serious respect for sticking to his guns and keeping Tom Cleverley when the pressure was really mounting. In today's game, most clubs would have pulled the trigger at that point, so holding his nerve showed real conviction and a belief in the long-term plan."That kind of stability can be the difference between a group panicking and a group finding its footing, and it looks like we're seeing the benefits of that now. But there's also a pragmatic side to it. Payoffs, budgets and the realities of the market always play a part, especially mid-season."I suppose when the pool of replacements is limited and expensive, avoiding a knee-jerk decision that might have cost a fortune and create more churn can be good stewardship. But you can suspect the conviction while acknowledging the financial logic that may have supported it."Context matters as well, though. We were one of the favourites for promotion, so when results dipped, the frustration felt magnified. Since then, a few key things have helped. Players returning from injury have strengthened the spine, and the recent experienced signings Curtis, Ralls, Kane and Harding have really supported a young squad in out-of-game management, leadership and calm."The caveat, though, is that two of our most creative central players, in Ralls and Kane, are now both injured, and that could be significant moving forward if we lose that craft and control in big moments. But right now, the team looks stronger, more united, and everyone seems to be in a really good place."That progress gives weight to the decision to stay the course, but it doesn't change that. It was a risky call at the time, and with us fickle fans, things can turn quickly. But for the moment, though, the stability he's backed has paid off, and that's worthy of real respect."

Tom Cleverley has done superbly to handle the pressure and turn Plymouth Argyle's fortunes around

Indeed, Cleverley, still only 36, has done an exceptional job turning Plymouth's fortunes around, when it looked certain as though he would be out of a job after enduring a real rough patch.

However, the additions of the likes of Ronan Curtis, Wes Harding, and Herbie Kane in January have added a huge degree of experience to the side, something they were sorely lacking previously.

With Aribim Pepple finding his feet at Home Park, Lorent Tolaj, one of the deadliest strikers in the league, and the likes of Caleb Watts and Curtis surrounding them, Cleverley has an abundance of attacking threat.

Alex Mitchell, Mathias Ross, and Joe Edwards have begun to form a solid back three, as Cleverley looks to build upon his recent success and go from relegation candidates and one of the favourites to be sacked, to play-off contenders and one of the league's best.