Tom Cleverley slams Plymouth Argyle players for one thing they did in Burton defeat | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley was unhappy with his Plymouth Argyle players after their 1-0 defeat at home to Burton Albion on Saturday.

Plymouth boss Tom Cleverley criticised his players for a ‘lack of intensity’ as they missed the chance to go top of League One after losing 1-0 at home to Burton Albion on Saturday.

After a mixed start to the campaign, Argyle had won three games on the bounce going into the fixture against the Brewers at Home Park, so they arrived full of confidence.

Yet, they started slowly against Burton, and whilst things did improve for Plymouth after the break, a Jack Armer goal in the 70th minute was enough to take the three points for the visitors.

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Tom Cleverley reacts to Plymouth’s performance against Burton Albion

With the likes of Bradford and Sheffield Wednesday not in action due to the international break, this felt like a missed opportunity for the Pilgrims, who would’ve moved to the top of the table with a win.

And, speaking to Plymouth Live after the game, Cleverley didn’t hold back with his assessment of his players, as he questioned why they didn’t start in the right way.

“I think the word to certainly describe (us in) the first half would be flat. We don't lose that many duels, we don't lose that many second balls and we don't have that little attacking play when we do the things we are good at.

“So disappointed with that and we will be addressing that, and working on it. I can accept missed chances, I can accept balls given away, I can't accept a lack of intensity, especially not here (at Home Park).

“Now it's a group of players that have had a really good spell and deserve a chance to react from this today. When we take our foot off the gas or we come off our intensity then we are a lot less effective for sure.”

Plymouth must learn from Burton Albion loss

Of course, it’s important not to overreact to one defeat, and despite the loss, Plymouth will still feel they merited at least a point on the balance of play and chances throughout the game.

So, it’s not like they were outplayed and, even in the first half that Cleverley criticised, Bim Pepple and Will Evans spurned great opportunities to put Argyle ahead.

Nevertheless, this shows the standards that the Plymouth boss demands are high, and, when you consider the level he played at in his career, it’s no surprise that he wants more from the group.

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Clearly, he is sending a message to the squad that they must never allow complacency to creep in, and whilst things can go against you, playing with the right intensity is a non-negotiable moving forward.

Plymouth Argyle will believe that promotion is possible this season

Despite Cleverley’s disappointment at the ‘flat’ performance, it can’t take away from the fact that Plymouth have had a good start to the season.

After missing out on the play-offs in the previous campaign, finishing in the top six is the minimum expectation this time around, so they’re doing well at the moment.

The group will feel that a top two finish is possible, and Cleverley’s comments here indicate that he has a belief in the players that they can do just that.

All successful teams go through difficult periods throughout the season, and Plymouth can show they have a strong mentality by bouncing back when they travel to take on Leyton Orient next weekend.