Plymouth Argyle hailed for 'absolute masterstroke' signing of 'dangerous' winger | OneFootball

Ronan Curtis has been a class act for Plymouth Argyle in League One this term. Tom Cleverley has been praised for signing him.

Plymouth Argyle have given themselves every chance of landing a League One play-off spot despite enduring a poor start to the third-tier campaign.

The Pilgrims were in the third-tier relegation zone at the midway point of their league season, following a 1-1 draw with Wycombe Wanderers on 29th December.

However, Argyle have been in resurgent form since the turn of the year, and sit just one point and one place adrift of sixth-place Stevenage with just seven games remaining.

The Devon outfit face Bolton Wanderers when they are next in action on Good Friday, and are vying for their fifth victory in six League One attempts.

Plymouth Argyle hailed for Ronan Curtis summer deal

Plymouth had plenty of work to do in the transfer market last summer following their relegation from the Championship, as Tom Cleverley strived to build a squad who were capable of winning promotion from League One at the first time of asking.

The Pilgrims most notably signed strikers Bim Pepple and Lorent Tolaj from Luton Town and Port Vale, respectively, and the duo have proven themselves as two of the best forwards in the third tier.

Meanwhile, Argyle signed Ronan Curtis from Vale in January, and he has played a key role in their advance towards the League One play-off places.

Football League World asked our Plymouth fan pundit, Luke Hodge, if that deal was a masterstroke from his club.

Hodge said: "Yeah, Ronan Curtis has been an absolute masterstroke by Argyle. He got going from the off. Assists, a few goals. Absolute quality in terms of delivery, set-piece delivery.

"We look really dangerous from set-pieces at the moment, and that's not necessarily down to the physicality and the height in our side, but it's down to the delivery from Ronan Curtis and Herbie Kane.

"Mathias Ross isn't the biggest, but he's been scoring goals. Alex Mitchell, he'll head a brick. When you've got (the) quality, pacy delivery of Ronan Curtis, then it gives any side a chance.

"It's not only that. He seems to be one of the leaders within the team. He's built up an amazing bromance, by the looks of it, with Alex Mitchell.

"It's obvious to see there's a huge togetherness within the squad at the moment, and what did lack experience and physicality at the beginning of the season with the transfer window, that's well and truly been made up for now with the likes of Ronan Curtis.

"Although he's a winger, he's very good in the air, he's very strong. Then we've got experienced players like Joe Ralls, who's out at the moment, but Herbie Kane coming in the side. Joe Edwards has been phenomenal.

"Alex Mitchell has grown a partnership with Mathias Ross at the back, which looks really solid. We've got (Jack) MacKenzie coming back into the side now, who's played a few games. He looks decent.

"Then we've got the likes of Bradley Ibrahim and Caleb Watts, and the main man, in my opinion, Tolaj to come back in the side. When you've got the set piece delivery, and the quality, and the footballing brain of Herbie Kane and Ronan Curtis, then a front two, potentially, of Bim Pepple and Lorent Tolaj, they're going to feed off that.

"It could make Argyle even stronger going into this final part of the season, where, hopefully, there's still a lot of teams that are vying for those top-six places, and anything can happen.

"But, if we can get into that top six, then we have every chance of getting promoted back to the Championship, which is something. Three months ago, I was more concerned with getting relegated than I would have (been) of even finishing halfway up the table.

"So, credit to Tom Cleverley, credit to these players, and credit to Argyle for sticking by what they thought was going to work. It's going alright."

Tom Cleverley needs Ronan Curtis to retain his best form amid League One run-in

Hodge is right to outline that Argyle did incredibly well to bring Curtis to Devon in the winter transfer window, as he has played a key role in their League One play-off push that previously seemed incredibly unlikely.

But while Plymouth deserve plenty of credit for putting themselves in the position they are in, their job is far from over, and they must beat the likes of Stevenage and Reading to a top-six finish to give themselves a chance of an immediate Championship return.

The Pilgrims have impressively beaten fellow play-off chasers Stevenage and Huddersfield Town in their last two games, but Cleverley's men will need Curtis to be at his best once again in their seven remaining games.