Plymouth Argyle 'worry' revealed ahead of Devon derby vs Exeter City - Tom Cleverley's side walking into St James Park 'cauldron' | OneFootball

Plymouth and Exeter reignite their rivalry on Thursday after two years apart.

Exeter City are set to welcome Plymouth Argyle to St James Park on Thursday for the first Devon derby in over two years.

The two met regularly in League Two throughout the 2010s, but have only crossed paths twice in league action since 2019, after Plymouth were promoted to the Championship the season after Exeter earned their promotion to the third tier.

Anticipation was already high for this fixture when the date was announced before the season began, but after the opening few months of the campaign, which have seen both sides pick up 13 points, even more seems to be at stake.

Pre-season, the Grecians were perhaps expecting results akin to the two in the 2022/23 campaign, where the Pilgrims did the double over their rivals, but now there's the belief that Gary Caldwell's side can pick up all three points on Thursday.

For Tom Cleverley, a loss in his first Devon derby could see his side in the bottom four by the end of the weekend, and a question may be put forward about the security of his job.

Luke Hodge, Football League World's Plymouth fan pundit, has batted away those claims, feeling that a back-to-back relegation to League Two most definitely isn't on the cards, and that the Pilgrims should trust the process with the former Watford boss in the dugout.

Plymouth Argyle pulse taken ahead of Devon derby clash with Exeter City

It's been a season of inconsistency for Plymouth so far under Cleverley, with positive performances against the likes of Stockport County and Burton Albion overshadowed by some disappointing defeats and below-par defensive displays.

Due to this, our Pilgrims fan pundit is slightly concerned about which Argyle side will show up at St James Park on Thursday evening.

Everyone associated with the hosts, from those in the stands to the players on the pitch, will be up for it, and Hodge hopes that Plymouth can match that intensity.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous ahead of Exeter on Thursday night," Luke said.

"Devon derby, away from home, under the lights, the place will be a cauldron with an electric atmosphere, and we're going there as an Argyle side who have shown zero consistency all season."

Hodge feels that the young Argyle side is growing into the physicality of the third tier, but admits that sometimes it can be rather overwhelming for some of Cleverley's players.

"What worries me is that we get physically bullied and lose the game that way, which we have on occasion so far," he continued.

"We're a young side, an extremely talented young side, but we've seen many times that physicality is a big part of this league, and it's something we've struggled with.

"We can't do anything about that until January, so let's hope the good Argyle can turn up and get a result, which we're perfectly capable of doing."

Tom Cleverley's Plymouth future discussed should Argyle lose to Exeter City

Losing to your bitter rivals can be a big kick in the teeth, but more salt will be added to the wound if Plymouth find themselves in the bottom four by the end of the weekend because of it.

A decent chunk of the season has been played, and a defeat would be the Pilgrims' eighth in 13 League One games under Cleverley.

However, Hodge believes that it's a case of trusting the process under the young boss, and as long as his side avoids relegation, which he believes they can do comfortably, they'll be in good standing to climb up the division in the future.

"As for Tom Cleverley, is his job on the line? Absolutely not," Hodge said.

"This is a project, and he's the best person to take us forward, developing young players and improving them. It wouldn't matter who is in charge at this very moment, because the players wouldn't improve massively as they're a young side getting to know each other.

"Provided we avoid relegation, which I think we will, then I think we need to trust in Cleverley and the team, improve physically in the transfer window, and hopefully we can see the team grow in confidence and put together a little run."

Patience is key for the fan pundit, feeling that it'll only be a matter of time before Plymouth are back challenging in and around the upper mid-table.

"If we put together the run of games, before you know it, you can be mid-table and not far away from the play-offs," he concluded.