Tom Cleverley makes Exeter City v Plymouth Argyle prediction - it might backfire | OneFootball

Tom Cleverley thinks form is irrelevant as both Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City head into the Devon Derby in poor form.

Plymouth Argyle head Tom Cleverley has outlined that Exeter City could be 'hard to predict', and with form expected to go out of the window, the Green Army will be hoping their local rivals don't compound their recent woes.

The tussle between the two Devonian sides on Thursday evening will be a tasty affair, with the poor starts to both of their respective seasons making even more of a must-win fixture than usual.

Both Cleverley and Gary Caldwell have been under fire from their fanbases in recent weeks, and the loser of the clash could be faced with a whole new low, amid a poor run of league form.

In his pre-match press conference, the Argyle head coach admitted that "Current form does go out the window," in an enormous derby match like this, as the atmosphere surrounding St James Park will be comparable to one of the Premier League's big boys making the trip to East Devon.

With that in mind, the Green Army and Cleverley will be hoping that form going out of the window plays out to their advantage, rather than Exeter's, which could add to the woes around Home Park currently.

Tom Cleverley believes form is irrelevant as strugglers Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City clash

Form is often the biggest indication as to how a match might play out. If a team on a winning streak faces someone who can't string any sort of consistency together, it's fairly obvious as to how the contest is expected to play out.

However, this can often be rendered null and void on big occasions. Cup matches and derbies are often outliers with form, and Plymouth boss Cleverley certainly believes that to be the case on Thursday evening, as the Green side of Devon clashes with the Red side.

The Pilgrims have two wins in their last five, but have failed to win in their last two games, which have both been at home. With a party atmosphere expected, the pressure will certainly be on the Greens, as they look to leapfrog their local rivals.

Exeter aren't in much better form though, with just one win in their last five, which has them sitting a single place above Plymouth. Despite this, Cleverley insists he isn't reading into form too much ahead of the big kick-off.

Speaking ahead of his first Devon Derby, the Argyle boss said to the club's official website: “I don't like to compare derbies to one another because they are unique to those two cities, or those single-city derbies to that city.

“They come with their own unique little things that are special to those people and fan bases. So, until I've experienced one, I can't comment too much, but I understand the importance of it for sure.

“Current form does go out the window. There's a real excitement around everyone and that can sometimes bring out different performances, but they're a hard team to predict.

“They change system a lot. They vary a lot in and out of possession. They've been a bit direct at times, and they've got the ball down and played at times.

“So let's make it about us. Let's try to take a grip of the game so we impose the kind of game we want it to be and that they don't have too much impact."

Cleverley will have to solve the puzzle of Exeter's unpredictable nature, and with the concern that their form may go out of the window for the big occasion, there are worries that Plymouth's recent woes could be compounded by their fiercest rivals.

Cleverley will hope that form prediction won't backfire to hurt his side

When the 36-year-old mentioned form being rendered irrelevant on Thursday, this was clearly a rally cry to the Green Army to forget recent struggles, and solely focus on rising to the occasion to secure what would be a morale-lifting victory.

However, this law will, of course, apply to his opponents, who aren't particularly in great form themselves. This message will likely be the crux of Caldwell's motivation towards his players, as they will be in the same boat of trying to forget recent struggles.

As Cleverley mentioned, Exeter have proven to be unpredictable at times, pulling out high-scoring wins at St James Park over the likes of Blackpool and Peterborough, whilst also being very adaptable in their approach to a game.

The Grecians have plenty of different ways to cause Argyle serious problems, and with the recent form being swept under the rug, Cleverley's prediction could come back to haunt him, and add to his recent woes.

As mentioned, the match has that Hollywood cup-tie feeling to it, and with it set to be marked with a fierce atmosphere, Caldwell's side will have erased their poor form from their minds, and be fully focused on the task at hand.

With City boasting the home advantage, the Greens have the odds stacked against them, but on the contrary, they also have the opportunity to secure what would be a hugely galvanizing victory, should they get the better of their county rivals.

However, with this being the first Devon Derby since 2023, the occasion is enormous, and both sides will be eager to take the three points. Cleverley will be hoping his prediction about form doesn't backfire, and the badly out-of-form hosts use this to their advantage.