Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle have one big thing in common right now - Saturday could be huge | OneFootball

Both managers at Huddersfield and Plymouth have been under heat and Saturday's result could determine their future

Huddersfield Town vs Plymouth this Saturday is a real six-pointer as both sets of managers face real pressure in their jobs.

For both Huddersfield Town and Plymouth Argyle, it's been far from the ideal start to the 2025/26 campaign as both were tipped to be right in and amongst it challenging for those top spots, but it hasn't panned out that way with the League One table taking people by surprise after just over a dozen games played.

For Huddersfield, their position is less worrying than the Pilgrims as they sit in 9th place and six points off the play-off spots which is very recoverable for Lee Grant's side, who have been slightly off the pace by their high standards after being tipped to challenge for the league title amid an overhaul of the playing squad.

As for Argyle, it's scary times at Home Park under the guidance of Tom Cleverley, who has struggled since taking the reins in the summer.

After facing the drop from the Championship last season, Plymouth needed a big revamp, not just in the dugout but with personnel too, but with that not seeming to click as of yet, they could be facing a double relegation in the face if the Pilgrims aren't careful, as they occupy 22nd place at this moment in time with 13 points from 14 games.

You'd imagine that the former Watford boss won't be given too much more time by the board to turn things around, otherwise he could be yet another EFL manager that faces an early sacking this season.

Huddersfield vs Plymouth is a huge game for the futures of Lee Grant and Tom Cleverley

Turning attention to Huddersfield vs Plymouth this coming Saturday, it's a case of cliche. However, it's a real six-pointer for both managers, as a win would relieve some pressure off their shoulders, more so for Cleverley, as it's a chance to climb out of the bottom four, but for Grant also, a win is much needed after facing three league losses in a row.

With the League One season not being plain sailing for Huddersfield and Plymouth, both managers could be cut a bit of slack after the pair were newly introduced to their respective clubs in the summer.

For Cleverley, you would've expected more from him up to this point, with sufficient managerial experience under his belt now, by spending over a year with Watford in the Championship.

But with a win rate of 34% during his time with the Hornets, which has only risen to 37% with Plymouth, it's a worrying sign for the ex-Manchester United midfielder, who's future in Devon could be determined by the result at the Accu Stadium on Saturday.

But for Grant, starting out his journey on the touchline with the Terriers was always going to be a very demanding role, with the club having high expectations of returning to the Championship.

Tom Cleverley and Lee Grant are in dangerous territory heading into Saturday

For any new manager, it takes time to implement your ideas and style of play onto the players, and so, with a win rate of 50% so far this season, obviously there's room for improvement with the team he has at his disposal. However, being a head coach is a new venture for Grant, meaning success may take time.

As aforementioned, Huddersfield come into their game against Plymouth off the back of three losses in a row in the league, and so too is the case for Arygle, who made it four games without a win by suffering a first-round exit to Wycombe.

Ultimately, there have been very few positives for either side in recent weeks, especially for Plymouth, who looked to have turned a new leaf in early September by gaining six points against Luton and Stockport, but now fans are starting to turn, which could lead to Simon Hallett echoing those opinions.

And it was a similar story in West Yorkshire as the Terriers, as they kicked off the season with four wins from their first five League One matches, but with proceedings taking a turn for the worse, Grant now finds himself under huge pressure to get results, and their meeting with Plymouth on Saturday could well be the final straw.

For Plymouth, you'd seem to think that their promotion hopes are all but over for this season, and now it's a case of laying down some stability within the club, which has endured a time of turmoil for the best part of 18 months now. As for Huddersfield, with promotion eluding them last year, it's still certainly on the cards for the 2025/26 season, but Grant will know that he has an uphill battle on his hands.