Tom Cleverley makes “struggling for confidence” claim as Plymouth Argyle face Huddersfield Town | OneFootball

Plymouth and Huddersfield are both on three-match losing streaks ahead of their clash this Saturday

Tom Cleverley has claimed both Plymouth Argyle and Huddersfield Town are struggling for confidence ahead of their clash this weekend.

The 36-year-old is under increasing pressure from supporters following the Pilgrims’ disappointing start to life back in League One.

Cleverley’s side have lost their last three league fixtures, leaving them inside the relegation zone ahead of their upcoming fixture against the Terriers.

Meanwhile, Lee Grant’s team have fallen to ninth with a three-game losing streak of their own in recent weeks.

Both sides were hoping to be in contention for automatic contention going into the campaign, but are now performing well below those expectations.

Tom Cleverley can see Huddersfield Town, Plymouth Argyle similarities

Cleverley has claimed both Plymouth and Huddersfield are going into this weekend’s clash lacking in confidence, highlighting the importance of a good result for the two teams.

He believes that his side must improve their confidence and mentality in order to turn around their poor form and start climbing the League One table.

"It's two teams in very similar situations," said Cleverley, via X.

"Struggling for confidence, injuries, form.

"I expect intensity from them.

"They've got exceptional quality and depth, a team that like to play.

"As a staff, we need to address how we put that right.

"Confidence and mentality are two huge things.

"We have to tap into that."

Cleverley took charge of Plymouth in the summer following their relegation from the Championship and his dismissal from Watford.

This is his second managerial role in his career, having guided the Hornets to a 14th place finish in the second division last season.

He replaced Miron Muslic, who was unable to keep the Pilgrims in the second tier despite a strong run of results under his management.

Plymouth have struggled for wins so far under Cleverley, with the team earning just 13 points from a possible 42 so far this season, leaving them inside the bottom four in these early stages of the campaign.

The Devon outfit will travel to take on Huddersfield on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off, with the team 22nd in the table.

Plymouth and Huddersfield both need a win

Cleverley and Grant are under a lot of pressure for results at the moment, so there is a lot at stake in Saturday’s clash even though we’re still early in the season.

A fourth defeat in a row could spell the end of either managerial reign at this point, even with the pair only hired in the summer.

Huddersfield are already six points adrift of the play-off places, so can’t afford to lose too much more ground in their pursuit of promotion.

Meanwhile, Plymouth are two points behind safety, so another loss could leave them stuck in the bottom four and in need of results elsewhere in order to remain within touching distance.