Tom Cleverley is poised to take the reins at Plymouth Argyle following fruitful discussions with the club's hierarchy as they aim to recover from their Championship demotion. The ex-Manchester United player is tipped to replace Miron Muslic, who orchestrated the FA Cup victory over Liverpool before departing for Schalke last month.
Cleverley, on the other hand, is currently without a managerial role after being dismissed by Watford last month. He had guided the Hornets to a respectable 14th-place finish in the second tier during his first full season.
Argyle had engaged with four potential candidates for their vacant position, with Cleverley emerging as the favourite. Former Arsenal ace Jack Wilshere, who had been interim boss at Norwich, was also considered but appears likely to miss out according to the Guardian.
The search for Argyle's new boss has been spearheaded by David Fox, their ex-player who was recently appointed head of football operations, and former Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber.
The Pilgrims were aware that their relegation was virtually sealed ahead of the final day, with a significantly inferior goal difference meaning they were effectively relegated. Their two-year stint in the Championship came to an end with a defeat to Leeds at Home Park, reports the Mirror.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: Tom Cleverley, Manager of Watford, applauds the fans at the end of the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester City and Watford at Etihad Stadium on September 24, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Their downfall began under the stewardship of Wayne Rooney. Cleverley's former colleague at Old Trafford was given another managerial opportunity in the Championship but struggled to deliver results.
He managed just five victories in his 25 games before he was given his marching orders shortly after Christmas.
After leaving Argyle in the relegation zone, despite a later improvement in form that included defeating teams like Sheffield United, they were unable to avoid the drop but are tipped as one of the favourites to secure promotion next season.
Reflecting on his time at the club, Rooney shared: "I loved my time there - I think the fans were great, the staff were great. We just hit a bad run of form and the players actually you know I can't fault them, they were trying everything. Maybe we just lacked that bit of quality."
Muslic, who took over from Rooney, seemed to criticise the former boss by suggesting the team's fate would have been different under his earlier leadership, stating: "I think if I'm the head coach from day one we will be far, far away from the relegation zone," he had said.
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