Leicester loss 'huge opportunity missed' - Cleverley

Plymouth Argyle head coach Tom Cleverley says the defeat at newly relegated Leicester is “a huge opportunity missed”.

The Pilgrims took on the former Premier League champions on Tuesday night, but despite creating 13 chances they were beaten 2-0 by goals from Will Alves and Harry Howell in first-half stoppage time.

It gave Russell Martin’s side a much needed first win of the season since they dropped out of the Championship.

Cleverley said his players seemed as if they had “lost a bit of confidence, a bit of personality and courage” at King Power Stadium.

“That was a really sore one because I think it’s a huge opportunity missed,” he told BBC Radio Devon.

“We were coming to a side who were still finding their feet, who at times this evening looked scintillating, but we turned the ball over more than five times in the first half and didn’t come out with a clear-cut chance.”

Plymouth only had 33% of possession, which Cleverley said was expected.

“Our gameplan was to have a well-structured press, to turn the ball over high up on the pitch and then to transition.

“The transition part needs work, which requires time that we’ve not got on the training pitch.”

When asked whether the game was essentially decided in first-half stoppage time, and if it was an even contest otherwise, Cleverley said: “No, that would be giving us the easy way out.

“I thought for a big chunk of the middle of the game we lost a bit of confidence, a bit of personality and courage, and that was when you saw a much poorer version of ourselves.

“I need to instill that back into the players because we’ve had two really tough away games in Wycombe and now Leicester.”

Cleverley added: “We have lost our way a little bit in both games and so we need to get back to what we are and having no fear about what we are.”

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