Plymouth Argyle boss accepts his team face a big challenge at Peterborough United, but it's one that he relishes rather than fears
Plymouth Argyle boss Tom Cleverley is relishing rathen fearing a League One trip to in-form Peterborough United on Saturday.
Posh have charged up the League One table from bottom to 10th since Luke Williams arrived as manager. Their 3-1 home win over Bolton Wanderers was seen as a serious statement of intent.
But Plymouth have also been upwardly mobile. They’ve lost just one of their last seven League One matches and are now 16th, just five points adrift of Posh.
Posh are seeking a League One double over ‘The Pilgrims’ having won 1-0 at Home Park in September.
“We’re relishing this challenge, and I say ‘challenge’ because it will be one,” Cleverley told his club media team. “It’ll be a really good marker for where we’re at.
“It’s two teams in good form going against each other. We’re excited by that challenge. We’re focused and we will be well prepared for a game that excites me
“It is kind of crazy to think that the last time we played, just a few months ago, they were bottom and we were just above the drop zone. It certainly shows how much they’ve kicked on since Luke Williams has gone in there.
“Luke coming in has taken it to the next level. It’s really impressive what he’s done. He’s got them playing really good football. They are technically a very good team and they press well which are the principles he coached at Notts County and Swansea.
“It’s a team we’ve got a lot of respect for, but it’s also a team we’re excited to play. We are not fearful.
“Naturally, Peterborough at home will want to dominate the football. We’ve got to try to force their mistakes, be really structured and disciplined out of possession, and then with the ball we need to be good — good in transition, good on set pieces, and as productive as we can be.
“They’ll be as respectful of us as we are of them. It should be two strong teams in good form going at each other, which makes it an exciting game.
"Since we’ve gone to the 4-4-2, or 4-2-3-1, whatever you want to call it, it’s brought a real level of productivity and threat. There’s purpose behind everything we’re doing.
“Going back to Leyton Orient in the Vertu Trophy, we’ve been well into double figures for chances created per game. With the quality of players we have, that results in goals — five against Doncaster, four against Bristol Rovers, three against Burton. We look a good attacking team now.”