Plymouth Argyle excited for season-opening Devon derby, says Tom Cleverley

Unlike most of the other Carabao Cup first round ties, Argyle will host Exeter City in front of a packed, passionate crowd

Tom Cleverley has admitted a Devon derby against Exeter City at Home Park is quite the way for Plymouth Argyle to start the new season.

It will be the final match of the Carabao Cup first round, and unlike most of the other ties over recent days it will be played in front of a packed, passionate crowd.

Cleverley said: "It's obviously a lot of excitement around the fixture. The first thing you think is full house and what an introduction to a Home Park atmosphere for the new players.

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"I think it helps there is not 15-16 new players all experiencing it at once. There are five or six and they are experienced players. I would imagine they will rise to the occasion rather than shrink under the circumstances.

"It's a fantastic fixture - the atmosphere, the intensity, the energy that we can create on the pitch and around the stadium. We are all really excited for the challenge and what a way to start the season."

Argyle played Exeter twice in League One last season, tamely losing 2-0 at St James Park in October which set them off on a bad run of results, and they had to twice come from behind to draw 2-2 against the Grecians at Home Park in April.

Cleverley said: "I was a little bit disappointed after the second one. The first one was a crushing blow so that had some lasting effects.

"We have to give a better account of ourselves than I thought we did in both. The second one, it was a tough day conditions wise because of the wind. We never got ahead in the game and were always chasing it. We couldn't create any rhythm."

He continued: "I go back to the processes we have that we go through to make sure we give ourselves the best chance of winning a football game.

"They can't be taken away from us just because it's a Devon derby. I think if we do them to the best of our ability we can create a very difficult environment out there for the opposition.

"That is the plan. We can control everything we can that we ask from the players, so I'm very confident we see a strong performance to build on what I thought was a strong performance against Bristol City (the final pre-season game which ended in a 0-0 draw)."

Argyle's summer signings have all been aged between 24 and 29 with plenty of League One games under their belts, and two of them - Wes Harding and Alex Mitchell - played on loan to the Pilgrims in the Devon derby at Home Park in April.

Cleverley said: "They are all experienced boys, they have played a lot of games in their careers, they learn very quickly and there is an awareness of what this means to everyone inside the football club as well as our supporters."

After Argyle drew with Bristol City last Saturday, another Robins' side took on Exeter at St James Park later int he day so Cleverley made the trip up the A38 to watch that as part of his preparation for the Carabao Cup tie.

Cleverley said: "I thought we both gave good accounts of ourselves against Bristol City, if I'm honest. It was a strange day, how their manager (Matt Taylor) comes to us to watch Bristol City and vice versa."

He added about Exeter: "I thought they looked to play when they had it, some good young players. Listen, there is no form to go by so we can't say form goes out the window.

"There can be days that game plans go out the window a little bit and it can be about intensity, it can be about duels, it can be about attacking the box. We are ready for whichever way the game goes."

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