TOM Cleverley didn’t hide behind excuses after Plymouth Argyle’s miserable 2–0 Devon derby defeat to Exeter City.

The Argyle head coach faced the cameras – and the boos – head-on, describing the Green Army’s anger as “deserved” after another limp, lifeless performance at St James’ Park left his side 21st in League One.

“Deserved,” said Cleverley when asked for his assessment on his side’s latest showing. “It hurts. We are all human beings, we want to be accepted by our supporters. There is me, there is a staff and 15 brand new players to this club, we want the acceptance of our support. We don't deserve it at the minute.

“I have to look them in the eye. I will always stand in front of them and clap them at the end no matter how much they want us to go somewhere else. Right now, we are going to have to suffer because we are making them suffer.”

It was an honest reflection from a manager clearly feeling the weight of expectation. His players, though, showed little of that fight on the pitch. Exeter went ahead in the 18th minute through Reece Cole and Akeel Higgins’ effort just before the hour sealed a result that had felt inevitable long before the final whistle.

Cleverley added: “It was nowhere near it, to be honest. We were not dominant in any phase of the game – defensively, attacking or competing. Maybe there was a 10-minute period before half-time I could cling onto, but I’d be clutching at straws.”

Argyle’s defensive fragility again proved costly. “We’re not stable enough to build anything from,” said Cleverley. “When the opposition has to do very little to score, that’s a hard foundation for any team. The best teams build their confidence from solidity, that’s what we have to find now.”