Plymouth Argyle Manager Praises Michael Baidoo After Successful Return
Plymouth Argyle manager Tom Cleverley expressed his satisfaction with Michael Baidoo’s return to the field. The Ghanaian forward, aged 27, had been out since injuring his hamstring during the final match of pre-season in early August.
He made a comeback as a substitute during the 4-0 FA Cup first-round victory over Alvechurch, contributing by scoring the third goal for the Pilgrims, marking his first goal since joining the club.
Baidoo arrived at Argyle as a record signing, transferring for over £1 million from Swedish club Elfsborg in January 2025. However, he faced challenges adapting to the Championship environment and spent the previous season on loan at Qatari side Umm Salal.
“Michael’s versatile in terms of where I can play him,” Cleverley noted. “He’s intelligent and finds space well, which is something we don’t necessarily have as a team. In those small pockets of space, he’s very reliable on the ball, able to turn and create opportunities, plus he possesses explosive speed.”
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“I’m excited about him without putting undue pressure on him. He scored another goal, adding to his impressive pre-season record of nearly a goal per game, so it was a great day. The important thing is that he played his first minutes in a long time and came through unscathed.”
Cleverley expressed relief that his team kept their composure after finishing the first half at 0-0 against their seventh-tier foes, who compete in the Southern League Premier Division Central. Will Evans opened the scoring shortly after half-time and added a second goal, followed by contributions from Baidoo and Ronan Curtis to secure the win.
“I hope they enjoyed their cup run; they had great support,” Cleverley remarked. “I spoke with one of their directors at breakfast this morning, and they were thrilled about the day. That’s what the FA Cup is all about. We are the so-called giants whom they aim to overcome, and if we advance to the third round, we could find ourselves positioned to challenge another giant. It’s the beauty of the cup. Today, we had to be ruthless and professional, and I believe we achieved that.”
