Plymouth Argyle boss makes 'commitment' claim amid relegation battle with Sheffield Wednesday and others

Plymouth Argyle interim boss Neil Dewsnip is still backing his side in the Championship survival fight despite their defeat to Stoke City over the weekend. That loss left Argyle still needing to put points on the board to secure their second-tier status, as they are now just two points above the drop with two games remaining after Sheffield Wednesday’s win, leaving Birmingham City the team occupying the final drop spot.

Argyle’s loss to fellow strugglers Stoke City over the weekend means they must now pick themselves up for two season-defining clashes, against Millwall and Hull City. But while the defeat to the Potters will have dented confidence, Argyle interim boss Dewsnip is still firmly behind his side.

“We’ll take the lessons; Millwall’s going to be a tough place to play and we need to be ready for that,” said the temporary boss after the Stoke defeat. “We need to handle moments in the game much better.

“The commitment is definitely there (from us); sometimes in football you have to hold your hands up and say your opponents were better. Last Friday night, the same group of players gave everything physically and emotionally, and that might have taken it out of us more than we realised.

“Our goal is to stay in the Championship and we’re two games out from doing that. If you’d have given us that at the start of the season, we’d have grabbed that opportunity, so we’re in a positive mental state.”

Plymouth looked to be all-but safe after they defeated Leicester City, but with other teams picking up points, they have still found themselves in a position where they will likely need points. Two draws from two games or one win could do it, given the teams below them are unlikely to win both of their remaining games.