Tom Cleverley did not reach for the diplomatic phrasing after Plymouth Argyle's League One curtain-raiser. A 3-1 home defeat to Stockport County on the opening day was, in his words, "a really painful defeat", and he was not prepared to dress it up any other way.

Early control handed to the visitors

Stockport, who ended last season as beaten play-off semi-finalists, arrived at Home Park with purpose and left with three points to show for it. They led 2-0 inside 26 minutes and had effectively settled the matter by going 3-0 ahead early in the second half. Argyle pulled one back, but the afternoon belonged emphatically to the visitors.

Cleverley, beginning his second season as Argyle head coach, had reason for genuine optimism heading into the campaign. The Pilgrims closed out last term by winning 14 of their final 22 league games, a run that hauled them out of the relegation zone and into contention on the edge of the play-off places. He kept the bulk of that squad together, and there was, as he put it, "a lot of optimism around the place for a long time." Saturday was, therefore, a sharp correction.

Cleverley points to individual and collective shortcomings

Speaking to BBC Radio Devon after the match, the Argyle boss was clear-eyed about where things went wrong, and notably he turned the focus inward rather than reaching for credit to Stockport.

"Focusing on ourselves, first and foremost, I thought the intensity, the duels, the things that have made us really consistent were down," he said.

"The flow of the game, the control of the game was certainly with them, but sometimes that's fine and you get through those periods. But they had the control of the game, we were a little bit late with the press."

He was particularly pointed about the manner of the goals conceded, describing them as "really disappointing ones to concede at key moments." A familiar set of complaints followed: second balls lost, a press that arrived too slowly, soft goals at the wrong moments. None of it, he suggested, reflected the side that had performed so consistently in the final stretch of the previous campaign.

"When we got it into areas to regain, we didn't then commit to the duels, we lost second balls, conceded soft goals," he said. "I think it's a performance that, focusing on ourselves, there's a lot to do."

Context around the result

Argyle came into Saturday having beaten Devon rivals Exeter City in the first round of the Carabao Cup on the Monday, so there was at least some early-season momentum in the building. But League One points are the currency that matters, and Cleverley will know better than most that the buoyant mood generated over the summer evaporates quickly if results do not follow.

Stockport, for their part, will be satisfied with a statement opening-day performance. Their play-off semi-final exit will have stung, and they arrive in the new League One season looking every inch a side with unfinished business.

For Argyle, the work starts now. One game in and already with a deficit to make up, Cleverley acknowledged that "everyone's hurting inside that dressing room." Whether that pain translates into an improved response next weekend is the only question that matters at Home Park right now.

Frequently asked

What was the score in Plymouth Argyle vs Stockport County?
Stockport County won 3-1 at Home Park in the League One opening day fixture, racing into a 2-0 lead inside 26 minutes and extending it to 3-0 early in the second half before Argyle grabbed a late consolation.
What did Tom Cleverley say after the Stockport defeat?
Cleverley described it as a 'really painful defeat' and said the intensity, duels and pressing that had made Argyle consistent were not at the required level. He focused criticism inward, pointing to lost second balls, a slow press and soft goals conceded at key moments.
How did Plymouth Argyle finish last season?
Argyle ended the previous campaign in strong form, winning 14 of their final 22 league games to lift themselves out of the relegation zone and finish within touching distance of the play-off places.