Plymouth Argyle are in danger of relegation, as they have accounted just 30 points in 36 games. This season they have accrued 6 wins, 12 draws and 18 losses.
Plymouth have failed to win any of their past 20 away league games (D5 L15). It’s the first time they’ve failed to win 20+ successive away league matches since November 1984.
On 31 December 2024, with the team in last place and four points from safety, Wayne Rooney left Plymouth following a mutual agreement with the club.
On 10 January 2025, Muslić signed a three-and-a-half-year contract to become head coach of Plymouth Argyle.
Muslic’s Great Track Record
Andrew Parkinson, CEO of Plymouth Argyle said: “We feel we have got the ideal person in Miron to take the club forward. As we went through the process he clearly had all the qualities we were looking for.
”He has got a great track record, he’s visionary, he knows the game inside out, very passionate, the style of football we wanted to play but outside of the technical qualities it’s his leadership; his ability to be able to lead teams but also his connection with supporters and with all our stakeholders. He was the stand-out candidate.”
On 14 July 2020, Muslić was hired as a manager by Austrian Football Second League club Floridsdorfer AC.
Muslić returned to Austrian Bundesliga club Ried in January 2021 and became head coach of the club. After ten games as coach of Ried, he resigned in March 2021, with the Upper Austrians picking up just three points in this period and remaining winless
In October 2021, Muslić became assistant coach to Yves Vanderhaeghe at Cercle Brugge. He also remained at the club under Dominik Thalhammer, and was promoted to the main first-team managerial role the following year, replacing Thalhammer on 19 September 2022.
Helped by the goals of Japan international Ayase Ueda, Muslić steered Cercle from the relegation zone to a regular-season finishing position of eighth for the 2022–23 campaign, qualifying them for a streamlined version of the Belgian Pro League’s European play-offs.
They finished runners-up to Gent in these play-offs for the final European qualifying place, seeing them officially finish in sixth position.
With Ueda moving to Feyenoord, and Kevin Denkey promoted to become Muslić’s first-choice striker, Cercle would qualify for the title play-offs for the first time, going on to finish fourth for the 2023–24 season, their highest finish since 2008, qualifying them for Europe for the first time in 14 years, and only the fourth time ever.
Early season struggles for the 2024–25 season did not clear, and after a 2–0 lead over bottom side Beerschot turned into a 2–3 defeat, Muslić was dismissed as Cercle manager on 2 December 2024.
Muslic Era at Plymouth
On 10 January 2025, Muslić signed a three-and-a-half-year contract to become head coach of EFL Championship side Plymouth Argyle.
On 9 February 2025, with Plymouth in the bottom position in the Championship, Muslić’s team met Liverpool at Home Park in the FA Cup Fourth Round and won 1–0. The win marked only the fourth time in FA Cup history that the leaders of the Premier League have been knocked out by a team outside the top flight.
Plymouth are still bottom of the league with just 10 games left to preserve their second tier status, but they have produced a few impressive performances since the appointment of Muslic that could provide the supporters with some hope for the future, including that memorable win over the Reds.
But Plymouth Argyle’s struggles in high-pressure matches were laid bare on Saturday as they collapsed to a damaging 3-0 home defeat against mid-table Sheffield Wednesday.
Overall Opinion
While performance in the league has been disappointing, Muslic has shown the capability to nurture talent and create a cohesive team. Given a bit more time, he could weave a winning mentality into the squad. This could prove crucial as they navigate challenging fixtures as they look to beat the drop.
Miron Muslić presents a unique combination of strategic vision, managerial experience, and the ability to engage with the fan base, making a strong case for why he should continue to lead Plymouth Argyle through this challenging period.
