Plymouth Argyle: Derby County performance has given Wayne Rooney big decision to make | OneFootball

Julio Pleguezuelo continues to impress after getting his first league start of the season last at the beginning of the month

Plymouth Argyle picked up just their second point away from home in the 24/25 campaign at the weekend, as Wayne Rooney’s side secured a 1-1 draw against Derby County at Pride Park.

Adam Randell’s deflected free-kick earned a draw against the Rams, who had gone ahead early in the game through Jerry Yates’s spectacular overhead kick.

While County had 20 shots throughout the 90 minutes, only four of those were on target, with Yates’ effort from the halfway line in the second-half the closest the hosts came to retaking the lead.

That altogether solid defensive performance will have Rooney pondering his options when the Greens host Watford at Home Park after the international break, with Lewis Gibson set to be fit again for the visit of the Hornets.

Julio Pleguezuelo impresses after biding his time for Plymouth Argyle appearances

Having had to wait until October for his first taste of Championship action this season, Julio Pleguezuelo has stepped up to the plate since coming onto the field in the second-half of Argyle’s 3-3 draw with Preston North End last month.

The Spaniard had been reduced to playing in cup ties until that moment, but after being introduced after an injury to Joe Edwards in the buildup to the visitors’ third goal that day, the former Arsenal man played his part in a dramatic comeback from three goals down to earn a point.

With Edwards joining Gibson and fellow defender Brendan Galloway on the sidelines, Rooney was down to the bare bones in terms of defensive personnel, but in Pleguezuelo, he has the ultimate professional who has stood up when his club needed it the most.

Since that North End encounter, the 27-year-old has started each league game, with a 3-0 defeat to Leeds United followed by a 1-0 win over Portsmouth, as well as the recent draw with Derby.

He has barely put a foot wrong in his performances alongside Kornel Szucs at the back, and his willingness to get on the ball and help build attacks gives him an added edge when in possession.

No player on either team played as many passes as the ex-FC Twente man’s 59 on Saturday, while a whopping 12 clearances is double that of defensive foil Szucs, with the pair holding firm to earn just a second point away from Home Park this season.

Putting the Leeds result to one side - where Rooney made a number of changes to his side with one eye on more fruitful fixtures - only a wondrous strike on Saturday has breached the backline with Pleguezuelo as part of it, and those recent performances will likely give Rooney food for thought over the next week or so before Championship action resumes.

Lewis Gibson may have a fight on his hands to regain first-team spot

Ask any Plymouth Argyle fan a month ago who the first name on the team sheet would be, and the majority would likely have said Lewis Gibson.

The former Everton man has been a constant performer in the Pilgrims’ backline since joining the club last summer, with his dedication and leadership at the back earning him plenty of plaudits during his time in green.

As a result, there was plenty of worry around Home Park when the defender was ruled out for the Preston game, with Victor Palsson coming in as his replacement that day.

The Icelandic international is yet to impress the Green Army during his time at the club, and so it proved once again that day, with three goals shipped within 50 minutes, before Pleguezuelo [pictured] played himself into contention with a strong showing as Argyle rescued a point.

Since then, it has been the former DC United man who has been dropped down to the bench, with Pleguezuelo thriving in his place, while Gibson watches on from the stands during his recovery.

As Szucs continues to impress since his summer arrival from Hungary, it is unlikely that he will be dropped anytime soon, and on recent evidence, Pleguezuelo more than deserves to maintain his place in the starting eleven.

The team sheet for the visit of Watford will make for interesting reading come 7pm next Friday night, and will give us a glimpse of what Rooney has learned about his squad depth in the past few weeks.

Should he throw Gibson straight back into the fold, you'd forgive Pleguezuelo for being raging, given his dependability when times have got tough at Home Park, with his performances not warranting any time out of the side.

But keep the Spaniard in, and a healthy rivalry could emerge within the dressing room, with performances likely to keep to a high standard as a result.

Having started just 25 league games since arriving at the club last summer, Argyle's first ever Spanish player has the chance to prove himself in the second tier, and with his contract expiring next summer, it is more than just results that he is playing for, he has his career at stake.