Steven Schumacher: Plymouth Argyle boss says he can improve despite League One award

Steven Schumacher has won 46 and lost 19 of his 81 games as Argyle boss

Plymouth Argyle manager Steven Schumacher says he still has lots of improving to do after winning the League One manager of the season award.

Schumacher, whose side are top of League One with three games to play, beat Ipswich Town's Kieran McKenna and Darren Moore of Sheffield Wednesday.

The award comes in his first full season in club management.

Argyle's Norwich City loanee Bali Mumba was named League One young player of the year at Sunday's awards ceremony.

Mumba and Argyle goalkeeper Michael Cooper were both voted on to the League One team of the season.

"I was delighted just to be nominated alongside two other brilliant managers in Kieran and Darren," Schumacher told BBC Radio Devon.

"This is my first season, I'm still learning all the time.

"It's gone really well, I'm enjoying it every single day and I've still got loads of improvement to do."

Schumacher - who stepped up from assistant manager to succeed Ryan Lowe as Pilgrims boss in December 2021 - won back-to-back manager of the month awards last autumn.

He signed a new contract last November to keep him at Home Park until the summer of 2027 and also led Argyle to the final of the EFL Trophy earlier this month, when they lost 4-0 to Bolton Wanderers at Wembley.

"We have a bottom half of the table budget, but that's fine, we find a way somehow to compete," he added.

"It isn't easy, we know that, we've got to work so hard and get a lot of things right in the game planning, and the lads have got to go and perform to the consistent levels that they have done all season, otherwise we just wouldn't be able to keep pace.

"Thankfully we have, we've got three games to go and there's still a little bit more hard work to go."

Mumba hailed after stellar season

Bali Mumba won the EFL's young player of the month award last September.

Mumba's young player award caps a breakout season in senior football for the 21-year-old.

The England youth international has scored six goals in 44 appearances and has impressed at wing-back throughout the season - he earned the EFL's young player of the month award last September.

"I can't speak highly enough about him," Schumacher said of Mumba.

"We knew that he had some talent in the research that we did when we recruited him.

"But the way he has fitted into the club has been outstanding - the fans have taken him right to their hearts and he's put in performances week in, week out.

"For such a young lad his level of consistency has been brilliant, so I'm made up for him to be recognised, and Michael who got into the team of the season as well."