[5][6] Yoann Folly, David McNamee, and Lloyd Saxton were released after being informed that their contracts weren't being renewed,[7][8] and defender Gary Sawyer also departed.

[19] The club's first pre-season friendly ended in a 2–0 win at Southern League team Truro City thanks to goals from Yannick Bolasie and Steve MacLean.

The visitors took an early lead through Craig Noone, but the home side responded with goals from Lloyd Macklin, Elliot Benyon and Nicky Wroe to secure a 3–1 win.

[31] Argyle completed their pre-season campaign with an 8–0 win against South West Peninsula League team Saltash United.

Strikers Bradley Wright-Phillips and Rory Patterson both scored twice while trialist Owain Tudur-Jones, Craig Noone, Joe Mason and Curtis Nelson also found the back of the net.

[32] Goalkeeper David Button joined the club on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur,[33] and defender Lee Molyneux signed a permanent contract after impressing on trial.

Defender Chris Barker joined Southend United for one month,[35] and midfielder Damien Johnson signed a season-long deal with Huddersfield Town.

Joe Mason gave Argyle the lead, but second half goals from Paul Marshall and former player Reuben Reid won the game for the home side.

[48] Simon Walton had his season-long loan with Sheffield United cancelled after sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury during a pre-season game.

Captain Carl Fletcher and James O'Connor scored before Bondz N'Gala was shown a straight red card on the stroke of half time.

[52] The away side's Tommy Miller cancelled out Bradley Wright Phillips' first goal of the season before a Craig Noone header won the game.

[54] Bradley Wright-Phillips gave Argyle the lead at Rochdale, but the home side salvaged a 1–1 draw thanks to a goal from Craig Dawson.

[65] Argyle played half of the game with Oldham Athletic with nine-men and looked likely to earn a point before two stoppage time goals consigned them to a 4–2 defeat.

[66] Bondz N'Gala and Kári Árnason were both sent off for the second time this season before Bradley Wright-Phillips added to Craig Noone's equaliser to give the away side the lead.

Late goals from Jean-Yves Mvoto and Dean Kelly won the game for Oldham, who had scored earlier on through Dale Stephens and Oumare Tounkara.

[70] Sean Morrison, Charlie Austin, Vincent Péricard and Matt Ritchie scored the goals against an Argyle side which had Dean Parrett sent off on the stroke of half time.

A second half strike from Chris Clark cancelled out Ryan Harley's early goal before Daniel Nardiello scored the winner in stoppage time.

[80] It was confirmed that the club had been presented with a winding-up petition from HM Revenue and Customs in October relating to unpaid tax debts.

[91] Bradley Wright-Phillips scored two goals, either side of half time, as Argyle defeated Exeter City 2–0 in the first league meeting between the clubs since 2002.

[97] After a week of boardroom upheaval, which included the departure of Roy Gardner as the club's chairman,[98] Peter Ridsdale joined on a full-time basis as a football consultant.

[104] Will Hoskins gave Bristol Rovers a two-goal lead in Argyle's next game before they responded through Bradley Wright-Phillips, Joe Mason and Stéphane Zubar to claim a 3–2 win.

[106] A 3–0 defeat by Bournemouth followed, who scored goals either side of half time through Danny Hollands, Liam Feeney and Marc Pugh.

Defenders Curtis Nelson and Stéphane Zubar were dismissed in a match which saw Argyle take a two-goal lead thanks to Joe Mason.

[120] A winding-up petition issued to the club in October 2010 was dismissed in the High Court after Argyle cleared their debts with HM Revenue & Customs.

[124] Having not received their wages on time for a third month,[125] the Professional Footballers' Association confirmed that it was providing financial support to the club's players.

[136] A late goal from Yannick Bolasie earned Argyle a 1–1 draw at Carlisle United, who had taken the lead in the first half through James Berrett.

[137] As negotiations continued with potential buyers, the club's players, staff and management agreed to defer their wages for March and April until a deal was struck.

[140] The club's match at home to Southampton was rearranged for 2 May due to international call-ups involving Onismor Bhasera, Rory Fallon and Joe Mason.

Early goals from Scott McGleish and Dean Cox saw Argyle fall nine points adrift of safety after a 2–0 defeat at Leyton Orient.

[145] A 1–0 defeat at Exeter City on 30 April meant Argyle needed to win their last two matches of the season to have a chance of avoiding relegation.