 However, he made an early return coming on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Southampton on 21 October 2007.After his return, he made mostly late substitute appearances, with just three starts for Cardiff – in a 2–0 defeat against Charlton Athletic, a 2–2 draw with Watford, and a 3–1 win against Chasetown in the FA Cup.After finding himself out of favour at Cardiff, MacLean signed a three and a half-year deal with Plymouth Argyle on 18 January 2008, reuniting with former Sheffield Wednesday manager Paul Sturrock.