EXMIL CHALLENGE 2025
Less than 24 hours to the Part 3 deadline, I have only received 8 entries 😱.
Come on BORO.
Back from our break where we enjoyed glorious summer weather with fantastic walks and only two and a half hours drive away to boot!
Many thanks for your excellent opener OFB that was full of good reflections and analysis - I agree that Rav doesn't look up to speed at the moment and I'd be tempted to swap him from Fry this afternoon.
Also agree that Iling-Junior has looked better with each game and has quickly become an important player for Boro but I just hope Michael Carrick has managed to get a knock-down order of some new MAGA (Make A Goal Again) shooting boots made in China that were surplus to requirement by the US market after those tariffs...
Anyway, sure Boro have to beat the bottom team at home today - there really can't be any excuses for not doing so. I think Boro have a decent run-in and every chance of making 9 points - plus that last game against Coventry offers an extra chance to compensate for any mess-ups too!
OFB, just read you've got a big day on Tuesday - best wishes and fingers crossed that they can sort out those heart percentages back to favourable numbers very soon. Until then take it easy and hopefully the Boro will ease any stress with two wins over the Easter long weekend!
MC vs JC, according to EFL Analysis:
Best wishes for next Tuesday, Bob.
Some further advice from EFL Analysis: dump Iheanacho for McGree:
On Carrick's decision to allow Josh Coburn to leave on loan - I suspect the major reason was that Boro's 25-man squad was full after several new attacking signings in the summer - Conway, Burgzorg, Doak and Hamilton to add to Latte Lath, Azaz, Forss, McGree and Gilbert.
Thats not to say I wouldn't have preferred Josh to stay and definitely instead of needing to get in Iheanacho but ten attacking players would have been hard to give minutes to - and as many suspect Carrick preferred forwards that rotated positions too.
Somehow Iheanacho has got the nod today and starts but McGree not in the squad - must have got injured after playing a few minutes 🙄
@werdermouth. No he is on the bench. Forss starts to day. Wonder what has happened with McGree. 😎
Must have been my eyes playing tricks in my old age - Ihean-Junior or Ilingacho 🤣
@k-p-in-spain how many of these “knocks” have been picked up in training?
Normally, one would believe that a knock, is just that and not really serious. Our player knocks tend to be out longer than some players breaking a leg.
I know injuries are part and parcel of the game, but there appears to be something seriously wrong down at “Crockliffe”
I won’t say anything about Azaz, Whittaker and Forss all starting together.
I just hope I am wrong.
@pedro. I think they should stop training. Look what JH has been able to do without any training. Seems to be the problem and not the solution.
I wonder if there is to much reliance on the science/medics and not on what the players feels is possible.😎
what ? ,putting his boots on. The bodies of some footballers just can’t take the strain and the player is often injured. I’m thinking Mcgree falls into this category
philip of Huddersfield 👎👎
Boro score a decent goal then a clanger at the back to gift an equaliser.
Half way through the first half and the pattern of the game is clear. Boro having lots of possession, Plymouth get 11 behind the ball as soon as Boro move forward.
Boro players not good enough to play intricate short passing nearer their opponents penalty area.
I would like to see attempts to put the ball over the top and to attack down the wings to the byline and get crosses in.
Feeling this is going to be a frustrating game for Boro supporters.
Philip of Huddersfield
Yes Boro not moving the ball forward quickly enough and are allowing Plymouth to get in shape behind the ball and then it's windscreen-wiper stuff without an end product. Boro's early goal should've been enough to open the game out put that defensive clanger has allowed Plymouth to play the game they want. Probably need to create overlaps out wide and maybe Burgzorg and Iling-Junior down the left with Forss and Dijksteel down the right making crosses with players getting into the box. It's been hard work without much excitement - OFB could probably safely watch that first half (except for the gifted goal to Plymouth of course).
It’s half time. The longer the game went on the more predictable and boring Boro became. Plymouth should be ahead as a simple long ball out of defence caught out the two centre backs who were nowhere to be seen. Fortunately Travers made a good save. His second good save.
There are no stand out Boro players and no one can make the telling pass. No flair. Not creating any decent chances.
This is not good. Anyone who thinks it is, must be watching a different game.
Lets see if Carrick can change things for the second half. I’m not holding my breath. I’d love to be proved wrong.
Philip of Huddersfield ☹️🙁☹️
Well, we started off playing some decent football and were rewarded with a little luck and the rebound for Azaz to poke home.
Then it was back to typical Boro. As Philip said, we are generally trying to play tippy-tippy passing through a packed Argyle defence. Just as it has not worked most of the season, it is not working this afternoon.
Defensively we have been atrocious, with the midfield two allowing gaping holes in the middle when we push forward and then lose the ball. As good as Howson is at bringing the ball out, but he is not a defender. I think Werder was correct, in that Fry should be playing.
Plymouth have had the better chances and could be 3-1 up.
Carrick really needs to show that he is up for this and change things around somewhat. Whittaker, Azaz and Forss all playing nice football until the lose the ball.
It’s not working and at the moment Plymouth look the more likely to win this game
Boro need a goal in the next 15 minutes who can get it? Carrick thinks it's Iheanacho...
I think he's had 2 touches in 15 minutes - one was the touch of an elephant with an attempted one-two and the other was a miscontrolled touch that went out for a throw-in ☹
A penalty in added time - can we watch
Sucker punch - & penalty in injury time, slotted home by TC!
Phew Conway puts it away after Burgzorg and Iheanacho tried to be the taker!
Boro very consistent- awful, boring and clueless.
At half time it was clear that things weren’t working. So change was needed.
What did we get ? More of the same. And this was against a team at the bottom of the league table.
I had the feeling that if Plymouth had been a bit more adventurous then they could have got all 3 points.
And then Boro get a penalty to nick a win.
I am very pleased for the Boro supporters but dear oh dear this team does put them through the mill.
Philip of Huddersfield 👎☹️
Well that was hard work getting three points from bottom club but Boro absolutely needed to win this game with Coventry and Bristol City both winning - still in touch but if Boro are to get to the play-offs it's gong to be a grind - hopefully OFB wasn't watching the last ten minutes!
Not one, but TWO red cards for Plymouth during injury time, the first being the one on TC that gave us the penalty.
I'd lost patience with the team to the extent of spending most of the match shopping in Sainsbury's. They seem to have saved all the excitement until the bitter end, so I didn't miss that! 🙂
Well, talk about a “get out of jail card”
I thought that the Whittaker foul was more a penalty, possibly he made too much of it.
Conway’s foul, probably a little harsh. However, well taken penalty. Iheanacho would probably have tripped over the ball as he went to shoot.
That was a poor show by Boro and Carrick. He just appears to have very limited ideas of how to change a game. His best decision was bringing Fry on.
The win just prolongs the agony and hope until Monday.
Not one, but TWO red cards for Plymouth during injury time, the first being the one on TC that gave us the penalty.
It seems that I may have been misled by bet365 there: 'twas apparently only only the Joe Edwards one on Conway, which resulted in his penalty.