Argyle v Middlesbrough: What football is about

Read to the end for the new Argyle five-year plan

Welcome back to One Team In Devon – after a pulsating draw against in-form Middlesbrough.

I was at the game and felt both sets of fans probably left the ground reasonably happy with the result, which was played out in a decent atmosphere and a great spirit, both between players and supporters.

“It’s all gone quiet over there” bounced sarcastically back and forth between ends as both teams made comebacks in a six-goal thriller.

Let’s pick the bones out of it.

This is what we come for

I’ve had a tough week personally, and have spent most of it at Derriford in pretty bleak circumstances. I picked up a ticket for the game about three hours before kick-off and headed down on my own.

It was a great decision. A quick half at Roam and spoke to some friendly Boro fans, who were all having a good time in the city. And then a Dewdney’s, a fantastic game in a good atmosphere, and bumped into some friends at half time. The quality on show just made for a fantastic afternoon and helped put troubles behind me for a few hours.

I had a perfect angle for Azaz’s strike, and perhaps it was just my perspective, but I can’t think of a better goal at Home Park that I’ve seen live. I’d love to hear yours in the comments.

Football is an escape for lots of people, but we’re lucky to have ours played out in this manner, in this spirit, and at this level.

On Ben Waine

Waine’s inclusion and performance didn’t really answer any questions or provide much reassurance to my mind.

We clearly need Hardie and Bundu back ASAP, and the news from midweek was positive. Both suffered grade two hamstring strains, which aren’t considered overly serious. Hardie is in more pain, so Bundu could be back first, after the international break. That means that, with luck, it’s just Leeds away to navigate before one returns.

I’ve seen two ideas around Waine, and think they can be true at the same time. I felt he was isolated up front on his own, and wasn’t given service to affect the game or play to his strengths.

But he doesn’t possess the strength or pace to make an impression up front, and offered little danger.

He touched the ball 9 times in his 70 minutes, and generously interpreting, two were in the final third. Coburn touched the ball 25 times, for context.

Mumba answers critics

It’s incredible that Mumba even had to answer critics, but after last week, he probably did owe us a goal. And he delivered, both with his finish and his performance throughout the game.

The cupped ear celebration is something we should be a little embarrassed about as a fan base. He’s clearly heard grumblings, and that’s not the love that he claimed brought him back to Argyle as a signing.

He turned his man inside out, time and time again made space, dragged defenders, and was on his hand to finish a delightful nutmeg pass from Azaz, who seems to be exceeding his pre-injury ceiling to look a real talent at this level.

See some stats from @notatroll (above) and Tweet (below) shows his value in an Argyle shirt:

Bali Mumba creates the most chances of the front 3 (the others are scoring) and =2nd xA. Scoring at pretty much xG. AND he’s doing a job defensively (including starting in defence several times). He’s class.

3-3: the ultimate Argyle scoreline?

Doesn’t 3-3 perfectly sum up Argyle? Great in attack, haphazard in defence. I certainly think this will be the theme of the whole season – and I’ve said before – I prefer it to being a stodgy, negative team playing anti-football for a lower-midtable finish. And we’ve already seen that can be effective in this league.

I saw an incredible stat that we’ve scored three goals (or more) in 5 of our 8 home league games this season.

But if Schuey can mastermind even a slight decrease in the GA column, without affecting our attacking threat, we could start getting what we deserve.

Scarr had another nightmare for the second goal – I think it’s probably time to give Pleggy a run in that spot.

Mumba and Miller were bypassed like training cones for the third goal, which was far too easy from an Argyle perspective, and came from Boro stretching us in all directions. We need to figure this out.

The switch to a back three was being prepared as Middlesbrough piled on the pressure after the penalty, and Pleggy was waiting on the touchline as the third went in. It could, and possibly should, have been made more quickly. But we were still opened up at will after.

The luck swings back

We’ve been owed a fair dose of luck after rattling the post several times, poor referring decisions, and in-game injuries. And we may have cashed in a few of those during the Boro game.

The Argyle equaliser was fortunate to evade everyone to tuck inside the post, even if the delivery was inch-perfect by Whittaker, who as we know, only scores worldies.

Carrick was incensed by the lack of a red card for Miller in the 70^th minute (who now serves a one-game ban for the yellow that resulted). It was adjudged a foul and he was the last man, so it is technically hard to disagree. Perhaps the fact that Miller doesn’t seem to make a challenge or put a hand on his opponent saved him, but it’s a huge moment of rebalancing after Ipswich.

I also can’t get my head around the Scarr situation in the last minute of injury time, when he fails to clear a ball in the wet and is adjudged to have been fouled. Very lucky again.

That Azaz strike on repeat

The new five-year plan

One big story from the week was the launch of the new five-year plan by Simon Hallett and the board.

Most will remember the first, launched in 2019, was simply to become a sustainable Championship team within five years – and while that has not been *fully* achieved, the board has adjusted the mission.

The new mission reads:

 ‘To be a sustainable top six Championship club within five years, with Premier League aspirations.’

While the club is financially sustainable (despite a small loss last year from promotion bonuses and investments), we still don’t know if we can sustain our footballing status. So as such, the old one has not been fully realised.

But Hallett told Argyle TV that the club was “At risk of losing our best people if we’re not ambitious. We need to reset and evolve the mission to show we are ambitious.”

It’s important to remember that a mission or vision is not a plan. The plan of how to achieve this mission will be developed by the executive team, led by Andrew Parkinson. And Hallett revealed that a key pillar will be a continued investment in people, and ensuring that Argyle is the right place for people to develop their careers.

That, presumably, means building on the types of opportunities given to Schumacher, and loan players – who can use Argyle as a stepping stone to realising personal ambitions.

It means making Argyle attractive to in-demand people – be it players, coaches, physios, or executives – to attract the best possible standard of staff to the club.

Hallett also stated that bringing footballing and financial sustainability to the top end of the Championship would require significant revenues. And that our current facilities – the stadium, training, etc – are not currently up to Championship standard.

The key example is the Brickfields redevelopment to serve as a home to the academy and women’s teams, which the club clearly sees as an easier route to revenue via player promotion (and sales).

You can read a deeper dive into the new mission and watch Simon Hallett’s interview with Argyle TV.