If we're going to miss the drop....then this game mustn't be lost.....lets hope Whittaker continues his goal less form.
Hazard, Mumba, Houghton, Pleguezuelo, Szucs, Edwards, Hardie, Bundu, Gyabi, Randell, Palsson. Subs Grimshaw, Ogbeta, Wright, Obafemi, Puchacz, Boateng, Tijani, Baidoo, Issaka.
Derby 0 - 1 Luton Scrappy game (of course) on a dreadful pitch. Do they use it for something else? A draw would have suited us I guess, given we have to overtake both of them. Leaves us 3 points behind both with a game in hand to play in 30 minutes.
.................................................Hazard .............Szucs.........................Palsson.....................Pleguezuelo ....Mumba.............Randell.....................Edwards.............Houghton ....................Hardie............................................Gyabi ................................................Bundu
2-1.....F/T Azaz...(12mins)...................................Bundu...(17mins) Conway...(90+3mins pen)...................Edwards...(90+2 Red) Harsh penalty decision ?
A really decent performance from Argyle spoilt by Guess Who dwelling on the ball on the left until he loses it. A quick ball into the box leaves Joe Edwards in an invidious position. It’s a tangle of legs but also a clear scoring chance, so their guy has no incentive to go down. Their first goal too was disappointing. Poor defending lets them in but a shot from a narrow angle hits the far post. But it bounces straight back onto the edge of the 6 yard box and Azaz is the beneficiary. Great goal from Bundu, good saves from Hazard, some resolute defending and sundry chances for Hardie, Gyabi and others. So much better. But not enough under the circumstances.
I have just watched the penalty decision over and over again. That was such an obvious dive it could have had sub titles. You have to ask what the feck these Refs see. To add insult to injury a red card as well. It's a joke.
It did look a bit like a pike but why does he go down with the goal at his mercy? The bigger issue though is You Know Who giving the ball away. See 1m 50 approx. https://www.tiktok.com/@boro/video/7494707067513556246
Yep Bali makes a cock up but that was still a dive and blatant. Why does he go down......I just think players are conditioned to do it these days. He needs to practice it a bit more though because his effort looked pathetic even though it worked. Edwards should appeal.
The worst of it is that I think the penalty for a red is three matches so Joe Edwards is unavailable for all the remaining games. Not only is he an inspirational player but I’m sure he’s Mirom Muslic’s mouthpiece on the pitch. A double loss. It would have been a very good point at a team in the promotion race but far from cruising towards it, maybe the toughest place of all to get a result. It’s a penalty that may well relegate us. I have to agree that the penalty was at worst a tangle of legs rather than a full blown trip but they’re given up and down the country every week and if they’re given, it’s always a red. The question you have to ask yourself is if it has been the other way around, would you think it was a penalty? If only we’d had Muslic from Match Day 1. When he first came in, our football became pretty agricultural but I think recently, although there are still more long balls than tika-taka, it’s starting to look a bit more organised and structured. Bundu is starting to look like quite a handful and - wait for it - I thought Gyabi had a really good game as a number 10 - far better than he does as a holding midfielder. If you look at our form over the last 10 games, or the last 6 homes and 6 aways, we’re in mid-table in each case - 12th to 15th, that sort of territory. If you went back to Muslic’s appointment, which I can’t find the data for, I think we’d be the same. The damage was done under Rooney and it’s not been possible to run fast enough in this league to escape from that. We’ve continued to have the occasional horror-show but over all, we’ve been OK under Muslic, especially considering the injury list he’s had to cope with.
So if Joe Edwards and his straight red equals a three game ban....then his season is over.....and maybe his playing career is at an end. I don't think you can contest a straight red card.....so just another nail tapped home into our Championship coffin.
Edwards was penalised for a push not a trip. As I said I have watched the replay over and over and I just cannot see it. I would appeal without any hesitation. Yes you can appeal straight red or not. The only thing you cannot change is a yellow or the goal that was stolen. I don't think Joe's career is over either. Yes we will get relegated. Form over a few games at a selected point in a season is irrelevant. We are where we are over the whole. Whittaker dived as well and that should have been a booking for him. I watched a pundits opinion on it. He was adamant it was a penalty all day long. You should see it. Minimal contact outside the box anyway and he went on a pace before he went down spread eagled. A farce. Was a fan of Whittaker but he does seem a bit petulant of nature and where does he get off trying to screw his former club who did a lot for him.
Apparently Joe Edwards is banned for only one game. https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/argyle-edwards-red-card-middlesbrough-10119079 If you think this was a bad decision, there was a worse one in the second half at Swansea, although it didn't come to anything and so doesn't seem to have made it into the match highlights. One of theirs has run the ball into the right corner flag and is hemmed in, so of course he feels hot breath behind him and goes down. The lineman is literally 6 feet away and does not signal for a foul (which it wasn't) but the referee comes steaming across from the far side of the penalty box, 50+ yards away on his diagonal, and gives Swansea a free-kick, which is to all intents and purposes a corner. What's all that about?
I have just read that Argyle won't appeal. I think they are wrong in this case but that's it done and dusted.
