Middlesbrough 0-1 Plymouth match report: The Daily Mirror verdict

Gordon Strachan did not even venture out of his dug-out when the Riverside crowd gave him a rapturous reception - no wave to the fans, no pumping fists, no rallying cry.

Perhaps he suspected after a week on the training ground with the misfiring Boro players that there would be very little to get excited about in his first match in charge.

He was right - Boro made some pretty patterns in midfield but you got the feeling that they could play until Tuesday and still not score a goal, while at the back they were undone by the simplest of long punts.

There might be a new manager in charge but this was the same old toothless Boro, losing 1-0 at home for the third time in four games.

The famously fiery Strachan kept his cool but midfielder Julio Arca is braced for a verbal volley if standards slip any further.

"He has been very calm," said the Argentine. "He showed how much experience he has and told us exactly what to do. At half-time he explained what we should be doing and what we shouldn't be doing. At the end he was as disappointed as the players.

"We have not seen the angry side of him yet. We know how he can be, so if the performance is really bad we will see the other side of him."

Arca's performance on his 'wrong' flank was one plus point for Strachan, who switched the left-footed winger onto the right in an effort to make Boro less predictable.

The creative Argentine was often benched by the more pragmatic Gareth Southgate and said: "It’s not easy when you are in and out, playing every few weeks, but to start and play most of the game helps me.

"I just wanted to be back in the team and I told him I will play anywhere he wants me to, as long as I play.

“Training has been a bit different - more intense. He has tried to change things, which is probably hard to explain. He likes us to play football.

"Even at the end when we started to put balls in the box, he said we should have carried on playing football and waited for the right chance. He likes players to play, to pass the ball. He gave us the freedom to do what we do best.

"That suits me, even if I am playing in a position I have not played for a long time.

"We need time to get used to him and he will need time to get used to us. This week has been good because we have trained all week with him so we know what he is looking for.

"Hopefully things will work out. He wants to improve players, to make them play better to get promotion."

Arca suggested that Plymouth created only one chance and mugged Boro for three points, but that does not tally with goalkeeper Brad Jones' official award as Boro's man of the match.

In truth, Argyle were well organised and the willing running of lone frontman Jamie Mackie embarrassed the Middlesbrough defence, with David Wheater particularly culpable.

Boro did not test Argyle keeper Roman Larrieu until the 38th minute, though on-loan Villa centre-half Shane Lowry produced a top-class block to deny Marvin Emnes.

After the break they were denied by Kari Arnason, whose goal-line clearance from Wheater's low shot ricocheted off his keeper and almost gifted Boro a goal.

The home side were given a warning when Mackie shrugged off Wheater only to be denied by Jones, who could do nothing when history repeated itself six minutes later and this time Mackie kept his shot low.

The goal woke Boro, who should have equalised through on-loan striker Marcus Bent, but he steered his header wide from an Arca cross.

Referee Mick Russell was obviously as frustrated as the fans as he gifted Boro a soft penalty when Sean St Ledger ran into Arnason just inside the box.

But Boro could not even score from 12 yards - Adam Johnson missing the target completely and barely grazing the outside of the post with his spot-kick.

Plymouth held on for a rare victory that was tangible reward to the 700-strong Green Army who made the bottom-numbing journey the length of the country.

"The away fans are second to none in the league. We need to try to create the same noise at home next week because it gives us a boost," said Mackie.

"The win is something to build on. We’ve got a home game next week, and it’s vital to get three points and go into another international break with another three points. Winning breeds confidence. We need to crack on now.

"We’re going to be on the back foot when we come to teams like this but it’s about being resolute and strong as unit, which we were, and leave me up the park to cause trouble when we clear the ball."

Middlesbrough: Jones 7; Hoyte 6, Wheater 4, St Ledger 6, Pogatetz 6 (Grounds, 53, 6); Arca 7 (Yeates, 87), O'Neil 6, Williams 6, Johnson 6; Emnes 5 (Bent, 46, 5), Lita 6

Plymouth: Larrieu 7; Gray 7, Lowry 8, Arnason 7, Sawyer 7; Judge 7 (Clark, 81), Gow 7 (Barnes, 81), Fletcher 7, Folly 7, Duguid 7; Mackie 8