Why Plymouth Argyle fans feel short changed after Middlesbrough decision | OneFootball

Plymouth Argyle fans will be left feeling rather short-changed after Law McCabe was recalled early by Middlesbrough.

Plymouth Argyle supporters were left feeling rather short-changed after Middlesbrough decided to recall young midfielder Law McCabe from his loan spell at Home Park early.

The 19-year-old joined the Pilgrims late in the summer transfer window, as Tom Cleverley wanted to add a playmaker to his ranks to compliment his other midfielders at the club, such as Bradley Ibrahim, Malachi Boateng, and Brendan Wiredu.

However, McCabe failed to kick on with the Greens, often finding himself on the bench or even out of the squad entirely after the arrival of Joe Ralls, which saw Boro opt to bring him back to Teesside early.

The teenager arrived with an excellent pedigree, having been capped for England at under 18 and under 20 level, but the outcome of his loan spell with Plymouth has left supporters feeling rather short-changed after the initial promise he showed.

Given how highly-rated McCabe is, and depending on what he goes on to achieve in the future, this particular loan deal could go down as one of those 'what if' signings for Plymouth supporters.

Taking a young player on their first senior loan is always a risk, but it also comes with the chance of reaping huge rewards, should the player adapt quickly to senior football and thrive for their loan club.

This is what was hoped of McCabe when he headed to Home Park on deadline day in the summer. A highly-rated prospect by Boro and England, his arrival certainly caught the eye of the Green Army, who may have thought they'd unearthed a gem.

However, things didn't go as planned for the midfielder. He enjoyed a solid run of games in the couple of months after his arrival, but would ultimately end up losing his place to Ralls, following his signing and return to in November.

Argyle's midfield usually consisted of the attacking-minded Ibrahim, with Boateng as the holding player, but after the former sustained a long-term injury, this was McCabe's opportunity to make that spot his own.

It would be a competition between the Boro loanee and the experienced free agent addition Ralls as to who would get that spot next to Boateng, and unfortunately for McCabe, he wouldn't win the battle, as the 32-year-old shone for Cleverley's side.

Even when Ralls was sent off against Reading, the Argyle boss opted to pick Wiredu to stand in for him over McCabe, and it was pretty clear that his minutes for the rest of the season would be limited, given the competition in that midfield unit.

After Ralls extended his contract to the end of the season, the writing was on the wall for the 19-year-old, and it was no shock when Middlesbrough announced they'd recalled him early from his stint at Home Park.

It was a real shame that it didn't work out for McCabe, as you could see the qualities he possessed, but his struggles for consistency in comparison to some of the more senior members of the squad were ultimately his downfall.

Law McCabe loan will go down as a 'what if?' transfer for Plymouth Argyle

McCabe's talent is unquestionable. He had flashes of brilliance during his time at Argyle, but was unable to show it consistently. Given the club's situation, the signing seemed like the right idea at the wrong time.

This season has very much been a transitional season for Plymouth, with the squad struggling to adapt to League One football following a chaotic transfer window which saw plenty of arrivals and departures.

The Pilgrims clearly lacked some experience in their midfield unit, which Ralls was the key to fixing. McCabe offered youthful exuberance, but when things got tough on the pitch as they often did, he didn't fit the assured leader type that the Greens were crying out for.

McCabe's signing will always be one of those 'what if?' signings, where fans realise they didn't see the full potential of the player, and will wonder how different things could've been should circumstances have been more favourable.

If the 19-year-old heads out on loan again next season and succeeds, the Green Army will undoubtedly wonder why they didn't see the best of him during his time at the club, and will likely feel rather short-changed.

With that in mind, Plymouth supporters will be keeping an eye on the progress of the talented midfielder in the next few years, as he looks to show what he struggled to do in his 13 appearances for the Devon side.