Stirling Albion v Morton

[RJM77]

Duffy said in the Tele that Derek McInnes wants him back at the club, so I don't think McManus has any say in the matter. He's out of contract in the summer, so I suppose they want him back for the final few months of his deal to give him a chance to earn a new one.

If he's not getting a game, he might end up back with us, as he can't play for any other teams than Aberdeen or ourselves this season.

Can we get him back in say, March if he's not getting a game there and we still need him? (Likely we will)

[#Gary]

He's not good enough for the top league.

[LargsTON]

Duffy said in the Tele that Derek McInnes wants him back at the club, so I don't think McManus has any say in the matter. He's out of contract in the summer, so I suppose they want him back for the final few months of his deal to give him a chance to earn a new one.

If he's not getting a game, he might end up back with us, as he can't play for any other teams than Aberdeen or ourselves this season.

Rae should just make an offer to make the deal permanent. I'm sure Aberdeen may be hoping that's what happens anyway, seeing as they'll lose him for nothing in a few months anyway. If this situation had arisen a few years ago we'd be looking at our new £450,000 record signing being paraded on the park before the Airdrie game. How times have changed from the days of Chris Templehorse.

[LargsTON]

He's not good enough for the top league.

I agree and based on last season, he'd struggle in the championship. Plenty of time on his side though and he has all the attributes to go further.

[printer]

Scottish Football's Gifts that Keep on Giving:

1) Sevco

2) Stirling

3) er...that's it

:lol:

[TurbineTon]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

That was the most I've laughed at a football match ever. TTGJ

[Sinclair Street]

He's not good enough for the top league.

For all the pace he has in this league, in the recent u21 game he was beaten for pace by the CBs every time.

Needs to start putting away more of the numerous chances he gets every game while at the same time learn to cool the noggin a bit.

If he's going to be released at the end of this season, whoever loses out in the Premiership play-offs could do a lot worse than have a good look at him.

[Jan Vojáček]

Scottish Football's Gifts that Keep on Giving:

1) Sevco

2) Stirling

3) Ayr

:lol:

FTFY

[Chesh]

Goal Cam

[Binos123sam]

Wedderburn is an absolute clown worst player we have and that includes Gordon Smith, Phil Johnston and Graham weir

If we sell sandy and can't extend Beiths loan then we should just give up and accept that we will be relegated

For me Comrie was bad today but at least he looks like he wants to play for the club unlike weir,Doris,wedderburn,Gordon Smith and Johnston if it wasn't for doris form he would deserve to go

Rounding my horrible and seething post of I think coult should be our new keeper

[Dee Till A Die]

Goal Cam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2VG9ZVY4DQ&feature=youtu.be

That scream at the penalty save

[vikingTON]

For all Morton fans slag some of their players they didn't have Wedderburn or Reidford starting today and for that they should be thankful. We threw that away as always. Just gutting!! Hopefully Reidford is banned for 3 games

Chris Smith is still worse than either of those. That comedy trio explained how such a shambolic Morton side still managed to shuffle four goals against their opponents.

Should have been 4-1 but Johnston couldn't beat goalie one on one. IMO the own goal was turning point, Morton looked the better team after that bit of luck.

I thought subs should have been used earlier to close out game but didn't happen. We lost the midfield at a crucial time in the game and fresh legs would have helped.

McLaren has the team playing good football but we are still gifting the opposition too many goals. Crucial we get players in to tighten defence.

It was an important save by Gaston but you're fooling yourself by claiming that the deflected equaliser was just a 'lucky' break that turned the match. Stirling spent the last half hour bizarrely camped in their own penalty box: they could have went forward to get another goal, yet they shat it and due to their incompetent defence lost an easy three points.

He's not good enough for the top league.

He's good enough to warm their bench, fulfil their under-21 regulations and get runouts at the end of matches against proper opponents. Compared to latching onto Richard Lamie's aimless hoofs 20 times a game and dealing with Clueless Jim's tactical nous that seems a preferable experience.

[Binos123sam]

Reidford conceded goals because our defence is shit and they've got no fans

[Ray Vaughn]

Some bizarre comments on here. The Stirling performance was absolutely fine until about 4.30 when we just fell to pieces. Some blame the manager for his subs but the guys he withdrew were dead in their feet. 90 minute fitness is lacking and I cannae see that changing anytime soon.

Those criticising Chris Smith clearly weren't at the game. He was outstanding again yesterday.

We fell to pieces, it's happened before you know - get over it.

Morton fans are a bit bizarre. There are those with delusions that they are some kind of sleeping giant. Perhaps the reality that they are a League 1 level side with regular but ultimately doomed forays into the Championship is a bit much for them.

The abuse of Jim Duffy is over the top. Personally he is on my "Don't Want As Albion Manager" list but he isn't doing as bad a job as many Ton fans are making out. Duffy's record of success as manager is not great but he keeps getting employment, time after time.

[toms]

Some bizarre comments on here. The Stirling performance was absolutely fine until about 4.30 when we just fell to pieces. Some blame the manager for his subs but the guys he withdrew were dead in their feet. 90 minute fitness is lacking and I cannae see that changing anytime soon.

Those criticising Chris Smith clearly weren't at the game. He was outstanding again yesterday.

We fell to pieces, it's happened before you know - get over it.

Morton fans are a bit bizarre. There are those with delusions that they are some kind of sleeping giant. Perhaps the reality that they are a League 1 level side with regular but ultimately doomed forays into the Championship is a bit much for them.

The abuse of Jim Duffy is over the top. Personally he is on my "Don't Want As Albion Manager" list but he isn't doing as bad a job as many Ton fans are making out. Duffy's record of success as manager is not great but he keeps getting employment, time after time.

So you watch Morton so often, it's obvious that you know more than we do! Like you, Duffy is a clown.

[bunglebonce]

I refused to go to Celtic Park so took this in. For half the price I got seven more goals and an outfielder saving a penalty.

I agree with this:

Should have been 4-1 but Johnston couldn't beat goalie one on one. IMO the own goal was turning point, Morton looked the better team after that bit of luck.

Stirling ought to have got a couple of goals from getting behind Russell and Lamie before the own goal. 3-1 didn't flatter Stirling, they were much the better - but still mediocre - team. Morton were terrible, I couldn't understand how dysfunctional they were.

I thought subs should have been used earlier to close out game but didn't happen. We lost the midfield at a crucial time in the game and fresh legs would have helped.

McLaren has the team playing good football but we are still gifting the opposition too many goals. Crucial we get players in to tighten defence.

I thought Stirling got progressively worse because of the subs. I thought Morton improved significantly because of their substitutions, but Stirling brought on Graham Weir, who had even less impact than Pepper did in the first half for Morton. I think Coult could have come on sooner, but generally speaking I thought the quality of the team was diluted due to the changes.

But as Ray Vaughn said, the subs had to be made, most of the team were goosed. Cunningham had to go off, he looked in pain from hurting his wrist or whatever.

Wedderburn is an absolute clown worst player we have and that includes Gordon Smith, Phil Johnston and Graham weir

If we sell sandy and can't extend Beiths loan then we should just give up and accept that we will be relegated
For me Comrie was bad today but at least he looks like he wants to play for the club unlike weir,Doris,wedderburn,Gordon Smith and Johnston if it wasn't for doris form he would deserve to go

I thought Wedderburn wasn't too bad until he lashed out at the own goal, then he ought to have stood up better to McManus's first.

I thought to myself that Stirling's three attacking midfielders were having much more of an impact than Morton's front four, but it was mostly just coming from Cunningham with the others filling the vacant areas when he roamed about. Cunningham was excellent for the first 30 minutes but faded out of the game before injury.

I think Comrie did OK mostly, for the first hour at least. I really liked how Reidford would roll to the full-backs (McGeachie especially, and that was some finish) and the central midfielders picked it up from there before getting Cunningham involved. Comrie made a great run into the box towards the end of the first half after some good play down the left, but the cut back was passed behind him.

There was much more of a cohesive plan than just launching the ball into channels and hoping that McManus could conjure something from nothing.

Chris Smith is still worse than either of those. That comedy trio explained how such a shambolic Morton side still managed to shuffle four goals against their opponents.

Smith was absolutely fine until he ran out of puff. He's fond of a hoof, but I don't think he wasted the ball any more than Milojevic would have. He won the majority of challenges he had to deal with.

It was an important save by Gaston but you're fooling yourself by claiming that the deflected equaliser was just a 'lucky' break that turned the match. Stirling spent the last half hour bizarrely camped in their own penalty box: they could have went forward to get another goal, yet they shat it and due to their incompetent defence lost an easy three points.

Nah, it was a lucky break. It wasn't even a great ball by Russell, just a wicked mis-hit by Wedderburn that could have ended up anywhere.

They were sitting deeper because they were knackered. And they still had a couple of chances before the own goal.

The body language from the Stirling players immediately after the own goal made me think Morton were going to turn it around. More could have been done, definitely, but it's clear to see why they're a team without a home win all season.

Looking at what Duffy did, I thought that the team in the first half was garbage but his half-time changes definitely made a difference. The Lamie-Pepper pairing might be the poorest left flank in the whole of the SPFL this season. Pepper couldn't be arsed getting goal-side and spent most of the first half getting in the way in other areas of the pitch, leaving his left-back exposed, while Lamie was beaten I think three out of four times when 1v1 at left-back. It's no wonder Stirling's first two goals came from that side of the pitch and their chances in the second half were in his area.

Stefan McCluskey clearly isn't a favourite but he deserves more of a chance. He's not a winger, he's a second forward who can drift out into wider positions and play others in. He gave the ball away when 1v1 on the left-back but he's not a dribbler. I thought he got himself into some very good positions sometimes and thought he was probably the second most influential player in the second half performance behind McManus. Maybe Stefan will get more of a chance behind Barrowman when McManus goes, but the concern there is the lack of someone being able to get behind the last defender.

Jamie McCluskey is wasted on the left, he only got one good cross in from there, but it was essential that he moved to the left. Had Stefan gone over there then it would have been a repeat of Pepper's roaming and leaving the left-back exposed. Jamie was a good out-ball and Russell was more eager to offer the overlap than Lamie was, and at least Russell was willing to put the ball into the box which got the own-goal, even if it was a terrible that was crudely sliced.

McKee was partly awful despite taking his goal well. He gets in the right places and some of his link-up is tidy, but so often his final ball is terrible. I suspect that O'Ware gets more of an easy ride than he sometimes deserves - I thought he mostly looked like a clumsy midfielder better suited to defence, and only started bossing it after Stirling fell apart.

That was the first time I'd seen Crighton play since he left Elgin. He's got the ability to play at this level, absolutely, but his confidence has clearly taken a battering. He was so good with his long range passing for Elgin, but he mostly passed it back to Gaston here, or Milojevic took it upon himself to hoof the ball. The booing surely won't help much, at least he offered the angle back for Gaston to pass to him again, but he's obviously doing the safety-first stuff until he finds his place. I thought he still had an alright game and I'd be surprised if he doesn't eventually come good.

Overall, Morton would have been fucked if it wasn't for McManus's finishing. He got bugger all service and still put away two very good goals. He's not got the speed or strength to make it at Aberdeen, and his first touch was a bit iffy at times, but he'll be a good top-half Championship/bottom-six Premiership striker.

[Ira Gaines]

"He keeps getting employment" is my new favourite defence of the shitehawk.

[port-ton]

Some bizarre comments on here. The Stirling performance was absolutely fine until about 4.30 when we just fell to pieces. Some blame the manager for his subs but the guys he withdrew were dead in their feet. 90 minute fitness is lacking and I cannae see that changing anytime soon.

Those criticising Chris Smith clearly weren't at the game. He was outstanding again yesterday.

We fell to pieces, it's happened before you know - get over it.

Morton fans are a bit bizarre. There are those with delusions that they are some kind of sleeping giant. Perhaps the reality that they are a League 1 level side with regular but ultimately doomed forays into the Championship is a bit much for them.

The abuse of Jim Duffy is over the top. Personally he is on my "Don't Want As Albion Manager" list but he isn't doing as bad a job as many Ton fans are making out. Duffy's record of success as manager is not great but he keeps getting employment, time after time.

Using your own logic, You must have clearly been at all our games then.

[Neilly]

Glory glory Greenock Morton.

[JakeSAFC]

Really like the defending for the Morton goals, world class stuff yet again from the lads