The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[BraeTon74]

I'm not sure we arenin a worse position than Ayr who have signed Sean fucking McGinty and Cameron Salkeld. Are we in a shite position, for sure. Are Ayr and possibly Queen of the South also going to be shite? Probably.

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, Dunning1874 said:

Survival through the playoffs being wrongly viewed as a success did lead MCT to give MacPherson a new contract when he hadn't earned one; that didn't have to be an inevitable consequence of survival, they chose to do it. MacPherson handing new contracts to shite like Blues didn't have to happen, he chose to do it, it wasn't an inevitable consequence of survival.

McPherson and Blues could only have received a new contract off the back of 'success' rather than failure and relegation. Such foolish decisions were always coming down the chute as a consequence of play-off survival, because that allowed the specious argument for first team 'continuity' to stay in the league again to kick in, when otherwise the mood would have been to clear house after a thoroughly merited and abysmal relegation campaign.

So this is what you signed up for, when you were praying for league survival and precious prize money at the expense of the overdue and complete rebuild that was needed. 

Quote

Signing a known dud like Flapjack as first choice goalkeeper when dozens of other goalkeepers are available wasn't an inevitable consequence of survival, he chose to do it. None of this had to happen because we stayed up: that it was predictable and is coming to pass is down to incompetence, not having no realistic prospect of avoiding it.

That's where you're wrong. None of the goalkeepers seriously linked with joining Morton on a permanent basis this summer have a better CV or demonstrable ability than Hamilton. And I'm not saying that as someone who rates Hamilton as a goalkeeper. He is simply the archetype of the signing that GMFC are bound to make as a result of our completely irrational decision to remain bottom-feeders of the full-time market. He is Billy King with a set of gloves.

We are a last port of call at a credible level for full-time players whose career is in a tailspin, before they either drop to a non-credible, full-time club (Kelty, Falkirk), or wash up at Dumbarton en route to the Lowland League. We get the players that we deserve - including Hamilton - by choosing to keep the same inadequate squad structure, not to mention rehiring the same inadequate management team. Hamilton will be a symptom of the larger problems at the club more than he will ever be a cause of them.

There was zero prospect of GMFC under any ownership embracing a hard-headed restructuring of the first team squad while surviving in the second tier. This 'kick the can down the road' mentality even outlasts the Rae era and dates to the 90s if not earlier. The only way that this will ever change is as a result of crisis and demotion on the park forcing a radical rethink upon the club, not piecemeal tinkering.

Edited July 7, 2021 by vikingTON

[vikingTON]

20 minutes ago, BraeTon74 said:

I'm not sure we arenin a worse position than Ayr who have signed Sean fucking McGinty and Cameron Salkeld. Are we in a shite position, for sure. Are Ayr and possibly Queen of the South also going to be shite? Probably.

You're possibly correct, but this is hardly a great slogan for a football club that is coming out of two decades of incompetent stewardship, and absolutely needs fan buy-in on a significant scale to make this new ownership model work.

- I am not enthusiastic about watching another season of Gusball and hoping that we somehow scrape 8th rather than 9th or 10th with it. This demonstrates no credible ambition for our football club at this level, even if in the short term they will struggle to do any better. It is a crowd-killer.  

- I am not enthusiastic about watching a toothless side score barely (or less than) a goal per game on average, or put in as shameful a display as our zero shots on goal spectacular in the must-win game at Arbroath last season. Also a crowd-killing approach to playing the game.

- I am not even remotely enthusiastic about watching duds who shouldn't have darkened the door of Cappielow in the first place, getting new deals off the back of failure by the new regime and preparing for another season of totally anonymous and infuriating displays in a Morton jersey. 

I might be more jaded and cynical than most, but I don't think I'm alone in holding the above sentiments right now. And by the time it's November and it's pishing down every Saturday and the club and first team is looking a whole lot like the old, failed regime only with different blazers in the club box at Cappielow, then these would place the credibility of the fan ownership scheme in very serious danger. 

This could have been a summer of long-overdue change and rebuild after decades of neglect, carried out regardless of the short-term costs. That is a pitch that you can sell even when the new team doesn't play well every week. There will be nothing to sell for this strategy if it relegates us. 

Edited July 7, 2021 by vikingTON

[Ludo*1]

2 hours ago, Branch Ton said:

If you are going to write off someone so readily you could have the decency to do a proper strengths and weaknesses analysis and say how many times you have actually seen him play.

I've watched Jack Hamilton play 60 games for Dundee, not including friendlies.

Strengths: None. I deliberated on putting shot stopping as he can pull off a cracking save every 5 or 6 games but the amount of goals he's dived out the way of or just allowed it to go through him is ridiculous.

Weaknesses: The basics of being a goalkeeper. Zero communication, not a great kicker, one of those keepers that can't even list shot stopping as a positive. Just horrific. Bag of nerves that makes the defence a bag of nerves. He also doesn't do clean sheets.

In 60 games he conceded 105 goals. In 29 Championship games, he conceded 51 goals. To put that into context, your team conceded 33 goals last season.

ETA: Yes, we have had defensive issues too and that can't just be blamed on him, but the evidence points to our GA collumn DRASTICALLY improving when he's not in the team.

In Hazards & Legzdins time ahead of Hamilton, they played a combination of 22 games, kept 11 clean sheets and conceded 16 goals.

Edited July 7, 2021 by Ludo*1

[Cardle is Magic]

Morton fans thought Dominic Shimmin was one of the best defenders in the country so I’m guessing Jack Hamilton might be decent on that scale.

[Toby]

54 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Morton fans thought Dominic Shimmin was one of the best defenders in the country so I’m guessing Jack Hamilton might be decent on that scale.

Whilst Dunfermline fans rejoiced in the signing of Andy Barrowman in exchange for Ross Forbes.

People in glass houses.

[Rudolph Hucker]

2 hours ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Morton fans thought Dominic Shimmin was one of the best defenders in the country so I’m guessing Jack Hamilton might be decent on that scale.

Shimmin was very good ( but NEVER "one of the best defenders in the country") when he could be arsed; he just couldn't be arsed often enough. 

But since you appear to think Joe Cardle is or was magic I think we can safely disregard your opinions. 

 

[Cardle is Magic]

Very, *very* touchy, even after all these years.

[Toby]

11 minutes ago, Cardle is Magic said:

Very, *very* touchy, even after all these years.

Yeah, that’s exactly what’s happening here.

We’re rising to your bait rather than you having made a complete c*nt of it.

[Rob1885]

Whilst Dunfermline fans rejoiced in the signing of Andy Barrowman in exchange for Ross Forbes.
People in glass houses.

Forbes obviously went on to have a decent time of it at Morton and was clearly a talented player but make no mistake he was a complete fraud at Dunfermline.

[Toby]

1 hour ago, Rob1885 said:

9 hours ago, Toby said:

Whilst Dunfermline fans rejoiced in the signing of Andy Barrowman in exchange for Ross Forbes.
People in glass houses.

Forbes obviously went on to have a decent time of it at Morton and was clearly a talented player but make no mistake he was a complete fraud at Dunfermline.

Good.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

1 hour ago, Rob1885 said:

9 hours ago, Toby said:

Whilst Dunfermline fans rejoiced in the signing of Andy Barrowman in exchange for Ross Forbes.
People in glass houses.

Forbes obviously went on to have a decent time of it at Morton and was clearly a talented player but make no mistake he was a complete fraud at Dunfermline.

Ross Forbes loves the Ton.

How was Barrowman on the ‘fraud’ scale at Dunfermline? (He was a perfect 10 at Cappielow)

[Rob1885]

Ross Forbes loves the Ton.
How was Barrowman on the ‘fraud’ scale at Dunfermline? (He was a perfect 10 at Cappielow)

No comment.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

41 minutes ago, Rob1885 said:

42 minutes ago, The Ghost of B A R P said:

Ross Forbes loves the Ton.
How was Barrowman on the ‘fraud’ scale at Dunfermline? (He was a perfect 10 at Cappielow)

No comment.

[Dunning1874]

If I wanted to laugh at fans of other clubs for hyping players up too much, I would simply not support a club whose fans claimed Ryan  Williamson could be a Scotland international one day.

[Mr.Blue]

1 hour ago, Dunning1874 said:

If I wanted to laugh at fans of other clubs for hyping players up too much, I would simply not support a club whose fans claimed Ryan  Williamson could be a Scotland international one day.

[HoBNob]

6 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

If I wanted to laugh at fans of other clubs for hyping players up too much, I would simply not support a club whose fans claimed Ryan  Williamson could be a Scotland international one day.

 

He was. 

 

He also sadly won't be the first or last promising youth player to have his career trajectory cut short from some horrible injuries, dislocating his kneecap and then snapping his leg absolutely shagged him though sadly. 

[vikingTON]

Oh good, do we get to run through a list of absolute fucking haddies who got a handful of Scotland U-21 appearances, who are 'Scotland internationalists' in the same way that Colonel Sanders was a military commander?

I'll take Kieran McAnespie (6) over Williamson (4) please.

[BraeTon74]

22 hours ago, virginton said:

You're possibly correct, but this is hardly a great slogan for a football club that is coming out of two decades of incompetent stewardship, and absolutely needs fan buy-in on a significant scale to make this new ownership model work.

- I am not enthusiastic about watching another season of Gusball and hoping that we somehow scrape 8th rather than 9th or 10th with it. This demonstrates no credible ambition for our football club at this level, even if in the short term they will struggle to do any better. It is a crowd-killer.  

- I am not enthusiastic about watching a toothless side score barely (or less than) a goal per game on average, or put in as shameful a display as our zero shots on goal spectacular in the must-win game at Arbroath last season. Also a crowd-killing approach to playing the game.

- I am not even remotely enthusiastic about watching duds who shouldn't have darkened the door of Cappielow in the first place, getting new deals off the back of failure by the new regime and preparing for another season of totally anonymous and infuriating displays in a Morton jersey. 

I might be more jaded and cynical than most, but I don't think I'm alone in holding the above sentiments right now. And by the time it's November and it's pishing down every Saturday and the club and first team is looking a whole lot like the old, failed regime only with different blazers in the club box at Cappielow, then these would place the credibility of the fan ownership scheme in very serious danger. 

This could have been a summer of long-overdue change and rebuild after decades of neglect, carried out regardless of the short-term costs. That is a pitch that you can sell even when the new team doesn't play well every week. There will be nothing to sell for this strategy if it relegates us. 

I'm in agreement with much of what you said. I was only talking about the race for 8th. However, like you, I don't want 8th to be our ambition, especially not if its achieved through eyebleeding football. 

The club has a decent wedge of cash as well from the Government grant so im quite disappointed they didn't take the risk of making big changes knowing that they had that buffer to fall back on if we fucked it.

[Rudolph Hucker]

1 hour ago, BraeTon74 said:

The club has a decent wedge of cash as well from the Government grant so im quite disappointed they didn't take the risk of making big changes knowing that they had that buffer to fall back on if we fucked it.

Do they, though? I might have missed it, but although the monies were paid to the club do we know who will actually get the benefit of it -  the old regime or the new regime? 

I think the  earlier grant was conditional on it being used for certain defined purposes within the club - but I don't recall seeing mention of such conditions applying to the  Scottish Government money, although it would be surprising if there were none. 

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by Rudolph Hucker