The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[madton]

2 minutes ago, R1874 said:

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on Michael Garrity? Seen across both forums a lot of fans thinking he should be moving on but I've thought he looked really good off the bench during pre-season and the league cup and will likely not be on a high wage. Pretty sure the guys at the club rate him hence why he wasn't released when Mcgregor etc were.

Hi Michael.

I've always liked you as a player, when we had 3 or 4 boys coming through from the academy, you were always the one who showed the most promise for me and you have done well this season coming off the bench.

Issue is we have a lot of competition on that area as you well know with Jai, McGrattan, Boyd and Bearne so not sure we have space in the squad for 5 wingers when we only have 3 fit defenders. 

Keep doing what you're doing lad.

 

[Vril]

22 minutes ago, R1874 said:

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on Michael Garrity? Seen across both forums a lot of fans thinking he should be moving on but I've thought he looked really good off the bench during pre-season and the league cup and will likely not be on a high wage. Pretty sure the guys at the club rate him hence why he wasn't released when Mcgregor etc were.

I like Garrity and don’t understand why so many folk apparently want us to move him on.  Yes we are well covered in that area, but it’s not like getting rid of him would free up a lot of money.  I assume he will be among the lowest earners in the squad and at only 21 he has shown enough in my opinion to be one worth keeping a hold of, possibly sending out on loan if he isn’t going to see a lot of game time.

[SpoonTon]

20 minutes ago, R1874 said:

Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are on Michael Garrity? Seen across both forums a lot of fans thinking he should be moving on but I've thought he looked really good off the bench during pre-season and the league cup and will likely not be on a high wage. Pretty sure the guys at the club rate him hence why he wasn't released when Mcgregor etc were.

Let's put this another way. If Michael Garrity wasn't already under contract, would we be looking to go out and sign someone with his record over the past couple of seasons? He sat on the bench for the  most part of the second half of last season, playing no meaningful part, after a loan move to Dumbarton which didn't work out. It's less a judgement on his ability and a more an observation that he hasn't really broken through and doesn't really seem to be part of Imrie's plans. There is nothing much on the pitch to suggest that Imrie trusts him to play a significant role. 

[SpoonTon]

20 minutes ago, Vril said:

I like Garrity and don’t understand why so many folk apparently want us to move him on.  Yes we are well covered in that area, but it’s not like getting rid of him would free up a lot of money.  I assume he will be among the lowest earners in the squad and at only 21 he has shown enough in my opinion to be one worth keeping a hold of, possibly sending out on loan if he isn’t going to see a lot of game time.

I read this type of thing a lot. We're a full time club, are we paying him part-time wages? And if so, are there not better part-time players out there? He played about 30 minutes of football in the second half of last season - that's not great value for whatever he's being paid. Per minute played, he must be about the most expensive in the squad.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Garrity should move to L2 and find out if he’s good enough to play every week.

For me, he’s very unlikely to make it as a Championship-level player… and if he does, it’ll be four or five years down the line (I still think McGregor has a better chance of making it, and Imrie took the entirely unemotional decision to let him go).

Also, as has been pointed out, Garrity’s fifth or sixth choice to play wide; he just isn’t going to play, unless we have a full-on injury crisis.

Better for all concerned if he moves on.

[vikingTON]

If he still has to play League Two football at this stage then he serves no purpose actually being contracted to a Championship club. 

[Dunning1874]

Garrity has been decent in his sub appearances, but we already have Quitongo and McGrattan as established members of the first team, have signed Boyd and Bearne, and Imrie has been happy to use Muirhead out wide when he's accommodating him and Oakley. He's the sixth choice option on the wing, while we still only have four defenders and one goalkeeper at the club (with one of those defenders now also expected to be out injured for months).

If it's possible to move him on with his new club covering the bulk of his wages, he's the logical player to leave to free up some money for defensive signings.

[R1874]

I agree he is probably the first player on the list when if we have to release one but from what I've seen over pre-season and cup games he seems quick and happy to take on players, he's also had two or three pops at goal that have been incredibly close to going in. Still only 21, think having that option off the bench isn't a bad thing. Especially when we consider how unusual it is for Quitongo to play the games he played last year without injury and it seems like Oakley picks up knocks on a regular basis

 

[ClydeTon]

I wouldn't mind seeing Garrity stay and be given a chance, however with such little room in the budget and the number of wide players compared to defenders, I think it's time he moves on, for the sake of himself and the club.

[vikingTON]

He did nothing in the last two competitive games (although he wasn't the only one to do very little off the bench - the 'Lewis McGrattan stats' once again conveniently overlooking reality).

Pre-season games are completely meaningless now. 

[Vril]

point taken about how far down the pecking order he is, but considering we can only name 4 subs at the moment I cannot see him going anywhere at least until a few additions are made. 

In terms of freeing up wages, I would be amazed if the savings we would make by getting rid of him would make a significant difference to who we can afford to bring in.

At 21 there is still room for him to develop, and based on what I have seen of him I believe he has the potential to be a good player.  Of course, if he is only going to play a handful of games for us then yeah it would be better for all parties if he moves on to somewhere that he is going to get a chance.

[cb_diamond]

Just now, R1874 said:

I agree he is probably the first player on the list when if we have to release one but from what I've seen over pre-season and cup games he seems quick and happy to take on players, he's also had two or three pops at goal that have been incredibly close to going in. Still only 21, think having that option off the bench isn't a bad thing. Especially when we consider how unusual it is for Quitongo to play the games he played last year without injury and it seems like Oakley picks up knocks on a regular basis

 

I really hope you're him and you've just slagged off two team mates as essentially being balsa wood wastes of money.

We've had a few players and families of players on P+B in the past and it can get quite box office.

[Vril]

41 minutes ago, cb_diamond said:

I really hope you're him and you've just slagged off two team mates as essentially being balsa wood wastes of money.

We've had a few players and families of players on P+B in the past and it can get quite box office.

what are your thoughts on Lewis McGregor?  He was in a bit of a similar situation to Garrity when we let him go and is another one that divided opinions a bit in terms of whether or not we should have held onto him

[cb_diamond]

47 minutes ago, Vril said:

what are your thoughts on Lewis McGregor?  He was in a bit of a similar situation to Garrity when we let him go and is another one that divided opinions a bit in terms of whether or not we should have held onto him

He's still dividing opinions to be honest, albeit I think it's now generally accepted that he's a good squad option. 

He is a real asset to bring on in games as he has a real turn of pace on him and frightened the life out of a lot of tired defenders in L1 last season. Whether he reaps the rewards this year with more fit, full time teams remains to be seen. His end product remains a problem as was evidenced in our League Cup game the other week where he scored a late second against Dumbarton having fluffed several really good chances before that.

He's raw and lacks a lot of finesse, but to be fair to the lad he will work his socks off for the cause which is always endearing.

ETA: plus I'd imagine there's no chance he creates generic PnB profiles up just to talk about himself and slag his team mates. So that's a plus...

Edited July 27, 2023 by cb_diamond

[Mon eh Ton]

After failing to keep even Dumbarton interested in his abilities as a bench warmer, Garrity was subbed on in only three out of the last 18 league games - for added time only. It seems unlikely that he'll do anything between now and the end of his contract, other than be brought on to waste time.

[TheGoon]

Whilst I doubt it’ll free up much of a wage, he is the most obvious candidate from the squad to move on. A shame given how young he is and how highly thought of he was a wee while wgo, but he’ll never see the minutes here to realise any sort of potential. 

[R1874]

9 hours ago, cb_diamond said:

I really hope you're him and you've just slagged off two team mates as essentially being balsa wood wastes of money.

We've had a few players and families of players on P+B in the past and it can get quite box office.

Hahah Hate to disappoint but I am not Michael Garrity or in anyway related. Was genuinely just curious

Also not trying to slag Quitongo or Oakley off just feel that we were lucky with injuries last year and will likely have a thin squad again this year

[Paisley Ton]

On 26/07/2023 at 08:46, virginton said:

It's quite clear that the manager is unhappy with the budget but I don't see how he's any closer to getting that resolved to his own satisfaction. Funds will likely be released if we progress out of the LC group, but given Baird's injury he's probably going to wave goodbye to 'Frankie Deane' and move on regardless. 

Well as I see it, this is now in Dougie/team's capable hands. Yes progress in the LC would likely gather in the required funds that cover an additional player.

So what hope have we. From looking at LC sectional tables I am confident we can progress. Expect Livingston to grab one of the spots.

So it's 2 from 3 out of Morton, Dundee and Raith Rovs. I expect all three to win. So currently we are +4 on GD and both of them are +2 on GD.

So we need to maintain that differential. Aka we must deliver a +2 result on Saturday.

I think our biggest concern will be the fixture advantage that Dundee have been given that their final game is at home to ICT on SUNDAY, although surely ICT can hold out at at better than 4v0.

Well at least it makes for an interesting weekend which I hope we put to bed on Saturday.

[Sortmeout]

It’s obviously slanted towards Kilmarnock but Robbie Muirhead was on the Forever and Ever Killie podcast this week and it was a good interview about his career.

A good bit about Morton at the end and lots of positive comments on Imrie.

Not so much about Hopkins though…..think the exact quote was:

“I’m wearing the number 9 jersey and you are playing me left back? When you signed me in the summer you said I was a centre forward and nothing else and now first game you are playing me left back?”

 

 

[Dunning1874]

11 hours ago, Sortmeout said:

It’s obviously slanted towards Kilmarnock but Robbie Muirhead was on the Forever and Ever Killie podcast this week and it was a good interview about his career.

A good bit about Morton at the end and lots of positive comments on Imrie.

Not so much about Hopkins though…..think the exact quote was:

“I’m wearing the number 9 jersey and you are playing me left back? When you signed me in the summer you said I was a centre forward and nothing else and now first game you are playing me left back?”

 

 

Hopkin didn't just promise this to Muirhead privately, he made a very public point that he was given the number 9 jersey because being an out and out centre forward is his game and he'd lost his way because of managers consistently playing him elsewhere. Then he played him at left wing back as often as he played him up front.