The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[Coventry Saint]

Remember when you guys finished above us for two seasons back to back? What am I saying, of course you do. We all had such fun minding the gap.

Obviously hindsight is 20:20 but I reckon you should probably have built on that "glorious" success and got yourselves promoted instead of slowly stumbling towards another inevitable relegation to the seaside leagues.

Spoiler

 

[Morton Supporter]

I don’t agree that Imrie is being stubborn - I think he simply doesn’t know another way to play.

He has moved to 5 at the back recently, so is obviously recognising we need to change things, but judging by his instruction to players in-game the plan remains to play direct and hope to gain possession high up the pitch whether through a dead ball or winning a second ball.

That’s served him very well so far but clearly not working now - big test for him IMO will be if he can figure out a new strategy going forward.

With the personnel we have though, that might be hard - do we try to play with wingers now in Bearne, Quitongo when fit and/or possibly McGrattan or Boyd? Do we try to bring Gillespie back in and play through midfield more (that fella’s finished as a FT player IMO, sadly)

I don’t see a quick turnaround here, best we can hope for is to be in touch come January and see if we can change up the squad - if we can manage that, it’s more likely to have been down to loss of form by other team(s) than our own play. League fixture list between now and mid-December is very tough, before we play the teams around us or we will be trying to reel in( ICT, QP, Arbroath, Airdrie).

Am not looking forward to Partick next week and having to sit through those smug gits potentially giving us a doing again.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

I’ve accepted that Imrie is going to persist with Power, so unless Power himself just decides to chuck it, he’s here for the duration.

If he persists with Broadfoot, though, we’ll get relegated: it’s as simple as that. We’ve gone from being a team that’s hard to score against, which means Imrie’s percentage-pragmatic football had a decent chance to work, to being a team that just tips up easy goals most weeks. Broadfoot is far from being the only one guilty on an individual basis, but it’s his chronic lack of pace that’s causing the general confusion. We currently look like we need to score two for a point, three for the win; just not going to happen often enough (or maybe ever).

Beyond that, he needs a. to get back to a 4-3-3, and give up on the idea of playing both Oakley and Muirhead unless it’s with Muirhead coming off the left; b. hope that Quitongo and O’Connor are back before it’s too late; c. hope at least one other team hits a crisis of their own; and d. beg/steal/borrow at least three reinforcements in January.

We’re far from being away at this stage, but we soon will be if Imrie can’t swallow some simple hard truths (see above).

[Dunning1874]

Last season Imrie basically decided there were 10 players he trusted (while O'Connor was injured and Ambrose had come in) so the starting XI from October-December was always those 10 plus one of McGrattan/Kabia and generally swapping McGrattan/Kabia was the only sub unless he was forced to use King or Pignatiello by players being injured or completely dead on their feet. We need a similar reset in who the personnel are now. You can't actually do it by 11 players who've been good enough to merit a place because we'd come up very short, so you need to do it in reverse and ask who the players who aren't good enough and should never get in the team are then work backwards.

So your starting principle is to get the two consistent worst performers at the club away from the team: Broadfoot & Power should never play unless it's absolutely unavoidable. That means your only possible defence until O'Connor's fit is Waters, Baird, French and Wilson. In an ideal world Wilson is in midfield and French is dropped, but we know French & Baird together can keep clean sheets and Wilson has had good games at right back. Least bad option, it's no coincidence that the only good games French & Baird have had this season were when they didn't have Broadfoot dragging them down to his level.

A back four means realistically you're sticking with 4-2-3-1 or a variation of it. Crawford, Muirhead, Oakley and McGrattan all starting are obvious. The question is where Crawford goes. Put him in the 3 behind Oakley with Muirhead & McGrattan and it leaves you Blues & Gillespie as the two. Put Crawford deeper and you're dropping one of those two to bring Boyd in.

The only debate for the team for next week is which two of Gillespie/Blues/Boyd/Bearne you want, and which one of MacDonald and Mullen is in goal (Mullen for me). There is no argument for Broadfoot or Power being on the park at any point.

[Branch Ton]

Just for once could the sycophantic tosser who interviews Imrie respond to “it’s down to individual errors” by asking Imrie to admit to some of his own. And maybe also why he doesn’t consider a playing comeback given that the ever present Broadfoot is only one year older than him.

[Rudolph Hucker]

On 04/11/2023 at 06:21, McG said:

Surely Morton fans don’t still class St mirren as rivals?  

Hate to burst yer bubble mate (well, not really, tbh) but personally I never give your lot a moment’s thought unless we’re due to play each other (so, not very often then).

Has to be some benefit to being down here…..

[Paisley Ton]

Have considered we need to change some of the players for a few weeks.

Broadfoot ( a given), Power ( no great loss) but also MacDonald now coming into the frame, has had a few saves but surely should have saved two of those goals in the last week.

Also French seems to be going downhill recently hope as D1974 above says this is down to playing with Broadfoot.

Starting to think Wilson might be our only hope.

Was all ready for the Firhill trek and a growing optimism but on reflection starting to feel this could go horribly wrong yet again.

[Ferguson]

The most demoralized I've been about Morton in a long time. If the last 2 performances have been our best 11 "trying their hardest" then I'll struggle to drag myself back to Cappielow anytime soon. Bearne and Boyd looked to try make things happen at times on Friday, see no reason not to start at least one of them this weekend, we're not creating anything at the minute anyway. Also time for Mullen to get his chance again. Can't think of anything he's done wrong since coming in and I'm surprised he's got so little game time since McDonald was signed.

Can't make up my mind on Imrie, he's made a hell of a lot of mistakes this last week and still isn't acknowledging the glaring issues. Having now played almost every team in the league at least once I think the major issue is that our squad of players just aren't as good as anyone else's. Paying Imrie off in the hope someone else can get a tune out of them is a huge gamble that probably costs us a January signing. The next couple of weeks are massive and I really don't have much hope.

[Mr Toon]

2 hours ago, Ferguson said:

The most demoralized I've been about Morton in a long time. If the last 2 performances have been our best 11 "trying their hardest" then I'll struggle to drag myself back to Cappielow anytime soon. Bearne and Boyd looked to try make things happen at times on Friday, see no reason not to start at least one of them this weekend, we're not creating anything at the minute anyway. Also time for Mullen to get his chance again. Can't think of anything he's done wrong since coming in and I'm surprised he's got so little game time since McDonald was signed.

Can't make up my mind on Imrie, he's made a hell of a lot of mistakes this last week and still isn't acknowledging the glaring issues. Having now played almost every team in the league at least once I think the major issue is that our squad of players just aren't as good as anyone else's. Paying Imrie off in the hope someone else can get a tune out of them is a huge gamble that probably costs us a January signing. The next couple of weeks are massive and I really don't have much hope.

By any standards it is fair to say that Morton starting with a small squad have had their season completely derailed by injuries. Has Imrie made mistakes? Of course he has, he is still in the early stages of his managerial career. Signing Broadfoot as a backup was a mistake and having to play him has cost us dearly, I don't think he is as good as Ambrose. The question now: is there player out there available who can come in and shore up our central defence alongside Baird until O'Connor is fit? I agree that MacDonald should have saved two of the last four conceded and that Mullen should get his place again. Much as I like Oakley and Muirhead I don't think they work well together unless Muirhead is out wide.

We are going through a bad patch and confidence is low but the league is so tight other than in respect of Dundee Utd and Raith that it is far too early to panic. 

 

[Ferguson]

12 minutes ago, Mr Toon said:

By any standards it is fair to say that Morton starting with a small squad have had their season completely derailed by injuries.

 

We've had terrible luck with injuries, but last week we were only missing 3 players, one of which being Harkness who is yet to play a minute of professional football, and still left with 0 points from 2 home games against Raith and Dunfermline. As much as Quitongo and O'Connor are key players, if that's all it takes to cause us that many problems then we're in trouble. 

[vikingTON]

I'm somewhere between those two camps and both make valid points. The only reason why we're not cut adrift though is that the entire division up to 4th have shocking records of their own. 8 points from 10 games is abysmal and in several other seasons we'd be 6 or 7 points adrift - similar to Hamilton and Arbroath's situation this time last season. 

There's absolutely no guarantee that will remain the case. We cannot afford a home defeat to QP and need to beat Arbroath and Airdrie away this quarter too. Those head to heads are worth far more than even a draw with Dundee United or this Saturday.

[Dunning1874]

8 points from 11 is the same total Gus MacPherson had at this stage, it's that bad and we're very lucky not to be cut adrift already. The concern is that the next three games are all really difficult fixtures with Partick away, Dundee United at home, Arbroath away.

Realistically we're going to need at least 4 points from that to still be in touch with 8th by the time the massive head to heads with Inverness x2, Queen's Park and Airdrie come round later in December, but it's very hard to see that happening: two points from those three games  would be a surprise with the way things are going. We really want to be going into those back to back home games with Inverness & Queen's Park knowing wins would take us above them both, but that's looking increasingly unlikely.

[Chippyminton]

I take all of the above well-reasoned points. The one thing I can’t get my head around is the ‘I’m going to stay away from Cappielow until xxxx happens’ it’s exactly at times like this when the boys on the pitch and the club as a whole needs our support more than ever. If you can’t take the rollercoaster and you need a team to support who will win for much of the time, I’m sure both OF clubs would welcome an additional glory-boy sycophant into their ranks.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

There's every possibility this will boil down to us, Airdrie, Queen's Park, and Arbroath in a mini-league at the bottom (Inverness might also remain involved, but I doubt it).

If that's the case, as has been said above, games against those teams will be crucial, but wins and draws there won't necessarily be enough: we also need to pick up a reasonable amount of points against the other teams or it will turn into an endless cycle of 'must-win' head-to-heads. Turning defeats at home into draws should be the first priority, regardless of the opposition.

We absolutely can't afford to lose the next two, because that will just heap more and more pressure on the supposedly 'winnable' (and crucial) games: if we go up to Arbroath with 8 points from 13 and then lose, you'd have to be concerned for Imrie's survival. There was a rumour flying around at Hampden that he expected to be sacked if we lost that day; I didn't believe it at the time, but I think I would now.

Amazed we've got to this point so quickly after the opening win against Ayr and a very encouraging performanace at Ibrox. But here we are.

Edited November 8, 2023 by The Ghost of B A R P

[Ferguson]

The break from the league comes at a very good time for us if we can come out of this weekend with anything. Another defeat leaves us in a grim position but we'll at least be 3 weeks closer to having Quitongo and O'Connor back to full fitness when the Dundee United game comes around, and 2 weeks in between that to reshuffle the pack with a bit of the pressure off.

[Paisley Ton]

5 hours ago, The Ghost of B A R P said:

Amazed we've got to this point so quickly after the opening win against Ayr and a very encouraging performanace at Ibrox. But here we are.

Why be amazed!

Did we not knock Celtic out the league cup prior to spiraling down to L1 last time.

Don't see the MCT sacking Dougie, as having talked to some directors they seem to think Morton are on the way to a stable financial position but accept we can't compete with seven of the teams in the division as it is. Worryingly they don't see the impact of dropping a division and the effect the loss of prize money will have but am happy that finances are being put on solid grounds.

So we will just need to do it with what we have and hope for a rabbit out the hat loan signing assisting our escape. All that being said the manager still needs to drop a few regular starters and give others a chance.  

All said and done these are the times we need to get behind the team.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

20 hours ago, Paisley Ton said:

Why be amazed!

Did we not knock Celtic out the league cup prior to spiraling down to L1 last time.

Don't see the MCT sacking Dougie, as having talked to some directors they seem to think Morton are on the way to a stable financial position but accept we can't compete with seven of the teams in the division as it is. Worryingly they don't see the impact of dropping a division and the effect the loss of prize money will have but am happy that finances are being put on solid grounds.

So we will just need to do it with what we have and hope for a rabbit out the hat loan signing assisting our escape. All that being said the manager still needs to drop a few regular starters and give others a chance.  

All said and done these are the times we need to get behind the team.

Amazed because I never imagined the core of our current squad (and manager) could even invite marginal comparisons with the collection of oddballs that took us down in shame that year...

Don't think we're anywhere near that, btw, but a relegation battle it is...

Also in no doubt that *most* Morton supporters are firmly behind the team, as we always are.

[moses1924]

On 08/11/2023 at 11:10, The Ghost of B A R P said:

There's every possibility this will boil down to us, Airdrie, Queen's Park, and Arbroath in a mini-league at the bottom (Inverness might also remain involved, but I doubt it)

From what ive seen I can see it being Airdrie, Morton and QP in that mini league, think Arbroath will have enough to remain out of it and Inverness with the new manager bounce.

[AyrshireTon]

On 06/11/2023 at 19:35, Dunning1874 said:

8 points from 11 is the same total Gus MacPherson had at this stage, it's that bad and we're very lucky not to be cut adrift already.

Ten years ago we were 9 from 12 under Allan Moore. Despite the win at Parkhead, he was punted two games later.

[Dunning1874]

29 minutes ago, AyrshireTon said:

Ten years ago we were 9 from 12 under Allan Moore. Despite the win at Parkhead, he was punted two games later.

Aye, after 11 he was on 6 but game number 12 was a win. So we need a point tomorrow to avoiding falling behind the records in 13/14 & 21/22. If we lose tomorrow it's our worst start to a season since 98/99.

From this position MacPherson went D-W-L-L-D in the league before being sacked, plus a draw in the Scottish Cup and defeat in the Challenge Cup. Five points from the next five looks a pretty tall order with the next three.