The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[Rob1885]

He was decent in the Friday night game against Dunfermline in November.

 

Could see him signing for East Kilbride.

[Morton Supporter]

Do any statistician or club historian types know where 15 games unbeaten ranks all-time for us?

[Scosha]

50 minutes ago, Morton Supporter said:

Do any statistician or club historian types know where 15 games unbeaten ranks all-time for us?

According to socials, it matches our longest unbeaten run in 1979/80. 

[Mon eh Ton]

Just now, Scosha said:

According to socials, it matches our longest unbeaten run in 1979/80. 

In 63/64 we only lost a single league game and won 23 league games in a row. I'm guessing that streak would've been broken by some cup losses?

[Toby]

26 minutes ago, Mon eh Ton said:

In 63/64 we only lost a single league game and won 23 league games in a row. I'm guessing that streak would've been broken by some cup losses?

Broken by the League Cup Final defeat to Rangers and a Scottish Cup 2nd round defeat by Celtic.

[purplemonkeydishwasher]

Not sure if this is allowed on here, delete if not. A colleague of mine has asked me to share this on here, his son won this shirt in his school raffle:
 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/375273980961?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=zEJwQdnFRGy&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=IaXH69I6SR2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

 

[Branch Ton]

42 minutes ago, Toby said:

Broken by the League Cup Final defeat to Rangers and a Scottish Cup 2nd round defeat by Celtic.

Bless, our very own Huge McIlfanny wannabe sports journalist of the year, 

[Cappiecat1.2]

10 minutes ago, Branch Ton said:

Bless, our very own Huge McIlfanny wannabe sports journalist of the year, 

Proving again what a sad, sad little man you are.

[RigaTONi]

42 minutes ago, Branch Ton said:

Bless, our very own Huge McIlfanny wannabe sports journalist of the year, 

Hello, Ed. RD;DH

[Chippyminton]

Regarding our much-vaunted ‘thugs’ tag, it’s good to see that our expertise in a certain area has been commemorated with a memorial. If you scroll down the page, there’s another athlete’s photo complete with a pleasing caption. Made me smile;

https://www.rte.ie/sport/athletics/2008/0726/235296-athletics/

Happy Sunday everyone.

Edited February 25 by Chippyminton

[DreamOakTree1]

I like the fact Our Board have published a 3 year plan. However, although it meets the three tangibles of measurable, achievable and realistic, it cannot in any shape or form be termed ambitious.

How can We target a top 16 place in Scottish Football when that’s exactly where We are now? Why not move it up 3 places which would mean promotion to the top flight? Or at least go for incremental improvement each season until we achieve promotion?
I reckon there are 20 other Scottish teams with higher ambitions than that, the current top 12 plus 8 others, who all target top flight football. 
That means if any of 20 those clubs approach Dougie Imrie for a management position, they can show they have higher ambition than his current club.

When I put “Dream” in “DreamOakTree” my dream was of playing in Europe or winning a cup, not of finishing 16th in Scotland.

[Mr.Blue]

2 minutes ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I like the fact Our Board have published a 3 year plan. However, although it meets the three tangibles of measurable, achievable and realistic, it cannot in any shape or form be termed ambitious.

How can We target a top 16 place in Scottish Football when that’s exactly where We are now? Why not move it up 3 places which would mean promotion to the top flight? Or at least go for incremental improvement each season until we achieve promotion?
I reckon there are 20 other Scottish teams with higher ambitions than that, the current top 12 plus 8 others, who all target top flight football. 
That means if any of 20 those clubs approach Dougie Imrie for a management position, they can show they have higher ambition than his current club.

When I put “Dream” in “DreamOakTree” my dream was of playing in Europe or winning a cup, not of finishing 16th in Scotland.

Good to see you're still a bawbag.

[LargsTON]

40 minutes ago, Mr.Blue said:

Good to see you're still a bawbag.

Hard to disagree this time tbh.

[Mon eh Ton]

How can you fail to see the ambition in trying to sustainably compete in this league as a community owned club. Imrie's ambition and success will eventually outgrow us and that's fine. Being able to pick up where he left off, and without depending on shady characters and crooked side projects like some of our competitors, will be a success for this club.

[Jamie_M]

6 hours ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I like the fact Our Board have published a 3 year plan. However, although it meets the three tangibles of measurable, achievable and realistic, it cannot in any shape or form be termed ambitious.

How can We target a top 16 place in Scottish Football when that’s exactly where We are now? Why not move it up 3 places which would mean promotion to the top flight? Or at least go for incremental improvement each season until we achieve promotion?
I reckon there are 20 other Scottish teams with higher ambitions than that, the current top 12 plus 8 others, who all target top flight football. 
That means if any of 20 those clubs approach Dougie Imrie for a management position, they can show they have higher ambition than his current club.

When I put “Dream” in “DreamOakTree” my dream was of playing in Europe or winning a cup, not of finishing 16th in Scotland.

Well no, that's not exactly where we are just now. We have achieved the playoffs once since their inception. We may be sat in that position at the moment but nothing has been achieved yet and we didn't achieve them last season either.

Seems a perfectly acceptable realignment of the strategy to go from 'survival is our aim' to 'we expect to be in the playoffs at worst and have a shot at promotion' every year.

You want them to state their minimum aim is the Championship title amd set a budget that relies on nothing but that? That's the batshit thinking that got Partick in the financial shit just last season.

Edited February 27 by Jamie_M

[ClydeTon]

5 hours ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I like the fact Our Board have published a 3 year plan. However, although it meets the three tangibles of measurable, achievable and realistic, it cannot in any shape or form be termed ambitious.

How can We target a top 16 place in Scottish Football when that’s exactly where We are now? Why not move it up 3 places which would mean promotion to the top flight? Or at least go for incremental improvement each season until we achieve promotion?
I reckon there are 20 other Scottish teams with higher ambitions than that, the current top 12 plus 8 others, who all target top flight football. 
That means if any of 20 those clubs approach Dougie Imrie for a management position, they can show they have higher ambition than his current club.

When I put “Dream” in “DreamOakTree” my dream was of playing in Europe or winning a cup, not of finishing 16th in Scotland.

That's the point. Morton should be a top-16 club. That means Premiership + Top-Championship.

We aren't a top 16 club and haven't even finished there since 2016/17, when we reached the playoffs. Our current standing doesn't count, no.

For a fan-owned club with only c. 1,000 members, being at the top end of the championship - possibly into the premiership - is relatively ambitious, considering the finances (or lack of) involved.

The reason they haven't "moved it up 3 places" is because we can't guarantee ourselves as a regular premiership side - it's highly unlikely. If we go up, squad depth and quality will be a problem, without a doubt.

Going up incrementally sounds like a good idea to a deaf man who can't hear it. If we finish 2nd next year then that jumps ahead of the game, and if it's 4th place then you're set back a year. Also, it's just a bit stupid.

Quote

I reckon there are 20 other Scottish teams with higher ambitions than that, the current top 12 plus 8 others, who all target top flight football. 

That means if any of 20 those clubs approach Dougie Imrie for a management position, they can show they have higher ambition than his current club.

You can reckon all you want but it doesn't make it true, not in the slightest. In case you've forgot "Top 16" includes the premiership.

That means the board wants to be near - if not in - the league above.

It's not reasonable to say "we want to be in the premiership" because it's not a particularly easy target to meet and, well, we don't have a very good record in that department recently.

TL:DR -:

Spoiler

 

[Ferguson]

16 hours ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

How can We target a top 16 place in Scottish Football when that’s exactly where We are now? Why not move it up 3 places which would mean promotion to the top flight? Or at least go for incremental improvement each season until we achieve promotion?
I reckon there are 20 other Scottish teams with higher ambitions than that, the current top 12 plus 8 others, who all target top flight football. 
That means if any of 20 those clubs approach Dougie Imrie for a management position, they can show they have higher ambition than his current club.

As said above, we're in the top 16 as of this minute but we're only 10 days away from potentially being below that. Still plenty work to do before we are a consolidated top 16 club as stated in the strategy. 

I'd also say it's fairly reasonable that 20 clubs in Scotland have higher immediate ambitions, as there are more than 20 clubs in Scotland with a bigger playing budget than us. Would be absolutely batshit to expect more than our current ambitions as such and I'd be far more worried if we planned for any higher ambitions as a newly fan-owned club as Partick did. The strategy shows a pathway to go from the current lowest budget in the second tier, as the club have confirmed we currently have, to a club competing for at least top flight promotion every season.

[Alibi]

17 hours ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I like the fact Our Board have published a 3 year plan. However, although it meets the three tangibles of measurable, achievable and realistic, it cannot in any shape or form be termed ambitious.

How can We target a top 16 place in Scottish Football when that’s exactly where We are now? Why not move it up 3 places which would mean promotion to the top flight? Or at least go for incremental improvement each season until we achieve promotion?
I reckon there are 20 other Scottish teams with higher ambitions than that, the current top 12 plus 8 others, who all target top flight football. 
That means if any of 20 those clubs approach Dougie Imrie for a management position, they can show they have higher ambition than his current club.

When I put “Dream” in “DreamOakTree” my dream was of playing in Europe or winning a cup, not of finishing 16th in Scotland.

I think your points are reasonably valid, but remember that currently we are in that 16th place.  Having an ambition of winning the top tier is also reasonable although highly unlikely to be achieved.  Having an ambition to finish in the top 6 or to win a cup is perhaps more realistic and given favourable circumstances  could be achieved (I think we had a 6th place finish in the Rooney era and also in the late 60s when we got a Fairs Cities Cup place in Europe).  We have to recognise that we can have ambitions that are never likely to be achieved, and we can also have ambitions that might, just might, be realised.  Winning the Scottish Cup this season is still an ambition and although highly unlikely it's not completely beyond the bounds of possibility with the squad and manager we currently have.

I see the target announced as aiming for 8th place in the top tier, i.e. halfway up the top 16.  That's ambitious but not out the question for a well run club.

[DreamOakTree1]

30 minutes ago, Alibi said:

I think your points are reasonably valid, but remember that currently we are in that 16th place.  Having an ambition of winning the top tier is also reasonable although highly unlikely to be achieved.  Having an ambition to finish in the top 6 or to win a cup is perhaps more realistic and given favourable circumstances  could be achieved (I think we had a 6th place finish in the Rooney era and also in the late 60s when we got a Fairs Cities Cup place in Europe).  We have to recognise that we can have ambitions that are never likely to be achieved, and we can also have ambitions that might, just might, be realised.  Winning the Scottish Cup this season is still an ambition and although highly unlikely it's not completely beyond the bounds of possibility with the squad and manager we currently have.

I see the target announced as aiming for 8th place in the top tier, i.e. halfway up the top 16.  That's ambitious but not out the question for a well run club.

I get all that and perhaps it's me who's being a bit unrealistic. However I waited a few days to post my response to the announcement, as I was aware I could leave myself open to criticism again. I also tried to measure my words for that same reason, but what I posted was what I personally feel.

My daughter had her first job interview after leaving university. She told me there were five positions available so she was going for top five. I told her she had to go for first place, because if she fell just short she would still be in the top five. If she fell just short of a top five target then she wouldn't get the job. She went for that strategy and got the job, and has continued to get promotions throughout her career using that same strategy. Tagetting top five in my opinion creates a mindset of finishing 5th, the same as tagetting top 16 creates a mindset of finishing 16th. 

Edited February 27 by DreamOakTree1
spelling mistake

[Mr.Blue]

40 minutes ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I get all that and perhaps it's me who's being a bit unrealistic. However I waited a few days to post my response to the announcement, as I was aware I could leave myself open to criticism again. I also tried to measure my words for that same reason, but what I posted was what I personally feel.

My daughter had her first job interview after leaving university. She told me there were five positions available so she was going for top five. I told her she had to go for first place, because if she fell just short she would still be in the top five. If she fell just short of a top five target then she wouldn't get the job. She went for that strategy and got the job, and has continued to get promotions throughout her career using that same strategy. Tagetting top five in my opinion creates a mindset of finishing 5th, the same as tagetting top 16 creates a mindset of finishing 16th. 

So you want us to publicly state that we are targeting 1st place in Scottish football which is entirely unrealistic. The plan is ambitious and achievable which is what it should be. From there if we achieve these targets then we re-evaluate and set new targets.