The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[Branch Ton]

23 minutes ago, virginton said:

Slithering past a Highland League outfit 1-0 is absolutely not to be expected, by anyone who still understands what standards are instead of the pathetic gaslighting exercise ongoing at Cappielow this summer.

What exactly is your point Doc?  Everyone accepts the results so far are unacceptable and the performances dire. We are where we are so what do you suggest is done about it?  And none of the usual spiel about how it’s not the duty of a supporter to offer solutions. Yours is the prerogative to drone on in the language of some middle aged Victorian Victor Meldrew about how dreadful everything and everyone else is
 

 

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, Claudia Gentile said:

 

Probably best asking on the Saintees thread, but the quote at the top will give you a gist.

Genuinely hilarious how much he's fucked that attempt at trolling.

Quotes the wrong person then tries to boast about finishing in the top size as if its an achievement. 

St Mirren fans are wild.

[Dunning1874]

The most realistic straw we can clutch here is that Imrie has always been pragmatic in the past, and it would be extremely out of character if he suddenly became as dogmatic as Kenny Shiels about persisting with a style of play that the squad are showing no signs of being good enough for. He's inevitably going to persist with it a bit longer and cling to the argument that it's going to take time to click, particularly with a first choice striker still to come, but I'm hopeful that if we continue to be this bad he's not going to be stubborn enough to write off the whole first quarter on it.

He's always been clear that playing with wingers and getting the ball to their feet is his preferred way of playing in an ideal world, but when he first took over he went with a back three that was often more like a back five, sitting deep as he felt that was the best option with the squad he inherited; with a side with 13 points after 18 games, this pragmatism got 4 wins and 2 draws from his first six games and ultimately kept us up.

The following season when he had the chance to start building his own squad we started off with extremely attacking football, it wasn't just that we were playing direct football to try to hit wingers feet in the final third but the full backs were both pushing so far up the park in possession they were like wing backs. When he realised the defence wasn't good enough to cope with being that exposed, he tweaked the system and made it more defensively solid by having the full backs sit deeper while maintaining a pressing game, also showing a willingness to write off some of his own signings in the process such as Pignatiello & Kabia, looking for and finding upgrades. That sent us on a 10 match unbeaten run which propelled us up the division and ultimately took us to 57 points over the season.

Last season we became less tactically flexible and more dependent on individuals - we were essentially only good when we had all four of Mullen, Strapp, Wilson & Oakley available - but the unbeaten run that coincided with all of them being fit also had tactical tweaks from Imrie with a more narrow midfield rather than more conventional Quitongo style wingers stretching the game.

It's obviously a bigger worry this year because in all three of those seasons he's found the players to maintain the pressing out of possession that unsettles teams and now we don't look to have players who can do that. There's a difference between needing time to adjust to your teammates having joined a new club at a higher level and simply showing a total absence of awareness, particularly off the ball. Davies and Reynolds are both in the latter category at 28 years old, while Moffat and Lyall haven't been much better in that regard but at least are still young and haven't looked nearly as useless in possession.

He's always been willing to change things when results have gone wrong and if we continue to be hopeless, as looks far more likely than not based on performances so far, I've every confidence he's not going to be stupid enough to go full Kenny Shiels with it. Whether it'd be too hard to turnaround without a player like Robbie Crawford in attack remains to be seen.

[Paisley Ton]

5 hours ago, Rudolph Hucker said:

 

Good to see you back from your holidays.

[Colkitto]

Right now I don't know how the coming season will pan out, I've seen some decent football being played and we've also had some poor performances from individuals and as a team as a whole. For me it's been a bit of a mix match so far.

When we started signing our current crop of players I became a bit excited. Not saying any of them are poor signings as it's far too early for me to make that assumption. The only two that are giving me concerns are Reynolds and Davies. But they remain in the far too early category and both could easily be vital players for us in the season ahead.

But they have to start showing some form soon. Reynolds has shown flashes but Davies not so much. 

Of the others I'm quite happy with Ballantine and Delaney, Moffat and Lyall and Boyes and Corr. I believe all will perform well for us. Shaw we know about and he will also be useful. I really don't have any concerns about those players at all.

Our next signings will be vital, especially the No. 9. I personally think we need two strikers in the CF position but not sure if our budget will accommodate that. I also think we need at least another midfielder too. Maybe that's where the loan market will come in. 

So I'm not knicker-wetting nor am I overly optimistic or even as confident as I was a few weeks ago.  

 

[vikingTON]

17 hours ago, Branch Ton said:

What exactly is your point Doc?  Everyone accepts the results so far are unacceptable and the performances dire. 

Evidently not given the last couple of pages of this thread.

[#Gary]

Jack Bearne away at his own request to be back nearer family.

Another player it felt like Dougie held to different standards than some of his favourites. 

Good luck to him.

[TheGoon]

Good luck to the boy, but I’m really not sure why there’s so many tears being shed over him by some. Other than one game against QP he has never looked the standard. Perhaps he is, by default, a better option than Reynolds or Davies at the moment - but that isn’t enough reason to retain him.

[ClydeTon]

Certainly looked a better player than the new signings, between him and Garrity you had two wingers who could take a man on with ease.

Disappointed but can't blame him. Comes to Scotland to effectively start his career, left out in favour of players such as Steven Boyd.

Good luck to him.

[Scosha]

From memory, Bearne came on as a sub in the first home game vs Ayr last season and delivered a great assist. Didn’t get much of a look in after that until we were pumped away at Dunfermline where he got a brief cameo albeit didn’t do particularly well - but no one did. Not seen again in the league until a stinking day away in Arbroath where he got an assist for the opening goal and played well in terrible conditions - dropped and hardly seen again until later on in the season apart from 5 min sub appearances here and there whilst Muirhead didn’t both his hoop from January onwards. I rate Imrie, but it’s bizarre treatment of a player. Broadfoot chucking goals in every week and he gets captaincy, whilst Bearne gets told to pack his bags after a mediocre sub appearance. 

[Jamie_M]

6 minutes ago, Scosha said:

From memory, Bearne came on as a sub in the first home game vs Ayr last season and delivered a great assist. Didn’t get much of a look in after that until we were pumped away at Dunfermline where he got a brief cameo albeit didn’t do particularly well - but no one did. Not seen again in the league until a stinking day away in Arbroath where he got an assist for the opening goal and played well in terrible conditions - dropped and hardly seen again until later on in the season apart from 5 min sub appearances here and there whilst Muirhead didn’t both his hoop from January onwards. I rate Imrie, but it’s bizarre treatment of a player. Broadfoot chucking goals in every week and he gets captaincy, whilst Bearne gets told to pack his bags after a mediocre sub appearance. 

The statement said he 'had expressed a desire to relocate back to England, to be nearer to his family'.

[Claudia Gentile]

10 minutes ago, Jamie_M said:

The statement said he 'had expressed a desire to relocate back to England, to be nearer to his family'.

Games gone.

[Colkitto]

Strange one but it probably is best for both parties.

He was a bit lightweight and we only seen his skill in flashes.

I thought he might have kicked on this season  but seemed relegated to the bench again after starting in early pre season games.

Has to go down as one of the most pointless signings ever.

We have plenty options in that area so let's hope his wage is used wisely.

[Dunning1874]

28 minutes ago, TheGoon said:

Good luck to the boy, but I’m really not sure why there’s so many tears being shed over him by some. Other than one game against QP he has never looked the standard. Perhaps he is, by default, a better option than Reynolds or Davies at the moment - but that isn’t enough reason to retain him.

This is it. You'd really like as many players as possible available to be above Reynolds and Davies in the pecking order based on what we've seen of them so far, but Bearne's had a year and despite some one off great games, the bad comfortably outnumbers the good and being better than those two can't be the bar for getting games. If what we've freed up financially here helps us add some genuine quality that we obviously lack then great.

[Scosha]

24 minutes ago, Jamie_M said:

The statement said he 'had expressed a desire to relocate back to England, to be nearer to his family'.

Imrie made it pretty clear after one of the friendlies recently that he was game for getting rid of him. A statement saying the player has asked to leave looks a lot better than one saying he’s been punted. 

[vikingTON]

On 06/07/2024 at 23:05, virginton said:

Given that Bearne couldn't regularly overcome the ferocious competition of *checks notes* Steven Boyd and a Jai Quitongo with chocolate hamstrings to play for large spells of last season, you're either reaching with your expectations or the 'real options' we have now in that area of the team are utter dung. 

If we wanted someone who can beat a player then we should re-sign Paul Walker. A Championship level player either needs a more direct tactical purpose (Quitongo) or an actual end product in goals/assists. 

Check  

On 07/07/2024 at 18:28, virginton said:

Unless Bearne has developed significantly then he won't be seeing more game time with our current options in those areas, and if that continues then I predict that he'll be out the door in January. He's in the exact same position as Garrity was last season - who of course took that final opportunity to break into the team. 

Turns out this was in fact too generous.  

[montheton11]

Love some of the folk on here regarding Jack not being given a chance , yet want our new players oot the door already. The boy was good in spells but far to lightweight, nudged off the ball with ease and his final pass or end product was not what Dougie is looking for , he had a chance in Training a full year odds as well as minutes to prove himself , for me I find it good for us and will help the budget, it could be difference from us getting what we need or dregs of what's left .

 

Yes he has some flashes of talent can take a man occasionally however not enough and more likely to get shoved off the ball with ease . I wish him well .

[The Ghost of B A R P]

On 06/07/2024 at 19:05, The Ghost of B A R P said:

although I still get the feeling we might see one more wide player and Bearne moving on.

 

 

On 06/07/2024 at 19:59, Colkitto said:

Why would Bearne be moving on? He's started the pre-season games in decent form.

 

On 06/07/2024 at 20:18, mcintyre_gmfc said:

Bearne will be going nowhere, he’s done well in preseason and will be fighting for the jersey when the proper stuff comes around. I like him, quick and can beat a player, it’s brilliant to have real options at the top end of the park with each player capable of scoring goals. 

 

[mcintyre_gmfc]

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

 

 

 

That’s fair, and I don’t disagree with the decision. 
 
Have a greenie, smarta***.

[Colkitto]

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

 

 

 

Aye, ye called it