The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[Cowshed118]

Hats off to you lot; Superb result last night...So, given you chaps weren't much impressed with Duffy earlier this season (or last), what d'you make of your very credible challenge for 4th?

Iv never really been on Duffys back, looking at the bigger picture he has got us promoted at the first time of asking and as you say we are in a good position chasing fourth this time around, but honestly if you went evey week some of his decisions are bonkers, i think thats what anoys fans but go on the Duff man, reached both cup quarter finals aswell this season so happy days !!

[Toby]

Hats off to you lot; Superb result last night...So, given you chaps weren't much impressed with Duffy earlier this season (or last), what d'you make of your very credible challenge for 4th?

He deserves immense credit. Considering the shambles he took over little over a year and a half ago, to find us where we are now is incredible. He had the advantage of a clean slate in assembling a squad, but I'd think most neutral observers would've expected us to have a long, extended stay in League One if not worse before coming back up, such was the embarrassing and humiliating nature of our relegation.

There are plenty of clubs; like Nottingham Forest, Leeds, the two Sheffield clubs, Rangers, Hibs and Dunfermline that find themselves divisions they feel don't befit their status and make an absolute meal of working their way back up. If, when walking out of New Douglas Park in May 2014 you had told me we would be where we are now, taking points off Rangers at Ibrox and scudding Hibs at Easter Road, not to mention putting another league title in the cabinet and two cup quarter finals in the same season I'd have bitten your hand off for it.

There's been a few dodgy moments along the way, most notably Spartans, but that abomination should now well and truly be forgiven. He may never become a legend as a manager at Morton, but I'd like to think that when he does leave, his time here will be thought of fondly by us all.

All he's got to do for the season to be considered a success now is to go up through the play offs, win the cup and deliver that elusive win over St. Mirren and he might win the rest of the support over.

[The Grass Is Greener.]

His performance hasn't been commented on much because we've mainly been focusing on Barr and McKee being fucking brilliant, but yeah, very decent performance indeed. One mistake where he tried to overdo it with it an attempted Wake turn which lost possession in our own half, but otherwise he was always offering an outlet to team mates, running at defenders when he had the ball and did all the defensive work required too. Promising start.

Forbes was pretty good aswell, Barr MOTM, imo.

[Dunning1874]

Hats off to you lot; Superb result last night...So, given you chaps weren't much impressed with Duffy earlier this season (or last), what d'you make of your very credible challenge for 4th?

I've been one of Duffy's biggest critics, but it's absolutely a case of credit where credit's due.

At the start of the season a relegation battle was pretty much universally expected. It was felt that we'd retained far too many players from a squad which lost 11 games in League One and won the league by 2 points ahead of Stranraer and Forfar, whereas other full-time teams who've been comfortable their first season after promotion without overhauling the squad had won that division by 15+ points.

It quickly became clear that we'd underestimated the ability of the players to adapt, doing them and therefore Duffy a disservice. We weren't picking up enough points in the first quarter, but we competed in every game except against Rangers. While we lost some stupid goals, the defence was much tighter than expected and you could see we weren't all that far away from being a comfortable mid-table side rather than relegation material. Still, with only two wins from our first eleven games things weren't looking too promising. We weren't taking pumpings but we were dropping far too many points and the relegation battle looked likely.

We then won four games in a row followed by two draws, one of the draws at Ibrox. The six games unbeaten took us a comfortable distance clear of relegation and that was the only point in the season I felt fourth was a realistic target. At this point Duffy was being heaped with plaudits, with even the biggest critics me holding our hands up and saying we couldn't have expected this at the start of the season, even if we'd had a manager we all liked and expected to do well. We were still perplexed by his team selections at times and dogmatic insistence on 4-4-2 even when the players didn't seem to suit it, but if it was getting results who really cares?

Our next game after that draw at Ibrox was at home to Raith who were in dreadful form. Win that and we'd go fourth, with the chance to start opening a gap. We reverted to our early season form with yet another stoppage time goal conceded to lose it. We followed that with an insipid defeat to St. Mirren, who else, where we played a flat 4-4-2 with two centre backs in central midfield and two central midfielders out wide. When we were winning we could turn a blind eye to that kind of bizarre approach from Duffy, but lose and it's the first thing that's seized on.

That was the start of a run of five games without a win, four of them defeats, the other a draw with Alloa after being 2-0 up. The further away the unbeaten run got the more it looked like a purple patch, where we were helped by having Alloa, Dumbarton and Livingston in successive games to start it off. The flip side of that is that two of the games in the winless run were Rangers & Hibs, where we're really expected to lose anyway. That run ended with a win against Dumbarton, but when we then lost to Falkirk the impression remained that despite being competitive most weeks we were pretty much useless at taking points against everyone outside the bottom three and therefore we were likely to fall further and further away from fourth.

Against that backdrop, Wednesday night was incredible. Maybe people wouldn't have seen it as a massive shock to go and win 1-0 - I still would've - but to take them apart the way we did was unbelievable. It was the first time in a while we've been able to clearly see what Duffy's game plan was and watch the players execute it perfectly. It's also not escaped notice that we did so with two wingers out wide and two central midfielders in central midfield, with the centre backs actually playing at centre back. If we can replicate that performance then fourth is realistic, but we have to remember that despite how good we were on Wednesday we've still only taken 7 points from 14 games against the top four & St. Mirren - we can't expect to turn in performances of that standard every week and if we go back to our previous record against the teams above us, Raith are still going to pull clear of us and it's still not an unrealistic scenario for us to finish the season closer to eighth than fourth.

Still, Saturday is absolutely massive. Win and fourth becomes a realistic target, but if we lose we're four points behind with Raith having two games in hand and it's done. Either way Duffy has surpassed expectations this season and deserves the praise he's getting, but if we actually finish fourth he can have a ten year contract and a statue in his honour.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

Can I just take this opportunity to state that, despite only catching a handful of games last year, I said the team were good enough to survive in the Championship and it was the constant ditching half the squad and starting afresh nonsense that was holding us back over the last few years and that, with three or four good quality signings we'd be challenging for the play offs.

Because usually I get any Morton based predictions miles aff and feel quite chuffed about this one.

Roon ye Dunning.

[USTon]

Forbes was pretty good aswell, Barr MOTM, imo.

Forbes was slated by Dunfermline as being a lazy player. If you watch the third goal v Hibs, you can see how "lazy" he is. Wins the ball in our own half sends Barr away then runs the length of the park to get on the end of his cut back to score a beauty. He has been one of our most consistent players albeit his form shaded a bit in the last couple of months. Against Hibs though, although with O'Ware, McKee and Barr, he was immense!

[Pumpedagain]

The Duff has surprised the majority of fans since taking charge especially with the draw away to Rangers and the excellent win at Hibs, he also infuriates the fans with the way he sets us up at times and not getting subs on when the game is crying out for them.

[HoBNob]

Not sure if he was lazy, just totally and utterly ineffective out wide, which is where Jefferies kept playing him, nightmare.

Think people get slow and lazy mixed up, he did run, just not particularly quickly.

[AsimButtHitsASix]

Still can't believe we managed to get rid of Barrowman for Forbes. That's the bargain of the century right there

[Dunning1874]

Not sure if he was lazy, just totally and utterly ineffective out wide, which is where Jefferies kept playing him, nightmare.

Think people get slow and lazy mixed up, he did run, just not particularly quickly.

Yeah, his form's dipped a bit the last couple of months for us as he's been playing out wide most of the time. Moved back to the middle on Wednesday and had an excellent game, it's no coincidence. He can have some real off days where the game passes him by completely, but when he's on form he's a great player at this level and would get a game for anyone other than Rangers or Hibs.

[CALDERON]

That was an outstanding result on Wed, really looking forward to our game tomorrow. Should be a cracker.

[SuperTon]

Yeah, his form's dipped a bit the last couple of months for us as he's been playing out wide most of the time. Moved back to the middle on Wednesday and had an excellent game, it's no coincidence. He can have some real off days where the game passes him by completely, but when he's on form he's a great player at this level and would get a game for anyone other than Rangers or Hibs.

Agree with that, Forbes is one of the best players in our squad. He needs to be played in the middle of the park to get the best out of him. I wouldn't say his form dipped, before Wednesday he hadn't started in weeks. Like you say, before that he was being played out wide which doesn't suit him at all and we can't really blame him for not being in the game, he's just to slow to play out wide.

[TonMan]

The Duff has surprised the majority of fans since taking charge especially with the draw away to Rangers and the excellent win at Hibs, he also infuriates the fans with the way he sets us up at times and not getting subs on when the game is crying out for them.

Yep, his substitutions have often been one of the most frustrating parts of his game. Often doesn't make them when we're crying out for one, but I can forgive him for that if the team is doing alright overall.

One thing I think Duffy's managed to get instilled within the team, that I noticed towards is the end of last season, is a bit of fighting spirit. Last season, when were starting to look like we might be out of the title race, we managed to make a couple of superb comebacks from behind in certain games which kept us in it. Granted, some of them were the types of games we should've really been winning anyway, but nevertheless we were still able to fight back from behind when it mattered. Not to mention that when we had our big title clash against Stranraer, we were able to take advantage and win. We ultimately managed to get important results when it mattered.

I think there's been a bit of that this season. Getting a draw against Rangers, and taking the lead late into the game. Not only managing to continue leading against Hibs in the second half, but actually going out and getting another couple of goals. When we're playing well, we're a team who can really start to believe in their own ability.

[Raithie]

So, Bobby Barr....any good?

[TonMan]

Might as well post this in here since its unlikely to get any response in that holocaust of a match day thread

I thought mcmullan looked v. dece last night, admittedly from the limited viewpoint of periscope. Anybody at the game have any thoughts? Think he could be a great addition.

Thought he looked very decent. Some really nice moments of skill here and there, looking forward to seeing more of him.

[Pumpedagain]

Thoughts on Declan McManus? If only he could figure out how to score again, he could possibly keep us mid table. Puts in a shift though.

[Shandon Par]

Pars team looked slow and unfit compared to most of the part timers last season - no reason why Forbes would have been an exception. The THHP podcast with Colin McMenamin mentions his time at Morton and how he just couldn't get his head around having a chairman who would come into the dressing room to give team talks. Duffy has to get plenty of praise for managing not only that team but that situation. We fell foul of appointing a coach (Potter), rather than a manager.

The step up from League One to Championship looks pretty daunting at the moment - really good going to be on the edge of the playoff spots.

[Alibi]

So, Bobby Barr....any good?

Sometimes. In my opinion he seems to be a lot more effective playing on the left, as on Wednesday night. On the right, he tends to cut back and mess around rather than setting up the killer ball. Same against QoS earlier in the season - he switched to the left and we started tearing Queens apart. Seems to have a good partnership with Mark Russell down that left hand side, and gets back to cover in defence too (which compensates for Mark Russell losing the ball when he goes on a wander upfield).

Edited February 26, 2016 by Alibi

[Hank Scorpio]

That's Barr to us official (sort of).

[Ira Gaines]

<<< head's gone