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The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours


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19 hours ago, madton said:

Settle for Gunning!

Only if genuinely match fit. He played for us carrying an injury. Obviously a classy centre half but when chasing the ball his limp and slow pace was very pronounced, as in the LC semi against Aberdeen.

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25 minutes ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

Only if genuinely match fit. He played for us carrying an injury. Obviously a classy centre half but when chasing the ball his limp and slow pace was very pronounced, as in the LC semi against Aberdeen.

Nothing classy about his sending off against Tranmere in the play offs. 

 

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On 15/06/2019 at 13:41, Branch Ton said:

Nothing classy about his sending off against Tranmere in the play offs. 

 

Didn’t see it as I didn’t follow his career after he left Morton, reason being I don’t like players carrying injuries, and was embarrassed by Gunning limping around in a semi-final. Maybe not all his fault but good riddance all the same!

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Happy with that.  He was only 19/20 when he was with us and you could see the potential he had.  2 years on and hopefully his spell at MK Dons has made him a better player.

Can probably play anywhere across the front so fits in with trying to have players who can play multiple positions.

First really encouraging signing we have made, hopefully a few more to follow.

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Curious to know what formation Hoppy with use this season.

Possibly something like this;

           Ramsbottom.

Tumilty New  New  New

   Millar/McAlister Jacobs Lyons

Salkeld                   Nesbitt

            Muirhead

 

Bench- Pearson, Strapp, McAlister/Millar, Orsi, McHugh, Dykes, New.

Strapp might well start at left back  or possibly McAlister. Hopkin did say in the Tele that he is looking to add competition for Strapp so would expect a left back to come in.

Can't see both Jim and Millar starting in the middle as it goes against the high pressing, fit as feck mentaility ( Not doubting both of them are fit btw, just not as pacey as I would imagine Hoppy wants) and he will have brought Jacobs in to play so something will need to give.

Edited by madton
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5 hours ago, madton said:

Curious to know what formation Hoppy with use this season.

Possibly something like this;

           Ramsbottom.

Tumilty New  New  New

   Millar/McAlister Jacobs Lyons

Salkeld                   Nesbitt

            Muirhead

 

Bench- Pearson, Strapp, McAlister/Millar, Orsi, McHugh, Dykes, New.

Strapp might well start at left back  or possibly McAlister. Hopkin did say in the Tele that he is looking to add competition for Strapp so would expect a left back to come in.

Can't see both Jim and Millar starting in the middle as it goes against the high pressing, fit as feck mentaility ( Not doubting both of them are fit btw, just not as pacey as I would imagine Hoppy wants) and he will have brought Jacobs in to play so something will need to give.

I'd be very surprised to see Hoppy play 4-3-3! possibly more likely to see something like this:

                         Ramsbottom

            New            New           New

Tumilty    Millar     Jacobs    Lyon    McAlister   

                       Salkend     Nesbitt

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29 minutes ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I'd be very surprised to see Hoppy play 4-3-3! possibly more likely to see something like this:

                         Ramsbottom

            New            New           New

Tumilty    Millar     Jacobs    Lyon    McAlister   

                       Salkend     Nesbitt

Nope.

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32 minutes ago, DreamOakTree1 said:

I'd be very surprised to see Hoppy play 4-3-3! possibly more likely to see something like this:

                         Ramsbottom

            New            New           New

Tumilty    Millar     Jacobs    Lyon    McAlister   

                       Salkend     Nesbitt

Aye 3 at back certainly possible, just guessing with current players at his disposal and not sure if its just presumed because he played that at Livvy.

Think its safe to say Muirhead will start as a target man though.

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I'd be very surprised to see Hoppy play 4-3-3! possibly more likely to see something like this:
                         Ramsbottom
            New            New           New
Tumilty    Millar     Jacobs    Lyon    McAlister   
                       Salkend     Nesbitt


Jim McAlister at left fullback is giving me palpitations. Please no. If there’s a central 3 and he doesn’t fit, he should be on the bench. Not at wingback, fullback, centre back or anywhere else for that matter.
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5 hours ago, MonEhTon said:

 


Jim McAlister at left fullback is giving me palpitations. Please no. If there’s a central 3 and he doesn’t fit, he should be on the bench. Not at wingback, fullback, centre back or anywhere else for that matter.

 

Hopkin has more or less said that Strapp will get the chance to make the left back slot his and I think he will. McAlister can cover at wing back, particularly on the right but he got played all over the place last season, so who knows? 

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6 hours ago, MonEhTon said:

 


Jim McAlister at left fullback is giving me palpitations. Please no. If there’s a central 3 and he doesn’t fit, he should be on the bench. Not at wingback, fullback, centre back or anywhere else for that matter.

 

 

McAlister played well at CB in the last few games of the season. Not saying I would like to see him there as he's not a natural CB. 

Hoppy saying he would like 4 CB's which seems a bit much. And also competition for Strapp at LB.

Wonder how we will fair in the loan market this season?  Kiltie coming back would be the icing on the cake.

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2 hours ago, Colkitto said:

 

McAlister played well at CB in the last few games of the season. Not saying I would like to see him there as he's not a natural CB. 

Hoppy saying he would like 4 CB's which seems a bit much. And also competition for Strapp at LB.

Wonder how we will fair in the loan market this season?  Kiltie coming back would be the icing on the cake.

I really do dislike the term 'natural' when it comes to player positions. I mean, I get what people are getting at, but in this example McAlister was a forward who broke into the team as a winger, played a lot of football at wing back before making a career at a higher level as a central midfield player (where he had only played a couple of times for us). I mean 'naturally' what is he, a winger? But in his career that hasn't been his best position (and he has played pretty much every position). Players find their best positions as their careers progress, and often have different positions at different stages. 

I agree with you, he looked pretty decent at CB. I think his influence was really appreciated there. It doesn't seem like Hoppy it looking for him to play in that role, though, if he's looking for 3 or 4 new CBs. We look like we might be a bit flexible in what we'll be able to do, but we don't look like we're going for creativity in the middle of the pitch. McAlister will probably be one of the options in that type of midfield. 

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1 hour ago, SpoonTon said:

I really do dislike the term 'natural' when it comes to player positions. I mean, I get what people are getting at, but in this example McAlister was a forward who broke into the team as a winger, played a lot of football at wing back before making a career at a higher level as a central midfield player (where he had only played a couple of times for us). I mean 'naturally' what is he, a winger? But in his career that hasn't been his best position (and he has played pretty much every position). Players find their best positions as their careers progress, and often have different positions at different stages. 

I agree with you, he looked pretty decent at CB. I think his influence was really appreciated there. It doesn't seem like Hoppy it looking for him to play in that role, though, if he's looking for 3 or 4 new CBs. We look like we might be a bit flexible in what we'll be able to do, but we don't look like we're going for creativity in the middle of the pitch. McAlister will probably be one of the options in that type of midfield. 

I remember when Lamie got shifted to LB and big Ricky said he was a CB to trade. He was a CB, and I take it by his comments playing at LB was perhaps strange to him.

It wasn't a role he was used to playing and felt he was being played out of position.  Lamie didn't consider it a role that was natural to him. That's not to say he didn't play well there as he adapted to the role and eventually played at a higher level.

There are players who have a feel for a particular position - you only have to look at the comments of new signing Muirhead who considers himself a No.9 and that's where he wants to play.

To a certain extent the same could be said about McAlister, who probably wouldn't consider himself a CB. But played there at the tail of last season and done very well.

If you ask McAlister what position he plays I'm sure he will say a midfielder.  And most fans would say that too. I'm sure he will play where he asked to play, but I would say he would feel most comfortable in midfield.

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2 minutes ago, Colkitto said:

I remember when Lamie got shifted to LB and big Ricky said he was a CB to trade. He was a CB, and I take it by his comments playing at LB was perhaps strange to him.

It wasn't a role he was used to playing and felt he was being played out of position.  Lamie didn't consider it a role that was natural to him. That's not to say he didn't play well there as he adapted to the role and eventually played at a higher level.

There are players who have a feel for a particular position - you only have to look at the comments of new signing Muirhead who considers himself a No.9 and that's where he wants to play.

To a certain extent the same could be said about McAlister, who probably wouldn't consider himself a CB. But played there at the tail of last season and done very well.

If you ask McAlister what position he plays I'm sure he will say a midfielder.  And most fans would say that too. I'm sure he will play where he asked to play, but I would say he would feel most comfortable in midfield.

I totally get that, I just get irked by the overuse of the idea that it's somehow an innate, natural thing. 

Peter Weatherson would undoubtedly say he was a striker. His best season for us came at right back. He struggled at right back a level up. Lamie was undoubtedly uncomfortable at left back, he now plays at a higher level at left wing back. McAlister played hundreds of games as a wide player, then found his best role as a central midfield player. Ross Forbes was a left footed central midfield who played the best football of his career on the right wing. 

You don't want to be putting square pegs in round holes, but the idea of the 'natural' position is very often misleading. If you simply mean what they shown to be their best position or a position that they're most used to then I completely agree with you, but too often fans (and players) get hung up on an idea of a position they think is their natural position without considering if it's actually the position they're of most use playing in. 

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