The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[Jamie_M]

wtf was that broadfoot tweet about last night? you lads thought you were signing him?

No. But our twitter account was on crack

[TheGoon]

10 hours ago, Demented Zebra said:

My mate is as daft o  Morton fan  as I am Saints we always  wind up each other. He borrowed my van got it back with a Morton top on the back seat a scarf laid along the dash board. I left it a few months then put a Saints car sticker on his lower back bumper he drove it for weeks. That's the way it should be. Anyway I'm going to join him on a home game hoping you can win and Baird gets man of the match. This will blow my mates mind . 

I don’t believe for a second someone would choose to be your mate.

[M0rtonfc]

18 hours ago, Coventry Saint said:

Bizarre. There was plenty of comments from Ton fans about it, many of them negative. You can follow them in the comment s to the below tweet.

Now stop talking shite. There's a good lad.

 

Ignore him, he's quite clearly a complete roaster.

[madton]

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

So, to be clear, we have Cameron Blues in addition to _nine_ other midfield players, but no recognised right-back?

Hope to f**k Hopkin still has that Caddis-shaped card up his sleeve... Duffy or Johansson would have been slaughtered for less.

Anybody else surprised how big a squad we’ve ended up with? For all Hopkin’s talk about versatility, we’re, eh, a right-back short of a 22-man squad...

Aye agreed. Don't really care that some can cover there. Anyone who has played there to date has been largely pish and it's incredible that with a squad of 21, we don't have have a right back., yet have 10 midfielders. It's quite a f**k up from Hopkin.

Looks like we are stuck with Jim, Jacobs or Welsh  playing there until Jan at least unless he decides to play Strapp/Livingston there which is a different risk altogether.

Would love to know Hopkin's thoughts on it, shame our PR is non-existent. 

[ATLIS]

5 hours ago, madton said:

Aye agreed. Don't really care that some can cover there. Anyone who has played there to date has been largely pish and it's incredible that with a squad of 21, we don't have have a right back., yet have 10 midfielders. It's quite a f**k up from Hopkin.

Looks like we are stuck with Jim, Jacobs or Welsh  playing there until Jan at least unless he decides to play Strapp/Livingston there which is a different risk altogether.

Would love to know Hopkin's thoughts on it, shame our PR is non-existent. 

Hoppy doesn't play right backs You guys will be transitioning to a 352 very soon I'd say which would explain the 10 midfielders, 3 central and 2 wide men doing a wing back role. For what it's worth we've had Raffa De Vita, Josh Mullin, Nicky Cadden, Jackson Longridge, Scott Robinson, James Penrice and Jack McMillan all fill that role on either wing over his time with us. 

If he's going to do what he did with us, one pretty good CB and do it all (Halkett), one to run the ball out from defence + up the wings (Gallagher) and one to be no nonsense and get rid of it (Lithgow). You'll have a holding player to break up the play (Byrne), one guy to do all the running (Pittman) and one to do a bit of whatever else is needed (we changed it a lot, Jacobs etc). Two wing backs to essentially work their arses off all game tracking back and bombing forward to get balls in front of the defence. One tall striker to win everything in the air (Miller) and a finisher to run onto the end of the knock downs and put it away (Hardie). 

If he can find similar players to do a job similar you'll be in a good spot and fighting it out at the top. Let him get his style of play into place (we had a year in League 1 which we won without ever being immense which drilled the style into our players) and you'll genuinely be right up there in the playoffs. Obviously you guys will struggle to find someone like Halkett + Pittman but Hoppy is very very into his stats and makes use of various people into them to find the best value for money in the market. He brought Miller in from a struggling Falkirk in January due to his % of won headers and played to his strengths which was a huge factor in us going up. 

Then again he might not be doing any of this but looking back we were sceptical of him, just takes some patience because he's a very good manager

[madton]

1 hour ago, ATLIS said:

Hoppy doesn't play right backs You guys will be transitioning to a 352 very soon I'd say which would explain the 10 midfielders, 3 central and 2 wide men doing a wing back role. For what it's worth we've had Raffa De Vita, Josh Mullin, Nicky Cadden, Jackson Longridge, Scott Robinson, James Penrice and Jack McMillan all fill that role on either wing over his time with us. 

If he's going to do what he did with us, one pretty good CB and do it all (Halkett), one to run the ball out from defence + up the wings (Gallagher) and one to be no nonsense and get rid of it (Lithgow). You'll have a holding player to break up the play (Byrne), one guy to do all the running (Pittman) and one to do a bit of whatever else is needed (we changed it a lot, Jacobs etc). Two wing backs to essentially work their arses off all game tracking back and bombing forward to get balls in front of the defence. One tall striker to win everything in the air (Miller) and a finisher to run onto the end of the knock downs and put it away (Hardie). 

If he can find similar players to do a job similar you'll be in a good spot and fighting it out at the top. Let him get his style of play into place (we had a year in League 1 which we won without ever being immense which drilled the style into our players) and you'll genuinely be right up there in the playoffs. Obviously you guys will struggle to find someone like Halkett + Pittman but Hoppy is very very into his stats and makes use of various people into them to find the best value for money in the market. He brought Miller in from a struggling Falkirk in January due to his % of won headers and played to his strengths which was a huge factor in us going up. 

Then again he might not be doing any of this but looking back we were sceptical of him, just takes some patience because he's a very good manager

I don't think anyone will be doubting Hopkin, we are all pretty much behind him, just a bit perplexed with some of his transfer dealings to date and our leaky defence is causing some concern. 

Like with you boys, I'm sure he will get it right given time which he will get. 

[gav-ffc]

Hopkin has now signed Blues permanently twice despite him appearing in one of the worst Brechin and Berwick Rangers teams in the same season.

Wild.

[ATLIS]

5 minutes ago, gav-ffc said:

Hopkin has now signed Blues permanently twice despite him appearing in one of the worst Brechin and Berwick Rangers teams in the same season.

Wild.

Blues signed for us after Hopkin left, was a signing actually recommended by Lee Miller I think

[gav-ffc]

33 minutes ago, ATLIS said:

Blues signed for us after Hopkin left, was a signing actually recommended by Lee Miller I think

Ah,  I’m sure he and sibbs signed roughly the same time.

Before Miller came in?

[ATLIS]

1 minute ago, gav-ffc said:

Ah,  I’m sure he and sibbs signed roughly the same time.

Before Miller came in?

Yep, after the playoffs Hoppy's contract ran out and he went on holiday for 3 weeks and asked us to wait until he was back (and give up an early start in the window) and we went and signed a few players, including Sibbs, under Martindale then we picked up Miller when most of the recruitment had been done

[KabbaCharming]

14 hours ago, ATLIS said:

Hoppy doesn't play right backs You guys will be transitioning to a 352 very soon I'd say which would explain the 10 midfielders, 3 central and 2 wide men doing a wing back role. For what it's worth we've had Raffa De Vita, Josh Mullin, Nicky Cadden, Jackson Longridge, Scott Robinson, James Penrice and Jack McMillan all fill that role on either wing over his time with us. 

If he's going to do what he did with us, one pretty good CB and do it all (Halkett), one to run the ball out from defence + up the wings (Gallagher) and one to be no nonsense and get rid of it (Lithgow). You'll have a holding player to break up the play (Byrne), one guy to do all the running (Pittman) and one to do a bit of whatever else is needed (we changed it a lot, Jacobs etc). Two wing backs to essentially work their arses off all game tracking back and bombing forward to get balls in front of the defence. One tall striker to win everything in the air (Miller) and a finisher to run onto the end of the knock downs and put it away (Hardie). 

If he can find similar players to do a job similar you'll be in a good spot and fighting it out at the top. Let him get his style of play into place (we had a year in League 1 which we won without ever being immense which drilled the style into our players) and you'll genuinely be right up there in the playoffs. Obviously you guys will struggle to find someone like Halkett + Pittman but Hoppy is very very into his stats and makes use of various people into them to find the best value for money in the market. He brought Miller in from a struggling Falkirk in January due to his % of won headers and played to his strengths which was a huge factor in us going up. 

Then again he might not be doing any of this but looking back we were sceptical of him, just takes some patience because he's a very good manager

Can sort of see the players he has assembled fitting that bill. One that jumps out is McAllister playing CB to carry the ball. The Sutton up top with McHugh

[Bairnardo]

Mine too. Bit of a thug from what I remember, kind've what we need, but also kind've what we don't either.

His thuggery got him sent off at TFS for punching Lee Miller and provoked a wonderful heads gone from Div on here. Happier times.....

[Dunning1874]

If the plan is to go to a back three now, you wonder if Livingstone could be used as a left sided centre back despite being described as a left back? Then we could use three from him, Grant, Baird and Welsh, leaving McAlister and McLean as fifth and sixth choice with a more solid option available even if Livingstone goes to wing back if Strapp is out or loses form. 

It still wouldn’t solve the right wing back situation and further forward leaves us struggling to fit all of Cadden, Nesbitt and Colville in the team, unless we just launch one of them or Salkeld in at wing back and hope the defence copes with getting bugger all protection from that side. Might be better if Livingstone has a right foot and could play either right back or right wing back?

[vikingTON]

5 hours ago, KabbaCharming said:

Can sort of see the players he has assembled fitting that bill. One that jumps out is McAllister playing CB to carry the ball. The Sutton up top with McHugh

Then there'd be no place in the team for Nesbitt and Cadden in their current attacking roles. A far better fit is something like this:

Rogers

Baird Welsh Grant 

McAlister/Salkeld Lyon Jacobs Strapp/Livingstone

Cadden McHugh Nesbitt

You could  put Jacobs on the right instead and one of our seventeen million other central midfielders in there instead, but I'd want a ball-winner in that position as the first choice to make it work. 

Subs: Ramsbottom, McLean, Millar, Colville, Sutton, Muirhead etc.

I'm really not bothered about the lack of a 'natural' right back when there are plenty of players who can take on that role in the squad: if there isn't a good option on the market within our budget then you don't just sign or keep a dung one like Tumilty around for the sake of it. It's also clear from that paper lineup that we've got more than enough depth in the squad as well as different options off the bench. The main task is putting them together in a settled lineup that stops leaking goals like sieve. 

 

 

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Atlis’ post makes sense, but, as already pointed out: the only option we have at right wing-back is Salkeld, who’s totally untested there (and looks to me like an attacking midfielder or even a forward); Hopkin’s success at Livingston, as with all teams that make 3-5-2 work, was based on the quality and flexibility of the centre-backs... we’re nowhere near that.

Much, much simpler to sign a right-back and play with a back four...

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, The Ghost of B A R P said:

Atlis’ post makes sense, but, as already pointed out: the only option we have at right wing-back is Salkeld,

lol wut

McAlister and Jacobs have both played right wing-back at other clubs than ourselves. You might not rate their chances of playing well there but to clam that we don't have the option to do so is nonsense. 

Quote

Much, much simpler to sign a right-back and play with a back four...

Erm yes, with all that money lying around to pay for that superb right back, who then has to rely anyway on our equally superb centre-back partnership to not let simple passes split us open just like they did in in our last away game. And the one before that as well. 

'Simple' indeed. 

Edited September 5, 2019 by vikingTON

[KabbaCharming]

5 hours ago, virginton said:

Then there'd be no place in the team for Nesbitt and Cadden in their current attacking roles. A far better fit is something like this:

Rogers

Baird Welsh Grant 

McAlister/Salkeld Lyon Jacobs Strapp/Livingstone

Cadden McHugh Nesbitt

You could  put Jacobs on the right instead and one of our seventeen million other central midfielders in there instead, but I'd want a ball-winner in that position as the first choice to make it work. 

Subs: Ramsbottom, McLean, Millar, Colville, Sutton, Muirhead etc.

I'm really not bothered about the lack of a 'natural' right back when there are plenty of players who can take on that role in the squad: if there isn't a good option on the market within our budget then you don't just sign or keep a dung one like Tumilty around for the sake of it. It's also clear from that paper lineup that we've got more than enough depth in the squad as well as different options off the bench. The main task is putting them together in a settled lineup that stops leaking goals like sieve. 

 

 

I was thinking

 

Rogers

 

McAllister - Grant - Baird

 

Cadden - Strapp/Livingstone

 

Jacobs - Colville/Lyon

 

Nesbitt

 

Sutton and Mchugh.

 

 

But you are probably on to a better system having Cadden and Nesbitt either side of a striker is better going forward, but I would have Sutton in ahead of McHugh even though Bob has been putting in a shift.

 

[The Ghost of B A R P]

5 hours ago, virginton said:

lol wut

McAlister and Jacobs have both played right wing-back at other clubs than ourselves. You might not rate their chances of playing well there but to clam that we don't have the option to do so is nonsense. 

Erm yes, with all that money lying around to pay for that superb right back, who then has to rely anyway on our equally superb centre-back partnership to not let simple passes split us open just like they did in in our last away game. And the one before that as well. 

'Simple' indeed. 

If you think McAlister or Jacobs are anything like (credible, effective) options at wing-back, you’re seeing funny... McAlister is way past being able to do what that role requires and Jacobs, well, I really don’t know what to say. Non-starter and weakens us elsewhere.

It might not be ‘simple, but it is ‘simpler’ (oh look, that’s what I said)  to assemble a balanced squad. You can’t argue money, either, because money spent elsewhere (Cameron Blues, anyone?) could easily have been used  on a first-choice player for one of the eleven starting positions. We’re funding the wages, one way or another, of 21 professionals; to argue that it’s no big deal we’ve got no right-back is just perverse...

Edited September 5, 2019 by The Ghost of B A R P

[vikingTON]

Erm no, they quite are viable options at wing-back, having already played there with other clubs. Now you can say 'I don't rate them playing there' and that's fine but to claim that we don't actually have anyone other than Salkeld (who has less experience in that role) who can possibly play that position is factually incorrect, hysterical nonsense. 

Which sums up the general reaction since the window closed quite nicely. 

Quote

It might not be ‘simple, but it is ‘simpler’ (oh look, that’s what I said)  to assemble a balanced squad. You can’t argue money, either, because money spent elsewhere (Cameron Blues, anyone?) could easily have been used  on a first-choice player for one of the eleven starting positions.

What credible right back could we sign with the two-bob wages being handed out to a squad jobber like Blues? The priority was - quite rightly - getting centre-backs in as McLean is fit for the glue yard and not much else: we've signed two in the last week. If the market isn't there for a good right back as well - and I really don't see any lining up out there waiting for a deal - then there is no point signing a fucking shite one just to placate your OCD about 'balancing a squad'. 

Quote

We’re funding the wages, one way or another, of 21 professionals; to argue that it’s no big deal we’ve got no right-back is just perverse...

Seeing as three of them could play at right wing back though the solution is both blatantly obvious and 'no big deal' at all.  

Edited September 5, 2019 by vikingTON

[The Ghost of B A R P]

10 hours ago, virginton said:

Erm no, they quite are viable options at wing-back, having already played there with other clubs. Now you can say 'I don't rate them playing there' and that's fine but to claim that we don't actually have anyone other than Salkeld (who has less experience in that role) who can possibly play that position is factually incorrect, hysterical nonsense. 

Which sums up the general reaction since the window closed quite nicely. 

What credible right back could we sign with the two-bob wages being handed out to a squad jobber like Blues? The priority was - quite rightly - getting centre-backs in as McLean is fit for the glue yard and not much else: we've signed two in the last week. If the market isn't there for a good right back as well - and I really don't see any lining up out there waiting for a deal - then there is no point signing a fucking shite one just to placate your OCD about 'balancing a squad'. 

Seeing as three of them could play at right wing back though the solution is both blatantly obvious and 'no big deal' at all.  

OK, ‘I don’t rate’ McAlister playing there, but who does? Jacobs was signed to anchor the midfield, so sticking him out there is counter-productive (and he doesn’t have the legs for it, anyway); Salkeld is a ‘maybe’, but we haven’t seen enough of him and I doubt it’s his best position. All three _might_ do as an occasional fill in, to cover a suspension or injury; none of them should be expected to hold down that position on a regular basis.

Tumilty, btw, is better at wing-back than full-back, another reason talk of going 3-5-2 doesn’t make much sense. Not the main reason, of course: that would be our lack of convincing options at centre-back (anybody remember when the ‘answer’ to Scotland having no decent options at centre-back was... play three of them?)

Hopkin let Tumilty go in the expectation of replacing him and then failed to do so. He’s fucked it. He needs to make another signing to fix it (not a ‘jobber’, there just to fill a gap, but a first-choice right-back who’s, eh, better than Reghan Tumilty...).

We’re paying money for a ‘McLean’, a ‘Blues’, and an ‘Orsi’; some or all of that would have been better spent on the above.

Most managers don’t get their recruitment right at the first go, but that doesn’t mean his mistakes shouldn’t be acknowledged... only a fluffer would try that patter, right?

OCD and out...