The Greenock Morton Thread - It's Better Than Yours

[Dunning1874]

While there are a load of other factors in individual performances, tactics and the opposition contributing to results, the difference in results with and without McGrattan is far too stark to dismiss as a coincidence. It's genuinely comfortable title winning form with him and comfortable relegation form without him.

You might get away without him if you have Quitongo on the other side, but you always need one of them. You might get away with Ali Crawford in behind the striker rather than Robbie Crawford if you have McGrattan or Quitongo in the team and the striker is Oakley rather than Muirhead. You might get away with not having Gillespie or Grimshaw in the midfield if you have a wholly hardworking midfield around them. You'll never get away with shoehorning all three of Miller, Ali Crawford and Muirhead into the team at once though.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Who said it was a 'coincidence'?

[Dunning1874]

Just listing our league results here, you can see how post-August our runs of results pretty much directly correlate to McGrattan's presence.

Blue is McGrattan starting, red is McGrattan not starting.

 DWLDWLLLWWWDWDWWDDLLLDWWWDLD

We last won without him in August, we last lost with him in August. Wild.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Aye, Imrie should just pick him every week* and we'll never lose again.

Who said it was a 'coincidence', btw?

 

* Edited to add: he should.

Edited March 13, 2023 by The Ghost of B A R P

[Dunning1874]

I didn't say anyone did.

[Jives Miguel]

The McGrattan stat is more of a nod to the balance of the side when he plays rather than about how good he's been on an individual basis. Whenever he plays, its normally been Quitongo on the right. Two energetic players giving us plenty of width and pace in attack, and none of the asymmetric pish of the last couple of games with narrow midfield and Muirhead floating up around Oakley.

 

Not getting a like for like backup for Quitongo could cost us a play-off spot I reckon. Been our best player in 2023, need him back sharpish.

[Bring Your Own Socks]

Pleased to see Morten and Queen’s Park working in harmony for the benefit of the game. Good luck Kyla!
 

[#Gary]

Confirmed today that Lewis Strapp is not part of Dougie's plans moving forward. He must have another one of his mates lined up for left back... 

[Mr Toon]

Lewis Strapp set to leave Morton at the end of his contract having been told by Dougie Imrie that he is not part of his long term plans. 

I rate Strapp very highly and would rather we kept him but if he has to go I wish him all the best for the future as he has been a great player for us and has never given less than 100%.

[#Gary]

This is now the 3rd homegrown player that Dougie's treatment of is questionable.

Reece Lyon was excellent when Dougie first came in before being left out for no good reason then scapegoated every time he did play.

Lewis McGrattan this season who's bizarrely fell way down the pecking order despite being an extremely important part of every good spell we've had all season.

Now he doesn't want a player as good as Lewis Strapp? 

Edited April 8, 2023 by #Gary

[vikingTON]

Reece Lyon had every opportunity to nail down a first team spot when we had literally twelve players in the entire squad. Instead he was orchestrating garbage defeats to Clyde. He was then given the opportunity to excel at a much lower level - and has failed to take that as well. 

It's time to move on instead of indulging in this nonsense revisionism.

[Mon eh Ton]

Calum Waters is out of contract this summer, wonder if he has already agreed to sign with us.

Losing Strapp is a disappointment but it seemed inevitable, at one point, we would lose him anyway. Hopefully his injury hasn't tempered interest in him, because he seemed likely to move up a level 

[vikingTON]

I would not be in favour of Waters replacing Strapp, that is a straightforward downgrade. 

[#Gary]

19 minutes ago, virginton said:

Reece Lyon had every opportunity to nail down a first team spot when we had literally twelve players in the entire squad. Instead he was orchestrating garbage defeats to Clyde. He was then given the opportunity to excel at a much lower level - and has failed to take that as well. 

It's time to move on instead of indulging in this nonsense revisionism.

I'm not saying Lyon should be in our team right now, and I genuinely have no idea how he's doing at Annan, but there's no doubt that he was playing very well when Dougie initially came in and we went on a bit of a run and *at the time* should not have dropped out of the team.

If Calum Waters is the replacement then it's even more bizarre not to at least offer Strapp something. He's not very good.

[shizzlemanizzle]

Just watching the circus that is the old firm game and I just want to congratulate both Morton and Ayr fans for not being glory seeking, bigot apologist (at best) wanks. Being west of Scotland based we’ve all had to put up with hunnery and timmery but came out the other side as good guys. Just so that I’m not accused of birthday caird pish, f**k you Morton.

[Colkitto]

2 hours ago, #Gary said:

This is now the 3rd homegrown player that Dougie's treatment of is questionable.

Reece Lyon was excellent when Dougie first came in before being left out for no good reason then scapegoated every time he did play.

Lewis McGrattan this season who's bizarrely fell way down the pecking order despite being an extremely important part of every good spell we've had all season.

Now he doesn't want a player as good as Lewis Strapp? 

I've got a feeling Strapp has already been offered a deal elsewhere and Imrie is having a dig by being sarcastic.

Lyon has been dropped by Hopkin, McPherson and Imrie. Maybe a fitness issue with him or just doesn't work hard enough?

McGrattan can feel aggrieved as he's done nothing wrong. But maybe Dougie wants a bit more experience in the team in the run In and decided to go with Ali Crawford

[Dunning1874]

It's not been hard to figure out from some public comments that Imrie and Strapp don't get on well off the pitch, and he was always near certain to have better offers this summer anyway so I didn't expect him to stay. Regardless of having no confidence of keeping him though, not even making him an offer is a baffling decision.

There is almost no chance of us getting a replacement of the same calibre, and in the unlikely event he doesn't have top flight or English offers then we'll look extremely daft if he ends up at another Championship club while we inevitably have a downgrade. Get an offer on the table and if he doesn't take it then so be it.

[Chippyminton]

22 hours ago, shizzlemanizzle said:

Just watching the circus that is the old firm game and I just want to congratulate both Morton and Ayr fans for not being glory seeking, bigot apologist (at best) wanks. Being west of Scotland based we’ve all had to put up with hunnery and timmery but came out the other side as good guys. Just so that I’m not accused of birthday caird pish, f**k you Morton.

Agreed, pal. And you're right - so f**k yous, too.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

Regardless of what happens over the next couple of weeks (and for me it's more about finishing as high as we can than a rigged play-off), there's plenty of cause for optimism going into next season. We have a manager with a hard, hard head who has raised standards and expectations from the loser mentality that became normalised under MacPherson. And we have a core of players who've shown they're good enough to be part of a credible squad at this level, with maybe over half being good enough to start most weeks:

Pignatiello, Baird, O'Connor, Gillespie, Blues, Crawford, King, McGrattan, Muirhead, and Oakley (Lyon remains to be seen, but perhaps unlikely; correct me if I've missed anybody else).

A keeper, two full-backs, another wide player, and another option right up front would be the priorities for me, but it's case of building around what we've got, rather than trying to pull a squad together from scratch. Five or six signings of the right quality and we could really become the team we've seen glimpses of this season.

(As above, a bit of extra prize-money for finishing 4th instead of 6th could be decisive.)

[Colkitto]

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

Regardless of what happens over the next couple of weeks (and for me it's more about finishing as high as we can than a rigged play-off), there's plenty of cause for optimism going into next season. We have a manager with a hard, hard head who has raised standards and expectations from the loser mentality that became normalised under MacPherson. And we have a core of players who've shown they're good enough to be part of a credible squad at this level, with maybe over half being good enough to start most weeks:

Pignatiello, Baird, O'Connor, Gillespie, Blues, Crawford, King, McGrattan, Muirhead, and Oakley (Lyon remains to be seen, but perhaps unlikely; correct me if I've missed anybody else).

A keeper, two full-backs, another wide player, and another option right up front would be the priorities for me, but it's case of building around what we've got, rather than trying to pull a squad together from scratch. Five or six signings of the right quality and we could really become the team we've seen glimpses of this season.

(As above, a bit of extra prize-money for finishing 4th instead of 6th could be decisive.)

I take Jai has not signed. Does he have a deal elsewhere?