"it's The Players Fault Not Mine"- D Irons

[Mr Toon]

Can you see players ignoring John Lambie, Jim Jeffries, Craig Levein or a host of other managers too numerous to mention?

The players would be too scared, or have too much respect, or know that they wouldn't play for the club again!

 

There are managers out there who would get the best out of the present squad, a squad which playing to potential could and should comfortably hold its own in the present First Division.

 

However can you see any of these men putting up with interference in playing matters from anyone else?

 

So we didn't appoint one when JM left and unless things change dramatically in the way the club is run we wont when the inevitable happens and DI goes too.

[cmdc]

However can you see any of these men putting up with interference in playing matters from anyone else?

 

As far as I know, Levein works under similar(ish) circumstances with Eddie Thomson, but knows how to curb his enthusiasm.

 

I'd bet my (girlfriend's) mortgage that a decent manager, looking to get back into the game, would not be put off coming to Morton if there was a vacancy.

 

[Malt]

Irons signed or residened a majority of the squad so they are his players. If he felt there were some who would not be pulling their weight then he should have got shot of them.

 

I don't think many managers wanting back int othe game will be put off, they might be able to control Rae and say you stick to sweeties and I will stick to football!

[port-ton]

Rae will not hire anyone who undermines his Authority or control on all club matters.

[WeegieTon]

Can you see players ignoring John Lambie, Jim Jeffries, Craig Levein or a host of other managers too numerous to mention?

The players would be too scared, or have too much respect, or know that they wouldn't play for the club again!

 

There are managers out there who would get the best out of the present squad, a squad which playing to potential could and should comfortably hold its own in the present First Division.

 

However can you see any of these men putting up with interference in playing matters from anyone else?

 

So we didn't appoint one when JM left and unless things change dramatically in the way the club is run we wont when the inevitable happens and DI goes too.

Good points there. We need a strong manager who is not afraid to make his voice felt. Problem is DDFR would never appoint someone like that. He likes them to be his "puppy dogs" and keep them on a short leash. Of the people listed at the time Jim Duffy would have been my choice. Not sure who I want in the job now. I feel sorry for DI though.

[Alibi]

Might help matters if DI just announced that certain players were being transfer listed. Might shock them into line.

[garymcc1874]

He's blaming the players week after week, yet choosing pretty much the same starting 11 every fcking week!!!

 

Change it, and change it dramatically. Get a few U19s up to the squad if you have to, but do something!

 

[JonaTon]

While obviously the players do have to take a lot of the blame and Irons can say they didn't do what he told them to, he should maybe think about his own failings too: putting a central midfielder at right back, a centre back at left back, a rubbish central midfielder at right midfield, a f***knowswhatposition, who offers no end product, at left midfield, and having a strikeforce who are never going to be much of a partnership considering the lack of pace.

 

And I know this is the third thread I've made this point in, but dropping Iain Russell, what an absolutely shocking decision. Take out our most creative player, and surprise surprise, we hardly create anything.

 

 

Can you see players ignoring John Lambie, Jim Jeffries, Craig Levein or a host of other managers too numerous to mention?

The players would be too scared, or have too much respect, or know that they wouldn't play for the club again!

 

There are managers out there who would get the best out of the present squad, a squad which playing to potential could and should comfortably hold its own in the present First Division.

 

However can you see any of these men putting up with interference in playing matters from anyone else?

 

So we didn't appoint one when JM left and unless things change dramatically in the way the club is run we wont when the inevitable happens and DI goes too.

 

Two excellent posts.

 

As Dunning said Irons has made numerous mistakes. At the Q and A last year he said the first thing he noticed about our squad was that it was unbalanced - we needed full-backs. He still hasn't addressed this. We are playing an out of shape midfielder at right-back and a rookie centre-back at left-back. His decision to play Peter Weatherson at the left of three centre-backs against Airdrie was shown up for the awful decision it was. Iain Russell has been one of our best players this season but in an inexplicable move drops him on Saturday and puts in Ryan McGuffie one of the ex-Gretna players who are coming in for so much criticism:

 

Coupled with the Gretna players who came in who would probably be happy playing in the 3rd division id they were still picking up their wage, and Mcmanus who has been a disaster from start to finish and obviously just looking for a big final payday and we're looking at troubles for Morton that go way past who the manager is.

 

If their attitude and effort is so bad why is it Irons can't see it? He plays McGuffie and Paartalu everyweek and even brings them back in at the expense of players who actually do try like Iain Russell. I think you'll also find that Irons signed McManus and thought enough of him to make him club captain.

 

It's also interesting to note that everyone seems to think it's lazy players or troublemakers who aren't putting in the effort and who don't like the manager. Jim McAlister is one of the players you could never accuse of not trying but is one of the players who I've heard put in for a transfer after the Airdrie match.

[big B]

Two excellent posts.

 

It's also interesting to note that everyone seems to think it's lazy players or troublemakers who aren't putting in the effort and who don't like the manager. Jim McAlister is one of the players you could never accuse of not trying but is one of the players who I've heard put in for a transfer after the Airdrie match.

If true maybe because some of the arseholes he is playing with.

[JonaTon]

-->

If true maybe because some of the arseholes he is playing with.

 

Maybe but that's not the impression I'm getting.

 

In the Tele' he recently said: “We have been talking about it and, with the exception of the Airdrie game, we have been losing out by the odd goal, so the boys are pretty upbeat. We are working hard in training and the spirit is good.”

 

http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/articles/2/28795

 

 

[LargsTON]

While obviously the players do have to take a lot of the blame and Irons can say they didn't do what he told them to, he should maybe think about his own failings too: putting a central midfielder at right back, a centre back at left back, a rubbish central midfielder at right midfield, a f***knowswhatposition, who offers no end product, at left midfield, and having a strikeforce who are never going to be much of a partnership considering the lack of pace.

 

And I know this is the third thread I've made this point in, but dropping Iain Russell, what an absolutely shocking decision. Take out our most creative player, and surprise surprise, we hardly create anything.

 

Great post. Totally agree.

[jpmil]

If, and I say if, DI has given instructions to certain players in how he wants them to play and they ignore his instructions WHY should HE take the blame. In fact what he should do is name names and shame the devil.

Cut all the crap about "loyalty" to the players as it would appear that they are showing little loyalty to him.

If players are trying to undermine him, and by ignoring instructions that is exactly they are doing, then they should be dropped but that's when a small squad comes back to haunt manager.

I honestly believe that DI is an honest and hard working guy who is trying to make a good career for himself and he (like us) is being let down by the players.

Let's be honest the additions that he made during the close season seemed to be prety good but somehow things haven't panned out the way I think the majority of us thought.

[Mortonbug]

I think this is a strong manager in terms of his conviction. He wouldn't come out and lie. He gave them instructions, he told them how to approach goal scoring opportunities and they clearly failed, THEY deserved a bollocking. Why else would he keep them in the dressing room for an hour?

 

Now he clearly isn't getting through to them, and good manager or not, if the players are incompetent and don't do what their told, only one person leaves. They are showing no loyalty to him at all, and if your stupid enough to lay ALL the blame at Davie Irons' door, your a moron. He deserves criticism for certain tactical selections, but the team on Saturday should have scored a few times in the half and didn't

 

[Mr Toon]

I think this is a strong manager in terms of his conviction. He wouldn't come out and lie. He gave them instructions, he told them how to approach goal scoring opportunities and they clearly failed, THEY deserved a bollocking. Why else would he keep them in the dressing room for an hour?

Now he clearly isn't getting through to them, and good manager or not, if the players are incompetent and don't do what their told, only one person leaves. They are showing no loyalty to him at all, and if your stupid enough to lay ALL the blame at Davie Irons' door, your a moron. He deserves criticism for certain tactical selections, but the team on Saturday should have scored a few times in the half and didn't

I agree entirely that they if they didn't do what they were told they deserved a bollocking behind closed doors, and I agree also that anyone who lays all the blame at Davie Irons' door isn't thinking straight.

 

Similarly however anyone who lays all the blame on the players and none on the management team isn't thinking straight either, even if that person is the manager himself!

[pgmsc]

Having sat near Irons and co on saturday some of the shouts had to be heard to be believed the only one who offered anything in a positive nature was Wylie . I have sat and stood behind a few managers over the last 40 years and have to say that I have never heard anyone as critical of his own players as Irons . All the shouting came before Ross County scored after which he offered nothing . He picked the team he signed or offered extended contracts to 7. of the starting 11 he is the one who insists the players play the long ball all the time he must take some of the blame but yet again he comes out and blames the players.

[Alibi]

Ok, accepted that DI has made the odd error tactically or in team selection (Peter at left back vs Airdrie, sorted in 35 minutes). I'm sure he would admit to his own mistakes although maybe not in public for obvious reasons, including not giving the opposition any possibly useful insights. However name me one manager who would be getting better results if the players can't hit the net from ten yards out?

 

Sacking DI is a bit like going to the bar on the Titanic and throwing all the ice cubes overboard because the ship has hit an iceberg. It won't help Morton survive. I don't like the current position any more than any of you do, but too many people are simply looking for a scapegoat and ignoring the fact that we have been here about half a dozen times before in the last 7 years. If Alex Ferguson had been Morton manager, he wouldn't have lasted six months before people had wanted him sacked.

 

I say again, DI is not the problem. He may be part of the solution, given time.

[Rhubarb Mess]

Having sat near Irons and co on saturday some of the shouts had to be heard to be believed the only one who offered anything in a positive nature was Wylie . I have sat and stood behind a few managers over the last 40 years and have to say that I have never heard anyone as critical of his own players as Irons . All the shouting came before Ross County scored after which he offered nothing . He picked the team he signed or offered extended contracts to 7. of the starting 11 he is the one who insists the players play the long ball all the time he must take some of the blame but yet again he comes out and blames the players.

 

 

Right we have narrowed it down.

 

Sack everbody, Chairman, co-horts, management, players, groundsman, turnstyle operators, stewards, pie stall keepers, ball boys, polis and the fans. We cannot lose if we do that.

 

I get your drift though, but it all started so well, we have heard all about the friction between management and players and we wonder where its all going wrong.

[Stevie Aitken's Love Child]

Ok, accepted that DI has made the odd error tactically or in team selection (Peter at left back vs Airdrie, sorted in 35 minutes). I'm sure he would admit to his own mistakes although maybe not in public for obvious reasons, including not giving the opposition any possibly useful insights. However name me one manager who would be getting better results if the players can't hit the net from ten yards out?

 

Sacking DI is a bit like going to the bar on the Titanic and throwing all the ice cubes overboard because the ship has hit an iceberg. It won't help Morton survive. I don't like the current position any more than any of you do, but too many people are simply looking for a scapegoat and ignoring the fact that we have been here about half a dozen times before in the last 7 years. If Alex Ferguson had been Morton manager, he wouldn't have lasted six months before people had wanted him sacked.

 

I say again, DI is not the problem. He may be part of the solution, given time.

However we look at it, we are heading for the 2nd division again under Irons and that would be a catastrophe for this club after 4 years of slogging it out down there previously. Will a new manager change that? I don't know, but if we just sit on our hands and keep him in a job now, then we're as well not turning up to another game this season. He just looks like a lost man, and he cut a forlorn figure on that touchline when we went 2-0 down. This is supposed to be the guy with the great management skills, yet he can't even pick himself up.

 

edit for s***e spelling

[Mortonbug]

Having sat near Irons and co on saturday some of the shouts had to be heard to be believed the only one who offered anything in a positive nature was Wylie . I have sat and stood behind a few managers over the last 40 years and have to say that I have never heard anyone as critical of his own players as Irons . All the shouting came before Ross County scored after which he offered nothing . He picked the team he signed or offered extended contracts to 7. of the starting 11 he is the one who insists the players play the long ball all the time he must take some of the blame but yet again he comes out and blames the players.

 

But people got annoyed when McInally came out and took the blame, when we know, sometimes, only sometimes mind, it actually was the players.

 

I think Davie Irons has this month to get us winning, whether he does that is a different matter. But if somebody else comes in with over 20 matches left, we have a chance of avoiding the play-offs again. Getting off bottom first, then we look at the next step.

[theoceanfloor]

I think this is a strong manager in terms of his conviction. He wouldn't come out and lie. He gave them instructions, he told them how to approach goal scoring opportunities and they clearly failed, THEY deserved a bollocking. Why else would he keep them in the dressing room for an hour?

 

Now he clearly isn't getting through to them, and good manager or not, if the players are incompetent and don't do what their told, only one person leaves. They are showing no loyalty to him at all, and if your stupid enough to lay ALL the blame at Davie Irons' door, your a moron. He deserves criticism for certain tactical selections, but the team on Saturday should have scored a few times in the half and didn't

 

 

Perhaps there's a reason for that...