Next Season

[Doc]

My second controversial post of the morning - I'd keep most of the squad. Frankly, taking a more balanced view than is easy after Saturday's game, I reckon most of the squad have some potential - our biggest problems have been caused by an unlucky run of injuries (how many defenders can you lose to injury in one season?) compounded by probably having too small a squad overall.

 

A few players will leave, and a few will be allowed to go, but I still believe the basic core is there. And I'm totally fed up of the squad being in upheaval every year - that can't help things, and frankly as a fan I find it difficult to engage with a complete squad of strangers every summer. Some continuity would be good.

 

I'd say we need to add about four good players (one in each of keeper and defence, two in midfield) plus a few rising stars to pad out the bench, and clear out enough to make space for that to happen. That probably means the following going for one reason or another: McGinley, McCaffrey, DiGiacomo (unless he can recapture his earlier form), Young (if he remains injury prone). I suspect others might go (eg MacDonald) in which case they need to be replaced like-for-like. I hope we're in the queue at Murray Park for some Rangers youngsters.

 

Gotta agree here. The injury to McCaffrey was a pivotal point in the season and the beginning of the slide from the top half of the table...unfortunately, the players attitudes seemed to also follow.

 

However, seeing the progression of youth players into the first team is a significant plus. I'd rather see more guys like Campbell and O'Ware given the nod next season than a bunch of experienced (aka more expensive) journeymen being signed during the off-season. A mixture of quality youth players and experienced guys in key positions looks like being the most affordable approach for Morton now. The system worked for McGraw and can still work now.

 

[vikingTON]

I'd rather see more guys like Campbell and O'Ware given the nod next season than a bunch of experienced (aka more expensive) journeymen being signed during the off-season. A mixture of quality youth players and experienced guys in key positions looks like being the most affordable approach for Morton now. The system worked for McGraw and can still work now.

 

Campbell yes, but O'Ware shouldn't be playing first team football. He's either not ready now, or just not good enough, but we really suffer from having no decent full-backs.

[stubaws]

I genuinely wouldn't be remotely bothered if all but Evans and O'Brien ****ed off. This current mob are rotten as a unit, I'm sick to death of reaching roughly this stage of a season and just wishing it would finish and we could ship out a host of wasters. I'd happily lose Moore too, his team is a spineless, aimless mess, I really don't know what he's trying to achieve, but whatever it is it isn't working and there's no signs at all that he can fix it.

 

I'm not sure what O'Brien done particularly wrong yesterday either, he put in a few decent crosses, the problem was more than McDonald couldn't be arsed attacking them. He can be the first one to sling his hook, his ability could have him playing anywhere he wanted if he wasn't such a spineless, workshy tit.

I'm totally scunnered with Morton, it's the same old s***e every season.

 

pretty much how i'm feeling just now having let myself get my hopes up earlier in the season.

 

i'd definitely want to keep evans and probably smyth, whilst i think forsyth at least adds balance to the defence with a natural left back in there (he's not the greatest but at least he knows his role). I'm not sure what o'ware's position is yet but he should be kept. tidser needs an older pro (someone like young!!) next to him in there alongside fred. i'd take the captaincy off him too and just let him get on with his own game. o'brien has to stay, he had a stinker on saturday but for a winger (generally the most frustrating and inconsistent players) he has had a very good season. i'd like to see weatherson, jackson and campbell here next season and would get shot of mcdonald as moore seems to be afraid to sub him and his wage will be one of the highest.

 

with current squad i'd line us up as follows:

 

Stewart

O'Ware-Evans-Smyth-Forsyth

Fred-Young-Tidser

Campbell-Weatherson-O'Brien

 

i think that's a pretty good team, the only issue is the lack of alternatives on the bench who could keep these guys on their toes.

[garymcc1874]

We're going absolutely nowhere if Peter Weatherson is heading the attack! Or if we keep Clownshoes.

[TONofmemories]

We're going absolutely nowhere if Peter Weatherson is heading the attack! Or if we keep Clownshoes.

So you're telling me that we wouldn't be stronger if we had Weatherson in a front 3?

He made our attacking line look much more lively when he went up top on saturday.

[garymcc1874]

So you're telling me that we wouldn't be stronger if we had Weatherson in a front 3?

 

Yes.

[TONofmemories]

Yes.

That just about sums you up. Footballing knowledge of next to zero.

[garymcc1874]

That just about sums you up. Footballing knowledge of next to zero.

 

 

I'm not overly critical of Weatherson like some but it beggars belief that there are still folk who want him at Cappielow next season.

[TONofmemories]

 

I'm not overly critical of Weatherson like some but it beggars belief that there are still folk who want him at Cappielow next season.

Why wouldn't you want him at Cappielow?

[astuartm]

Why wouldn't you want him at Cappielow?

 

A player that is willing to play right back, centre back, centre forward.. ie: an all round utility player who can score a few goals. yes I would keep. He is as good as anyone we have up front just now and has a good footballing brain which allows him to play anywhere. I couldn't see MacDonald or Jackson be willing to play at the back if other players are out due to injury. It's not his fault the injuries..

 

[stubaws]

 

I'm not overly critical of Weatherson like some but it beggars belief that there are still folk who want him at Cappielow next season.

 

I'm sorry but I absolutely do not understand your point at all? he has filled in for us across the back on countless occasions and made the defence more solid if anything (classic example would be the cup game at Raith in January). Then you have his natural position as a striker who can hold the ball up and win things in the air (none of our other strikers can do this).

 

I thought Peter should have left a while ago before signing his new contract however since then it's still abundantly clear that he is one of the best footballers in our team and offers more options to us (Moore barely has a plan B as it is!!) so i think we must keep him unless there is someone else out there better that we could get (I won't hold my breath)

[Colkitto]

Hope Weatherson is here next season. Infact where would we and Moore be without him this season?

 

I'd imagine he's on a very decent wage at the moment. If he's willing to take a wage cut then keep him. If he's not then he may move on...

[TONofmemories]

I'm sorry but I absolutely do not understand your point at all? he has filled in for us across the back on countless occasions and made the defence more solid if anything (classic example would be the cup game at Raith in January). Then you have his natural position as a striker who can hold the ball up and win things in the air (none of our other strikers can do this).

 

I thought Peter should have left a while ago before signing his new contract however since then it's still abundantly clear that he is one of the best footballers in our team and offers more options to us (Moore barely has a plan B as it is!!) so i think we must keep him unless there is someone else out there better that we could get (I won't hold my breath)

Agree in entirity.

[cornbeef]

I'm sorry but I absolutely do not understand your point at all? he has filled in for us across the back on countless occasions and made the defence more solid if anything (classic example would be the cup game at Raith in January). Then you have his natural position as a striker who can hold the ball up and win things in the air (none of our other strikers can do this).

 

I thought Peter should have left a while ago before signing his new contract however since then it's still abundantly clear that he is one of the best footballers in our team and offers more options to us (Moore barely has a plan B as it is!!) so i think we must keep him unless there is someone else out there better that we could get (I won't hold my breath)

 

 

Exactly... and didn't he lay on the goal for O'bri on Saturday ? He had a longish period of injury and he's worked hard to get fit again. It would be crazy to let a player with his skill and versatility go. I'm glad to see there are others who can appreciate the guy.

 

 

 

 

[Guest David Edwards]

Exactly... and didn't he lay on the goal for O'bri on Saturday ? He had a longish period of injury and he's worked hard to get fit again. It would be crazy to let a player with his skill and versatility go. I'm glad to see there are others who can appreciate the guy.

 

Agreed. Admittedly I've not been his biggest fan but in comparison to the rest of the current squad he's a stand out, and still one of the best players we have. There must be others in front of him in the move-on queue surely.

[TONofmemories]

Exactly... and didn't he lay on the goal for O'bri on Saturday ? He had a longish period of injury and he's worked hard to get fit again. It would be crazy to let a player with his skill and versatility go. I'm glad to see there are others who can appreciate the guy.

Exactly, how can anyone not appreciate his contribution to the club not only this season, but over the years. Over 100 goals for the club is an achievement to behold in itself. Hes filled in when we are at the bare bones. Guys like VikingTON and garymcc1874 are being harsh, both ought to remember exactly what he IS doing and has done for the club.

[dunning1874]

So you're telling me that we wouldn't be stronger if we had Weatherson in a front 3?

He made our attacking line look much more lively when he went up top on saturday.

 

He's fourth choice striker for a reason: the other three are better than him.

 

He did play well when he went up front on Saturday, but having a good fifteen minutes doesn't mean he should be starting.

 

A player that is willing to play right back, centre back, centre forward.. ie: an all round utility player who can score a few goals. yes I would keep. He is as good as anyone we have up front just now and has a good footballing brain which allows him to play anywhere. I couldn't see MacDonald or Jackson be willing to play at the back if other players are out due to injury. It's not his fault the injuries..

 

Utter nonsense I'm afraid. He also can't score a few goals any more. He's useful to have to hold the ball up when we're hanging onto a lead, but if we need a goal he's the last one of our strikers I'd want on the pitch, even considering his excellent bit of play that led to our goal on Saturday.

 

I'm sorry but I absolutely do not understand your point at all? he has filled in for us across the back on countless occasions and made the defence more solid if anything (classic example would be the cup game at Raith in January). Then you have his natural position as a striker who can hold the ball up and win things in the air (none of our other strikers can do this).

 

I thought Peter should have left a while ago before signing his new contract however since then it's still abundantly clear that he is one of the best footballers in our team and offers more options to us (Moore barely has a plan B as it is!!) so i think we must keep him unless there is someone else out there better that we could get (I won't hold my breath)

 

Eh, no he hasn't. I'm not having a go at him as it's not his fault Moore's picking him in defence, but he simply isn't good enough there. He's far too slow, and not being a natural centre back or full back he doesn't have the positional sense to cover for it. We've been caught out a few times because of it against Partick and against Hamilton.

 

I'm not entirely averse to the idea of keeping him because I very much doubt we'll find a better striker to be fourth choice, but he's clearly not good enough in defence to play there regularly and he quite simply isn't as good a player as Campbell, MacDonald or Jackson.

[Guest David Edwards]

Exactly, how can anyone not appreciate his contribution to the club not only this season, but over the years. Over 100 goals for the club is an achievement to behold in itself. Hes filled in when we are at the bare bones. Guys like VikingTON and garymcc1874 are being harsh, both ought to remember exactly what he IS doing and has done for the club.

 

For me the disappointment springs from when you think about how much bigger and better a contribution he could've made, how many more goals he could've scored, if he had applied himself properly and realised his full potential in the past. Having said that, if he had done so, he wouldn't have stayed with us for so long. But that's by the bye now, and as you say, 100 goals is an achievement 'to behold in itself'.

[dunning1874]

Agreed. Admittedly I've not been his biggest fan but in comparison to the rest of the current squad he's a stand out and still one of the best players we have. There must be others in front of him in the move-on queue surely.

 

I'm sorry? Last time I checked this isn't 2007. He's nowhere near the best player we have; he is the fourth choice centre forward because the other three centre forwards are better than him.

 

I'm not disputing that Weatherson has made a contribution over his time at the club, but he's past his prime and is quite rightly now only a fringe player.

[astuartm]

He's fourth choice striker for a reason: the other three are better than him.

Peter Macdonald has not scored in the League since September. In that time he has played in every game for ninety minutes.. That's a lot of football for our first choice striker not to have scored... In that time Peter W. has been played as a sub or at the back most of the time has scored two..

 

He did play well when he went up front on Saturday, but having a good fifteen minutes doesn't mean he should be starting. But playing 1530 mins as top striker without scoring does??

 

Utter nonsense I'm afraid. He also can't score a few goals any more.but 1530 mins without scoring means you can?? He's useful to have to hold the ball up when we're hanging onto a lead, but if we need a goal he's the last one of our strikers I'd want on the pitch, even considering his excellent bit of play that led to our goal on Saturday. again ..

 

Eh, no he hasn't. I'm not having a go at him ?? as it's not his fault Moore's picking him in defence, but he simply isn't good enough there. He's far too slow, and not being a natural centre back or full back he doesn't have the positional sense to cover for it. We've been caught out a few times because of it against Partick and against Hamilton. True.. but at least he was willing to play there when there was nobody else.. Would any other of our strikers be capable or willing to do that..?

 

I'm not entirely averse to the idea of keeping him because I very much doubt we'll find a better striker to be fourth choice, but he's clearly not good enough in defence to play there regularly and he quite simply isn't as good a player as Campbell, MacDonald 1530 mins without scoring or Jackson.