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Match Preview/Thread - Morton vs Kilmarnock (13th November)


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Today was in many ways a free hit. In reality We weren't expecting to win. Taking anything from the game would have been a bonus. Gus should have told the team to get out there, get right in amongst Kilmarnock and give it a real go - which for the first 20 mins or so we did. Totally different game if Ugwus header went in but it didn't and the game was finished by half time. 

That said McPherson's team selection and tactics continue to confuse the fucking life out of me. Strapp at centre back, blues starting over Lyon, muirhead and Oliver as right and left mids. Just pick our strongest 11 and play to our strengths Gus or even better just leave.

There's a storm on the horizon

And for that I can't see the sun

For I'll keep a waiting on the pavement

For the ice cream van to come

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We started well the first 20 mins and had them on the back foot big Ugwu was unlucky with his header. Once they got the 2 goals quickly we were never getting back in it. 

Team selection was odd yet again Lyons out and 4 forwards on the park when they have a good midfield makes no sense. 

Second half was a training session for them and we offered hee haw going forward. 

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44 minutes ago, RossMcC1874 said:

We started well the first 20 mins and had them on the back foot big Ugwu was unlucky with his header. Once they got the 2 goals quickly we were never getting back in it. 

Team selection was odd yet again Lyons out and 4 forwards on the park when they have a good midfield makes no sense. 

Second half was a training session for them and we offered hee haw going forward. 

This is the part I'm not getting. If there's ever a time to field a conservative lineup, it's against a title challenger. Yet at other times we set up to play in such a stuffy and negative way against awful tripe around us in the relegation battle. Seems a bit backwards.

As soon as Burke knew where to run to there was only ever going to be one outcome if we didn't shore up that part of the pitch, and thus it proved. Okay, it's not a huge deal to lose to Killie, who have a much, much better squad than us, but not reacting to the glaring weakness that anyone watching could see is cause for concern.

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I thought we started fairly well, but as soon as Kilmarnock began exploiting that left hand side it was over. Simple moves you could see coming a mile off just dragging us out of shape every single time - and Killie (for the most part) had the quality to exploit it. We’ll be bottom of the league very soon, and it’s richly deserved. 

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Looked at objectively, it’s not an unexpected result, particularly with Oksanen and Mcentee away on international duty. However the team selection was baffling. Lyon dropped for Blues? Crazy. Muirhead wasn’t actually too bad but what was his actual role? Strapp did ok at centreback but why? Ledger should have played there. McPherson is clueless.

On the plus side, Gozie will get us goals if he stays clear of injury. If that means turning draws into wins, we will climb the table. We are no worse than any of the bottom 5 teams, but we are handicapped by clueless hoofball tactics.

"Any nation given the opportunity to regain its national sovereignty and which then rejects it is so far beneath contempt that it is hard to put words to it."

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The alternative to Strapp at centre back was putting him or Russell at right back or bringing Hynes in instead of him, I think that was actually the right call and despite Russell playing himself into trouble a lot with the ball at his feet the back four weren't really an issue today. The left side in particular was a mess not because of anything Strapp or Russell were doing wrong - Strapp had a good game - but the complete lack of protection they had in front of them.

The midfield shape was the source of all our defensive issues yesterday. Starting the game with that shape was one thing, but failing to change it when Kilmarnock started exploiting it and the problems were so obvious is another entirely. You don't even need to be a competent football manager to understand that needed changed, just have a rudimentary understanding of football. Yet MacPherson somehow couldn't figure it out even after we were 2-0 down.

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Oh Lord, Brian Wake

 

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I feel for Jack Hamilton. He has been nothing short of superb for us this season but is let down by poor defending and the managers shite decisions.

Also getting pissed off with Gary Oliver and his constant moaning and going down to easily looking for fouls. There was one point in the first half where a ball was played inside rather than down the line and rather than check his run and make an attempt for it he stopped and moaned at the player who played the pass. That's totally unacceptable.

Strapps attitude is also bothering me. He thinks he's better then he is and swaggers about the pitch like a superstar whereas in reality he has done nothing this season.

There's a storm on the horizon

And for that I can't see the sun

For I'll keep a waiting on the pavement

For the ice cream van to come

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9 minutes ago, standman said:

Gary Oliver is a frustrating footballer.

He never follows up a great game with another good performance.

Seems to play one fantastic match very occasionally is is bang average the rest of the time 

Sums up his career to date. His inability to consistently play up is why he is bouncing around at Morton, for the second time.

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As others have said, we started well but once they scored and Knowles went off it was game over. Players tried hard but were beaten by a better team. Don't get the booing at FT, unless it was solely aimed at Gus.

The atmosphere in the home end of the Cowshed was non-existent, so hopefully puts to bed the idea that we need the fence back etc.

McGhee needs some support, there's no-one backing him up.
Hayes playing it forward, Bell being forced to do it all alone, now forward from Marr, here's Ritchie, still Andy Ritchie, look at the control...

That is a marvellous goal from Andy Ritchie. Twenty minutes on the clock and Morton's supporters come alive. A goal which epitomises the control, the arrogance, the cheek of Andy Ritchie.

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Football for the first 25 minutes was good but as soon as Kilmarnock scored their first, we reverted to hoofball and it seems to be the case whenever an opponent scores against us.  

The midfield was hopeless. Blues has no right playing in this division. Did laugh at hearing the man of the match being given to Kyle Jacobs who I thought was the worst player on the park. I've never been a huge fan of Jacobs in all honesty - I'm still not sure what he actually brings to the team. Perhaps playing as the CDM in a 3-man midfield but he's one of the worst 'footballers' in the side imo. He's got no creativity, he's not very good at the basic passing on the ground, he can't shoot and whenever the ball comes near him he (most of the time) just boots the ball as high and as hard as he can up the pitch. There were a few times yesterday when he was exasperating - plenty time on the ball with nobody around him but he just gives it away so easily. There's probably a role in the team for him as a CDM in a 3-man midfield where he nips in from time to time at someone's feet but should immediately gives it to someone else. Perhaps that's a misuse from Gus on how he's using him but if we're persisting with a 2-man midfield then he shouldn't be starting - Lyon and Oksanen are miles ahead imo. 

We weren't expected to get anything from yesterday and injuries/international duty probably forced most of the team selection so I suppose you could see it as a free hit but they were pretty guff, Burke aside who tore our left hand side to shreds. But McPherson's failure to address that left hand side when it was clear to see we were getting done is managerial negligence. 

He'll get the next few games for definite after last week's result but yesterday was another example that he's tactically not up to the job. 

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Jacobs' distribution of the ball is poor but I dread to think what yesterday's score would have been, had he not been there covering for the absolute nick around him in midfield. He was given far too much to do defensively.

Going forward, our strongest lineup should be something like this:

Hamilton

Ledger McEntee Lithgow Strapp

Lyon (right central midfield) Jacobs Oksanen Russell (left midfield)

Ugwu Knowles (if fit)/Oliver

We've played the likes of Alan Jenkins and Ross Forbes in a similar role to Lyon's before. Having a third player to win the ball in the middle of the park and then provide supporting runs into the box is much more useful than flinging Muirhead or some other jobber on the right wing for symmetry alone. Against weaker sides - if there are any in this division - you could push Russell to left back and play Oliver behind two forwards instead. 

Despite having a reasonable size of squad, we run out of credible options all too quickly and especially in the wide positions. 

The site is supposed to be a place for the extended 'family' of Morton supporters - having an affinity with people that you don't know, because you share a love of your local football club. It's not supposed to be about point scoring and showing how 'clever' or 'funny' you are, or just being downright rude and offensive to people you don't know, because you can get away with it. Unfortunately, it seems the classic case of people who have little standing/presence in real life, use this forum as a way of making themselves feel as if they are something. It's sad, and I've said that before..

 

So, having been on Morton forums for about 15 years I guess, I've had enough... well done t*ssers, another Morton supporter driven away. You can all feel happy at how 'clever' you are

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2 hours ago, vikingTON said:

Jacobs' distribution of the ball is poor but I dread to think what yesterday's score would have been, had he not been there covering for the absolute nick around him in midfield. He was given far too much to do defensively.

Going forward, our strongest lineup should be something like this:

Hamilton

Ledger McEntee Lithgow Strapp

Lyon (right central midfield) Jacobs Oksanen Russell (left midfield)

Ugwu Knowles (if fit)/Oliver

We've played the likes of Alan Jenkins and Ross Forbes in a similar role to Lyon's before. Having a third player to win the ball in the middle of the park and then provide supporting runs into the box is much more useful than flinging Muirhead or some other jobber on the right wing for symmetry alone. Against weaker sides - if there are any in this division - you could push Russell to left back and play Oliver behind two forwards instead. 

Despite having a reasonable size of squad, we run out of credible options all too quickly and especially in the wide positions. 

That's our strongest 11 right there. He needs to stop fucking about and get this done.

There's a storm on the horizon

And for that I can't see the sun

For I'll keep a waiting on the pavement

For the ice cream van to come

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The alternative to that shape would be pretty much the same personnel but with a 4-3-3/4-3-2-1 that could turn into a 4-5-1 defensively, with Russell on the left and one of McGrattan, Oliver, Allan or Muirhead on the right. McGrattan would be the best option for that just now IMO.

Maybe that risks leaving Ugwu isolated, but if an insistence on giving him a partner leads to Reilly getting on the park he's effectively on his own anyway.

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Brian Wake my Lord, Brian Wake

Oh Lord, Brian Wake

 

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1 hour ago, dunning1874 said:

The alternative to that shape would be pretty much the same personnel but with a 4-3-3/4-3-2-1 that could turn into a 4-5-1 defensively, with Russell on the left and one of McGrattan, Oliver, Allan or Muirhead on the right. 

^^^ Jim McInally found

The site is supposed to be a place for the extended 'family' of Morton supporters - having an affinity with people that you don't know, because you share a love of your local football club. It's not supposed to be about point scoring and showing how 'clever' or 'funny' you are, or just being downright rude and offensive to people you don't know, because you can get away with it. Unfortunately, it seems the classic case of people who have little standing/presence in real life, use this forum as a way of making themselves feel as if they are something. It's sad, and I've said that before..

 

So, having been on Morton forums for about 15 years I guess, I've had enough... well done t*ssers, another Morton supporter driven away. You can all feel happy at how 'clever' you are

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