Underachievers XI

[Tubes]

Ross Forbes is a good shout. That left foot was unbelievable / still is to a degree at Junior(?) level. 

[The Bewilderedbeast]

1 hour ago, TRVMP said:

Someone mentioned Paul McGowan earlier and I think that's a good call. He did go on to have a good appearance record in the top flight but when he first broke through with us he was absolutely dominant in the third tier and then looked great in the second as well, I think he could have kicked on significantly more than he did rather than fannying about at Dundee and Ross County he could have been at a Hearts or Hibs. 

Declan McManus in the same boat

[TAFKAC]

11 minutes ago, The Bewilderedbeast said:

Declan McManus in the same boat

I'm sure he was thinking the same last season when he was playing in Florence against Fiorentina.  I'd have him down as one who overachieved.  

[Toby]

28 minutes ago, TAFKAC said:

I'm sure he was thinking the same last season when he was playing in Florence against Fiorentina.  I'd have him down as one who overachieved.  

That was pretty much by default though- there are teams from leagues such as Latvia, The Faroes, Northern Ireland getting into the group stages of the Conference League, so a Welsh team was going to get into one day.

And I wouldn’t say scoring a shit-ton in the Welsh League counts for too much. See: Davies, Jordan.

[Hej]

6 hours ago, BishopBrennan said:

Here's my XI as things stand: 

X 

Weatherson Shimmin Medou-Otye X 

X Tidser McLaren

Quitongo Thomas Williams

Okay yes, I'm cheating a bit by sticking Weatherson at right back, but it's my ball so it's my rules.

Controversial one here perhaps...

 

Lewis Strapp for left-back? I think most of us would have predicted him being in the Premiership at this stage of his career, not playing for Airdrie

[Hej]

Ross Forbes is a harsh one. I'd put him more in the unlucky category. Unlucky in that he was just blessed with an extremely unathletic build to go with his talent.

[Cet Homme Charmant]

22 minutes ago, Hej said:

Lewis Strapp for left-back? I think most of us would have predicted him being in the Premiership at this stage of his career, not playing for Airdrie

I got some pelters on here for suggesting Lewis' relative lack of height for a defender could make it difficult for him to progress beyond Championship level. I don't claim I have the footballing knowledge to say that the definitive reason his career has stalled and perhaps even has regressed, but I still firmly believe that it's at least a partial explanation

[AyrshireTon]

On 7/10/2025 at 9:58 PM, Stevie Aitken's Love Child said:

I have a memory of Ferguson scoring in the 6-2 defeat at Inverness which signalled the end of Billy Stark's reign as manager 

Paul Hartley and Harry Curran scored our goals that day.

I can find no record of Ferguson scoring for us at all, unless he took a penalty in the shoot-out at Dunfermline.

[vikingTON]

Quitongo never had a reliable end product and has chocolate hamstrings. That's not underachievement in my book - his (reasonable enough) career can be explained by those two issues alone. 

[Nornirontons]

Biggest underachiever who came through the Morton system right from the start has to be Kevin McGoldrick!! 

Played @ nearly all levels for Scotland @ underage, had the hype but never ever looked like he was going to live up to the potential and expectations others had. Even despite what the clear arm around the shoulder tactics McGraw gave the boy.

 

Was sad to see imho

Edited July 14 by Nornirontons

[Alan_Partridge_Ton]

Rowan Vine and Andre Boe.

[macca937]

Michael Deeney. Maurice George ? 

[Greacen2000]

On 7/11/2025 at 3:54 PM, BishopBrennan said:

Here's my XI as things stand: 

X 

Weatherson Shimmin Medou-Otye X 

X Tidser McLaren

Quitongo Thomas Williams

Okay yes, I'm cheating a bit by sticking Weatherson at right back, but it's my ball so it's my rules.

Looking back through this thread and decided to bump it with a few more suggestions for the remaining slots

GK - I was thinking Boswell as I remember thinking he was excellent but he was only here for a very short spell and my memory of that time is somewhat foggy.  May I suggest Jack Hamilton?  Represented Scotland at every level up to U21 and was very highly rated when he first came through at hearts, but since 2016-17 he has only really had 1 full season as 1st choice where he has found good form (the season he was with us).  Now aged 31, he has spent the last 3 years rotting away as backup keeper at Livi & Ross County so definite contender IMO

LB - what about Strapp?  I know he is still a young guy but aged 25 his career is nowhere near what I would have predicted.  None of the big moves which were mooted to the likes of Killie ever materialized and his time in Finland didn't exactly take his career to the next level either.  I would say that playing for Airdrie at this stage in his career is underachieving.  It is a great shame as he is a player I always liked & was very disappointed to see go.  Unfortunately I think his career up to this point has been held back by a combination of injury, bad decisions & whatever the issue was between him & the gaffer.

RM - I have a couple of suggestions from around the same era

Ross Matheson.  Looked a class act(albeit raw) when he came in from Rangers and clearly had bags of talent.  He played a lot of games during his time with us but never really developed into the star player in the way I thought he would when he first joined.  The mitigating factors which contributed to his personal & professional downfall after leaving us are well documented, and for that I have a lot of sympathy for him & hope he has managed to get his life back on track.  Nonetheless still a clear case of unfulfilled potential.

or...

Paul Blair.  Looked very promising when he first came into the team under McGraw.  I remember at the time of McInnes leaving, Mcgraw was talking Blair up as "the new Derek McInnes".  He was only 19 or 20 at the time and was never a McInnes type player.  This sort of pressure/expectation probably didn't do him any favours at such a young age and maybe we didn't manage him properly.  For whatever the reasons he never fully established himself here, then after leaving his career continued to decline.

[irnbru]

Jamie Stevenson been mentioned yet? Played with Mallorca and had really high hopes for him but went on to have a pretty average career. 

[TRVMP]

26 minutes ago, irnbru said:

Jamie Stevenson been mentioned yet? Played with Mallorca and had really high hopes for him but went on to have a pretty average career. 

Mallorca B, in fairness.

Yeah, talented player but poor attitude, and could only ever be a big fish in a small pond so he could never quite advance.

[Nornirontons]

16 hours ago, Greacen2000 said:

Looking back through this thread and decided to bump it with a few more suggestions for the remaining slots

GK - I was thinking Boswell as I remember thinking he was excellent but he was only here for a very short spell and my memory of that time is somewhat foggy.  May I suggest Jack Hamilton?  Represented Scotland at every level up to U21 and was very highly rated when he first came through at hearts, but since 2016-17 he has only really had 1 full season as 1st choice where he has found good form (the season he was with us).  Now aged 31, he has spent the last 3 years rotting away as backup keeper at Livi & Ross County so definite contender IMO

LB - what about Strapp?  I know he is still a young guy but aged 25 his career is nowhere near what I would have predicted.  None of the big moves which were mooted to the likes of Killie ever materialized and his time in Finland didn't exactly take his career to the next level either.  I would say that playing for Airdrie at this stage in his career is underachieving.  It is a great shame as he is a player I always liked & was very disappointed to see go.  Unfortunately I think his career up to this point has been held back by a combination of injury, bad decisions & whatever the issue was between him & the gaffer.

RM - I have a couple of suggestions from around the same era

Ross Matheson.  Looked a class act(albeit raw) when he came in from Rangers and clearly had bags of talent.  He played a lot of games during his time with us but never really developed into the star player in the way I thought he would when he first joined.  The mitigating factors which contributed to his personal & professional downfall after leaving us are well documented, and for that I have a lot of sympathy for him & hope he has managed to get his life back on track.  Nonetheless still a clear case of unfulfilled potential.

or...

Paul Blair.  Looked very promising when he first came into the team under McGraw.  I remember at the time of McInnes leaving, Mcgraw was talking Blair up as "the new Derek McInnes".  He was only 19 or 20 at the time and was never a McInnes type player.  This sort of pressure/expectation probably didn't do him any favours at such a young age and maybe we didn't manage him properly.  For whatever the reasons he never fully established himself here, then after leaving his career continued to decline.

Bit unfair on Blair imho. When you consider YAC gave us John Anderson and Craig McPherson in that era. Blair was a very skillful winger but did I see him going on like afore mentioned.... absolutely not!!!! Should've been a John McNeil player.....but then McNeils under achievement is well documented and largely not his own doing tbf.

In that era we did have an embarrassment of riches from McInnes and Mahood Hopkin and so on.... funnily enough no-one has mentioned Alec(or Alex CBA looking it up)McEwan. Was as close to Dougie Robertson as we had in hold up play and natural ability in a forward as we'd seen for several years but then with Mathie and Lilley's emergence he disappeared off face of earth. Saw him on post recently(pic) and always scored against Dunfermline iirc....he was around Mark McGraw era iirc(could be corrected again CBA)....think he's 1 who now will be looking now on a couch somewhere saying t kids I could've and should've

Had a shed load of ability and would be interested to hear what like of McInnes Hopkin and Mahood have to say now about him back then tbh.

Seems we're now looking much further afield and not taking full advantage of whats underneath our noses anymore especially when you look @ recent recruitment which imho is a sad amendment of where we once were....someone somewhere will hopefully wake up and smell the coffee.....we need to get a proper scout in place locally again and get the rough diamonds we did recruit @ 16-20 who were overlooked and playing boys/youth football locally otherwise they will continue as they have done for a long long time to falling through the net without a soul knowing . I don't think we did to bad on that front in past and there is absolutely no reason with the right eyes in place we can't do the same again imho.

The modern day manager though??? 

I'm well versed in the Tommy Turner story for him turning out in a field 1 week doing 1 training session with McGraw and Morrison back then getting signed and starting the next game.

McGraw went in for alot of players of that kind. Numerous just didn't  to play and were happy where they were even with his interest which always amazes me as surely you wanna play to your ability.(Probably my lack of ability shows though )....but obviously everyone has their own stories and I'm sure there being told about when Morton came calling

In this era however .......even where you consider where Dougie started from.... canny see him having baws t do that tbh. No matter if he was told they were better than he was. VT and many more would have a field day if they didn't hit the ground running...3 games in with 2 left feet they'd be curtains ......1 year later their worth 6 figures though all would be forgotten

Granted not local(can only imagine if he was) Grimshaw made so many people in that regard look like total fuds on this forum....it was priceless  

Edited July 26 by Nornirontons

[Cet Homme Charmant]

The thing that used to bug the tits off me in the McGraw era was that he was never out of the papers trying to flog our best players. I understand back then that's how we operated, but IMO the manager shouldn't have been taking an active part in touting them. His job was to build a team, not help dismantle it. 

A good example was Tommy Turner. He was a very decent, hard-working midfielder. Probably nowadays you'd consider him to be higher Championship/lower Premiership level. Yet if you read McGraw in the papers you'd be forgiven for thinking he was describing Roberto Baggio. I remember one particular article in the Record (I think, might have been the Evening Times) where he was coming out with stuff like 'he's way too good for Morton' and 'we'll never be able to hold on to him'. Touting the fuck out of him he was. To me that just showed a complete lack of ambition. A proper manager should have been doing everything he could to hold on to him, not actively help in trying to get him out the door.

Edited July 26 by Cet Homme Charmant

[Mr.Blue]

6 hours ago, Nornirontons said:

Bit unfair on Blair imho. When you consider YAC gave us John Anderson and Craig McPherson in that era. Blair was a very skillful winger but did I see him going on like afore mentioned.... absolutely not!!!! Should've been a John McNeil player.....but then McNeils under achievement is well documented and largely not his own doing tbf.

In that era we did have an embarrassment of riches from McInnes and Mahood Hopkin and so on.... funnily enough no-one has mentioned Alec(or Alex CBA looking it up)McEwan. Was as close to Dougie Robertson as we had in hold up play and natural ability in a forward as we'd seen for several years but then with Mathie and Lilley's emergence he disappeared off face of earth. Saw him on post recently(pic) and always scored against Dunfermline iirc....he was around Mark McGraw era iirc(could be corrected again CBA)....think he's 1 who now will be looking now on a couch somewhere saying t kids I could've and should've

Had a shed load of ability and would be interested to hear what like of McInnes Hopkin and Mahood have to say now about him back then tbh.

Seems we're now looking much further afield and not taking full advantage of whats underneath our noses anymore especially when you look @ recent recruitment which imho is a sad amendment of where we once were....someone somewhere will hopefully wake up and smell the coffee.....we need to get a proper scout in place locally again and get the rough diamonds we did recruit @ 16-20 who were overlooked and playing boys/youth football locally otherwise they will continue as they have done for a long long time to falling through the net without a soul knowing . I don't think we did to bad on that front in past and there is absolutely no reason with the right eyes in place we can't do the same again imho.

The modern day manager though??? 

I'm well versed in the Tommy Turner story for him turning out in a field 1 week doing 1 training session with McGraw and Morrison back then getting signed and starting the next game.

McGraw went in for alot of players of that kind. Numerous just didn't  to play and were happy where they were even with his interest which always amazes me as surely you wanna play to your ability.(Probably my lack of ability shows though )....but obviously everyone has their own stories and I'm sure there being told about when Morton came calling

In this era however .......even where you consider where Dougie started from.... canny see him having baws t do that tbh. No matter if he was told they were better than he was. VT and many more would have a field day if they didn't hit the ground running...3 games in with 2 left feet they'd be curtains ......1 year later their worth 6 figures though all would be forgotten

Granted not local(can only imagine if he was) Grimshaw made so many people in that regard look like total fuds on this forum....it was priceless  

Not sure what the point is re Grimmy? I don't remember any negativity at all when he signed. Quite the opposite in fact.

[vikingTON]

7 hours ago, Nornirontons said:

Seems we're now looking much further afield and not taking full advantage of whats underneath our noses anymore especially when you look @ recent recruitment which imho is a sad amendment of where we once were....someone somewhere will hopefully wake up and smell the coffee.....we need to get a proper scout in place locally again and get the rough diamonds we did recruit @ 16-20 who were overlooked and playing boys/youth football locally otherwise they will continue as they have done for a long long time to falling through the net without a soul knowing . I don't think we did to bad on that front in past and there is absolutely no reason with the right eyes in place we can't do the same again imho.

Your 'honest opinion' omits some rather key facts:

1) The revolutionary impact of the Bosman ruling (30 fucking years ago - understand this by now).

2) The impact of 'Project Brave' in deliberately tilting the lion's sgare of external funding at youth level to 'elite' setups.

3) The presence of at least half a dozen clubs now scouring and stockpiling prospects from a very accessible local catchment area, from age 10 upwards at the latest, and

4) Plummeting youth age cohorts in an area of demographic collapse. 

But other than these enormous structural factors, there's absolutely no difference between your Hovis-themed nostalgiafest for McGraw and Paul Blair and the present day reality. Championship standard players (like who?) just endlessly fall through the cracks at Greenock High and other amateur outfits because of a) big bad managers and b) big bad 'boo boys'. 

[irnbru]

4 hours ago, Mr.Blue said:

Not sure what the point is re Grimmy? I don't remember any negativity at all when he signed. Quite the opposite in fact.

His debut was terrible - could have been hooked at half time. Don't think anyone said much other than he didn't look fit and any criticism didn't last much more than that.