Ultimate Imrie XI

[Greacen2000]

Reflecting on Imries time at Morton, a lot was made about how he had a real knack of improving players, attracting guys whose careers had stalled & helping them turn things around etc.  On the flipside, he had more than his fair share of awful signings. Another recurring theme was that every summer he would lose his best players and have to do a rebuild. 

This got me thinking about what would our best possible team look like if we had been able to hold onto all our best players each season during Imries time here.  This then led onto me having a go at doing the opposite - what is the ultimate rogues gallery of crap Imrie signings

 

Imrie Ultimate XI - I have included Blues & Muirhead here who were both already at the club when Imrie joined, but I think they deserve their slots as he totally transformed both of them into key players for us when at his time of joining most fans would have been happy to see them gone.  Strapp was already here too but has to be in here as he was such a key player for us (and also did sign again for the 2nd time while Imrie was in charge)

Ryan Mullen

Liam Grimshaw

Jack Baird

Darragh O'Connor

Lewis Strapp

Iain Wilson

Aaron Lyall

Cameron Blues

Robbie Crawford

Robbie Muirhead

George Oakley

Honorable mentions -

Jamie Brandon - was great but is never getting in ahead of Grimshaw
Calvin Miller - took quite a few games to find form then left us as soon as he could so we didn't really have a long enough spell seeing the best of him - also not really a place for a winger in the way I have lined up here
Oisin Mcentee - I really liked him when he played for us, and his career since leaving shows how good a player he is, but is just pipped by O'Connor who I think did a bit more during his time with us
Kris Moore - looks like he could be a real find, but doesn't make the cut as he hasn't played as many games as the guys I selected
Schwake, Hamilton & Storer - all excellent goalies for us so this slot could just as easily have went to any one of them

 

 

Imrie worst XI - unless I am mistaken, these were all signed while Imrie was manager.

Jamie Macdonald

Carlo Pignatello      

Sonny Hart     

Kirk Broadfoot        

Calum Waters

Austin Samuels

Ali Crawford(1st spell)    

Niall McGinn

Ally Roy

JET      

Steven Boyd

 

Honorable mentions -

Davies - Clearly wasn't good enough, but was worth a punt having scored so many goals in the Welsh league
Reynolds - Per Davies, not good enough but other players from the same (and lower) levels have come up here and done very well, so worth a punt

O’halloran - was originally in the starting XI but played his way out of it with the winner against Queen’s Park. was maybe a bit harsh having him in there in the first place as I think he was mainly brought in to help on the coaching side.  My frustration with him was that Imrie continually doubled down on playing him every week when he was clearly struggling (another hallmark of Imries time here)
Woods - I know he would be a lot of folks first pick for GK, but as I understand it he was mainly brought in to help with coaching & as cover.  He also only played a handful of games so I think Macdonald is more deserving.
Bearne - Showed glimpses of quality but didn't do enough to make his mark.  I think it would have been harsh to include him in the starting XI because he was never a stand out awful performer, and looking at his time with us he mostly made sub appearances of 15-20 mins here & there so arguably never got a real chance

Edited December 6, 2025 by Greacen2000

[dunning1874]

I think I'm correct in this being the full list of players who played under Imrie, can argue the position for some but there are so many wingers/anywhere behind the striker types they're worth their own category rather than being listed together with the strikers.

Goalkeepers: Jack Hamilton, Brian Schwake, Jamie MacDonald, Ryan Mullen, Lewis Budinauckas, Gary Woods, Sam Murdoch, Jimmy Storer

Defenders: Jack Baird, Brian McLean, Lewis Strapp, Darren Hynes, Michael Ledger, Jamie Brandon, Alan Lithgow, Oisin McEntee, Mark Russell, Efe Ambrose, Liam Grimshaw, Darragh O'Connor, Carlo Pignatiello, Calum Waters, Kirk Broadfoot, Tyler French, Cammy Ballantyne, Morgan Boyes, Dylan Corr, Zak Delaney, Aaron Comrie, Sonny Hart, Jackson Longridge, Kris Moore

Midfielders: Cammy Blues, Kyle Jacobs, Reece Lyon, Alex King, Iain Wilson, Grant Gillespie, Robbie Crawford, Ali Crawford, Matthew Davidson, Logan O'Boy, Alan Power, Arron Lyall, Cammy MacPherson, Kerr Robertson, Kian Taylor

Wingers/forwards: Lewis McGrattan, Robbie Muirhead, Gary Oliver, Michael Garrity, Lewis McGregor, Jaze Kabia, Calvin Miller, Jai Quitongo, Ally Roy, Jack Bearne, Steven Boyd, Jordan Davies, Niall McGinn, Owen Moffat, Lamar Reynolds, Austin Samuels, Nathan Shaw, Zak McKay, Michael O'Halloran

Strikers: Zander Easdale, Gavin Reilly, Gozie Ugwu, George Oakley, Cameron Keay, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Filip Stuparevic, Tomi Adeloye, Eamonn Brophy

Best XI, 4-2-3-1:

GK Mullen
RB Brandon
LB Strapp
CB Baird
CB McEntee
CM Wilson
CM Grimshaw
AM R. Crawford
LM Muirhead
RM but tucking inside Blues
ST Oakley

Wanted to keep that mostly to Imrie's own signings, but Strapp is obviously levels above Waters & Delaney, Blues & Muirhead had to be there for how Imrie improved them and McEntee was just too good to leave out. Grimshaw obviously spent most of his time at right back but had to include both Grimshaw and Brandon. If I was dropping McEntee it'd probably be Moore replacing him.

Worst XI, 4-1-3-2:

GK Woods
RB French
CB Broadfoot
CB Corr
LB Waters
DM Power
LM Boyd
AM McGinn
RM Samuels
ST Emmanuel-Thomas
ST Roy

There are a couple of worse players that he inherited in there, but keeping it to his own signings all of them deserve a place. Power did at least have a couple of months of decent form but was never even as good mediocre outwith that spell and was terrible more often than he was fine, while Waters is just the poorest of only three options. The rest were completely hopeless.

[Charles_Joe]

1 hour ago, dunning1874 said:

I think I'm correct in this being the full list of players who played under Imrie, can argue the position for some but there are so many wingers/anywhere behind the striker types they're worth their own category rather than being listed together with the strikers.

Goalkeepers: Jack Hamilton, Brian Schwake, Jamie MacDonald, Ryan Mullen, Lewis Budinauckas, Gary Woods, Sam Murdoch, Jimmy Storer

Defenders: Jack Baird, Brian McLean, Lewis Strapp, Darren Hynes, Michael Ledger, Jamie Brandon, Alan Lithgow, Oisin McEntee, Mark Russell, Efe Ambrose, Liam Grimshaw, Darragh O'Connor, Carlo Pignatiello, Calum Waters, Kirk Broadfoot, Tyler French, Cammy Ballantyne, Morgan Boyes, Dylan Corr, Zak Delaney, Aaron Comrie, Sonny Hart, Jackson Longridge, Kris Moore

Midfielders: Cammy Blues, Kyle Jacobs, Reece Lyon, Alex King, Iain Wilson, Grant Gillespie, Robbie Crawford, Ali Crawford, Matthew Davidson, Logan O'Boy, Alan Power, Arron Lyall, Cammy MacPherson, Kerr Robertson, Kian Taylor

Wingers/forwards: Lewis McGrattan, Robbie Muirhead, Gary Oliver, Michael Garrity, Lewis McGregor, Jaze Kabia, Calvin Miller, Jai Quitongo, Ally Roy, Jack Bearne, Steven Boyd, Jordan Davies, Niall McGinn, Owen Moffat, Lamar Reynolds, Austin Samuels, Nathan Shaw, Zak McKay, Michael O'Halloran

Strikers: Zander Easdale, Gavin Reilly, Gozie Ugwu, George Oakley, Cameron Keay, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Filip Stuparevic, Tomi Adeloye, Eamonn Brophy

Best XI, 4-2-3-1:

GK Mullen
RB Brandon
LB Strapp
CB Baird
CB McEntee
CM Wilson
CM Grimshaw
AM R. Crawford
LM Muirhead
RM but tucking inside Blues
ST Oakley

Wanted to keep that mostly to Imrie's own signings, but Strapp is obviously levels above Waters & Delaney, Blues & Muirhead had to be there for how Imrie improved them and McEntee was just too good to leave out. Grimshaw obviously spent most of his time at right back but had to include both Grimshaw and Brandon. If I was dropping McEntee it'd probably be Moore replacing him.

Worst XI, 4-1-3-2:

GK Woods
RB French
CB Broadfoot
CB Corr
LB Waters
DM Power
LM Boyd
AM McGinn
RM Samuels
ST Emmanuel-Thomas
ST Roy

There are a couple of worse players that he inherited in there, but keeping it to his own signings all of them deserve a place. Power did at least have a couple of months of decent form but was never even as good mediocre outwith that spell and was terrible more often than he was fine, while Waters is just the poorest of only three options. The rest were completely hopeless.

From that list there are 4 that have went on to a significantly, some not directly, better level. 
Brandon; McEntee; Muirhead; Calvin Miller. 
 

[TopCat]

Any best XI from the players listed probably wouldn't be good enough to win the Championship or even finish 2nd in a given season, and that's testament to the job Imrie did in securing mid-table finishes.

On the other hand, it shows how far away from a serious promotion challenge we are unless sustained investment can be secured (putting aside the slim chance of a flukey playoff run). 

[TRVMP]

I reckon by the end of this season Storer will be the best 'keeper in his time here.

 

[Mr.Blue]

I'm going for players he has managed during his time here.

Mullen 

Grimshaw Baird Longridge Strapp

Wilson Blues

Miller   R. Crawford.  Muirhead 

           Oakley

Subs- Storer, Ballantyne, McEntee, Moore, Delaney, Lyall, Brandon, A. Crawford, Quitongo, Ugwu

[Hej]

Boyd wasn't that bad. At least he scored a few goals. Would take him before Davies every day of the week 

[irnbru]

2 hours ago, Hej said:

Boyd wasn't that bad. At least he scored a few goals. Would take him before Davies every day of the week 

Don't think he was terrible either. More disappointing than anything after the way he was talked up. 

Miller wasn't much better so surprised to see him mentioned in the best team. Obviously went on and done well but don't remember anyone being bothered about him leaving. 

[dunning1874]

Boyd scored the same number of league goals Davies did and one of his was a penalty, though he also scored one v Kelty in the League Cup as well. Almost twice as many appearances for Davies, though Boyd had more starts. He was crap.

Miller was mostly mediocre then burst into life for the final four or five games of the season. At the time it was easy to be cynical and wonder if that was a player only deciding to go up a gear when it was time to earn a contract rather than him finally adjusting to the Championship and hitting his stride after only joining in January, but the seasons he's had since prove it was the latter.

[vikingTON]

On 11/28/2025 at 7:24 PM, Hej said:

Boyd wasn't that bad. At least he scored a few goals. 

 

On 11/28/2025 at 9:39 PM, irnbru said:

Don't think he was terrible either. More disappointing than anything after the way he was talked up. 

[TRVMP]

Boyd was a 2-star regen. The fact that he came in as a senior pro and not as a youngster or an unknown quantity probably didn't help him, but he was appallingly bad and that's why he washed out from East Kilbride before they even got promoted into the league. No idea what he's up to now but presumably it doesn't involve professional football.

[RossMcC1874]

1 hour ago, TRVMP said:

Boyd was a 2-star regen. The fact that he came in as a senior pro and not as a youngster or an unknown quantity probably didn't help him, but he was appallingly bad and that's why he washed out from East Kilbride before they even got promoted into the league. No idea what he's up to now but presumably it doesn't involve professional football.

Seems like the sort of guy who is probably a barber or something now. 

[dunning1874]

Boyd's at St Cadoc's, who are currently bottom of the West Premier.

[Greacen2000]

On 11/28/2025 at 11:53 AM, Greacen2000 said:

Reflecting on Imries time at Morton, a lot was made about how he had a real knack of improving players, attracting guys whose careers had stalled & helping them turn things around etc.  On the flipside, he had more than his fair share of awful signings. Another recurring theme was that every summer he would lose his best players and have to do a rebuild. 

This got me thinking about what would our best possible team look like if we had been able to hold onto all our best players each season during Imries time here.  This then led onto me having a go at doing the opposite - what is the ultimate rogues gallery of crap Imrie signings

 

Imrie Ultimate XI - I have included Blues & Muirhead here who were both already at the club when Imrie joined, but I think they deserve their slots as he totally transformed both of them into key players for us when at his time of joining most fans would have been happy to see them gone.  Strapp was already here too but has to be in here as he was such a key player for us (and also did sign again for the 2nd time while Imrie was in charge)

                                       Ryan Mullen

Liam Grimshaw    Jack Baird     Darragh O'Connor      Lewis Strapp

                                        Iain Wilson      
                      Aaron Lyall          Cameron Blues
                                  Robbie Crawford
     
                     Robbie Muirhead   George Oakley

Honorable mentions -

Jamie Brandon - was great but is never getting in ahead of Grimshaw
Calvin Miller - took quite a few games to find form then left us as soon as he could so we didn't really have a long enough spell seeing the best of him - also not really a place for a winger in the way I have lined up here
Oisin Mcentee - I really liked him when he played for us, and his career since leaving shows how good a player he is, but is just pipped by O'Connor who I think did a bit more during his time with us
Kris Moore - looks like he could be a real find, but doesn't make the cut as he hasn't played as many games as the guys I selected
Schwake, Hamilton & Storer - all excellent goalies for us so this slot could just as easily have went to any one of them

 

 

Imrie worst XI - unless I am mistaken, these were all signed while Imrie was manager.

                                         Jamie Macdonald

      Carlo Pignatello      Sonny Hart      Kirk Broadfoot        Calum Waters

        
            O'Halloran      Ali Crawford(1st spell)     Niall McGinn

                           Ally Roy      JET      Steven Boyd

 

Honorable mentions -

Davies - Clearly wasn't good enough, but was worth a punt having scored so many goals in the Welsh league
Reynolds - Per Davies, not good enough but other players from the same (and lower) levels have come up here and done very well, so worth a punt
Samuels - Strange signing.  Only missed the starting XI by virtue of having such strong(shite) competition
Woods - I know he would be a lot of folks first pick for GK, but as I understand it he was mainly brought in to help with coaching & as cover.  He also only played a handful of games so I think Macdonald is more deserving.
Bearne - Showed glimpses of quality but didn't do enough to make his mark.  I think it would have been harsh to include him in the starting XI because he was never a stand out awful performer, and looking at his time with us he mostly made sub appearances of 15-20 mins here & there so arguably never got a real chance

I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Michael O’Halloran, and remove him from my Imrie rogues gallery XI, to be rightfully replaced by Austin Samuels 

[GiGi]

17 hours ago, Greacen2000 said:

I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to Michael O’Halloran, and remove him from my Imrie rogues gallery XI, to be rightfully replaced by Austin Samuels