Manager Race

[AndyClark22]

I don't know how anyone could look at the change Taylor-Sinclair has made at Airdrie and think McCabe is a good shout. 

[SpoonTon]

1 minute ago, RossMcC1874 said:

Has John Laird been around football for a while or am I missing something? I know he was appointed in 2023 and before that apparently was a successful business man. But I wasn't aware he had been around football for a while. 

Some record if he has rubbed everyone up the wrong way in the space of 2 years or so. 

Felt a bit optimistic about who might take over Imrie but the longer it goes on not going to lie its giving me the fear. 

Laird's been about football for like 30 or 40 years, mostly as an agent or similar. 

[AyrshireTon]

8 minutes ago, Greacen2000 said:

I was already feeling pretty pessimistic about both the quality of candidate we are like to appoint & the expected timescale, but if the last 2 posts are true then it really is a grave cause for concern.

It has now been 3 weeks since Imrie left.  At the very least the club need to be making a statement advising on how the process to find his replacement has been going.

Advertising that we are looking to fill the post would be a start.

[Greacen2000]

29 minutes ago, RossMcC1874 said:

Has John Laird been around football for a while or am I missing something? I know he was appointed in 2023 and before that apparently was a successful business man. But I wasn't aware he had been around football for a while. 

Some record if he has rubbed everyone up the wrong way in the space of 2 years or so. 

Felt a bit optimistic about who might take over Imrie but the longer it goes on not going to lie its giving me the fear. 

apparently he was "involved with the club" in the past, dating back to the McGraw era (although I cannot find any record of in exactly what capacity).  He also used to be a football agent.  Beyond that I have no idea.  For a guy who has such an incredible track record of success in business, he doesn't have much of a fingerprint on companies house.  All I was able to find was 1 appointment.   But then again he is able to be our Chairperson who "steers the ship"  by exercising advisory decision making power without being appointed to the board, so maybe that's how he rolls in his other businesses.

Edited December 15, 2025 by Greacen2000

[SpoonTon]

I've said this before but part of me feels like appointing Davies would have been the simplest solution to the structure of the club at the moment. There aren't other clubs with a Technical Head Coach hanging around for a new Head Coach/Manager (what would the title be?) to work with (alongside rather than over or under?). If he's a Director of Football, then why not call him that?

It still feels weird that a new staff member coming in would have to promise not to take the job of someone else (and then wouldn't give his blessing after deciding to leave for another job). I don't get that at all. 

 

[Greacen2000]

4 minutes ago, SpoonTon said:

I've said this before but part of me feels like appointing Davies would have been the simplest solution to the structure of the club at the moment. There aren't other clubs with a Technical Head Coach hanging around for a new Head Coach/Manager (what would the title be?) to work with (alongside rather than over or under?). If he's a Director of Football, then why not call him that?

It still feels weird that a new staff member coming in would have to promise not to take the job of someone else (and then wouldn't give his blessing after deciding to leave for another job). I don't get that at all. 

 

yup, this.

I felt at the time that the made-up job title was probably to satisfy his and or Imries ego (so either Imrie didn't want to work under a DoF, or Davies felt that being an assistant manager was beneath his station).  That situation no longer exists so it's time to clarify exactly what his role within the club is.  Ruling himself out of the job "out of loyalty to Dougie" makes no sense whatsoever.  If he doesn't want to be considered for the managers job, tell us why & what implication this has for his future at the club

[CM48]

This was what Laird had to say on the club website after his appointment as Chair.

I increasingly feel whenever I post on here it's part of a hatchet job on him, but there are real concerns over the last couple of years that only seem to have worsened. As for "strengthening the connection between supporters and leadership of the club", I'd say it's been a good few years since I've heard "sack the board chants" which have started up again recently.

I'm sure everyone can make their own minds up how successful he's been in achieving his goals since taking up his role...

My role will involve several key duties covering,

1. Providing strong leadership and guidance to the Board of Directors.

2. Leading the Board and focusing it on setting a challenging but achievable strategy vision.

3. Overseeing the business and setting high governance standards.

4. Develop the club and position the club to achieve its goals and objectives.

This is a community club and my vision for it begins with strengthening the connection between you, the supporters, and the leadership of the club. The fans are the heartbeat of all clubs, and you are no different. Communication and teamwork are of paramount importance, and I will be as transparent as I possibly can. Whilst you may not agree with every decision I make; I will always put the interests of the club first.

As Chairperson, I feel it is vital that we follow an ethos that ensures the welfare of all our staff, football and non-football and that the club is open to all regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation.

All players, coaches, staff, fans and parents will be expected to follow the club code of conduct and also the governing association periodical initiatives.

We are fortunate that many aspects of Greenock Morton FC are in extremely good shape. We currently have and will develop talented and hard-working staff across all departments.

[Greacen2000]

3 minutes ago, CM48 said:

This was what Laird had to say on the club website after his appointment as Chair.

I increasingly feel whenever I post on here it's part of a hatchet job on him, but there are real concerns over the last couple of years that only seem to have worsened. As for "strengthening the connection between supporters and leadership of the club", I'd say it's been a good few years since I've heard "sack the board chants" which have started up again recently.

I'm sure everyone can make their own minds up how successful he's been in achieving his goals since taking up his role...

My role will involve several key duties covering,

1. Providing strong leadership and guidance to the Board of Directors.

2. Leading the Board and focusing it on setting a challenging but achievable strategy vision.

3. Overseeing the business and setting high governance standards.

4. Develop the club and position the club to achieve its goals and objectives.

This is a community club and my vision for it begins with strengthening the connection between you, the supporters, and the leadership of the club. The fans are the heartbeat of all clubs, and you are no different. Communication and teamwork are of paramount importance, and I will be as transparent as I possibly can. Whilst you may not agree with every decision I make; I will always put the interests of the club first.

As Chairperson, I feel it is vital that we follow an ethos that ensures the welfare of all our staff, football and non-football and that the club is open to all regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation.

All players, coaches, staff, fans and parents will be expected to follow the club code of conduct and also the governing association periodical initiatives.

We are fortunate that many aspects of Greenock Morton FC are in extremely good shape. We currently have and will develop talented and hard-working staff across all departments.

I don't think there is anything wrong with holding someone accountable for their performance.  I look forward to our chairperson providing us with a report on the progress he has made in these areas at the next club AGM.  If no tangible progress has been made, then I would expect the board to take appropriate action.  If the board fail to do so then the ball goes into the court of the clubs owners.

[dunning1874]

21 minutes ago, SpoonTon said:

I've said this before but part of me feels like appointing Davies would have been the simplest solution to the structure of the club at the moment.

I suspect that this is exactly what the board wanted to do and that's why they initially kicked the can down the road to after the Airdrie game, in the hope that a little spell as caretaker would give Davies enough of the bug for managing that he'd want to take it.

This has hit two problems: despite Davies stating in public several times since joining Morton that he really wants to be a manager again, he doesn't want to be Morton manager. You can take that at face value that he's behaving with integrity and wants to keep his word to Imrie that he wouldn't succeed him as manager regardless of the circumstances of Imrie's departure, or more cynically you can conclude that he doesn't want it because he genuinely believes the job is beneath him and he'll be able to walk into a job at a higher level despite last managing in March 2014, with that job going so spectacularly wrong that it destroyed his reputation.

The second and bigger problem is that despite the kindest run of fixtures of the season so far, Davies' results as caretaker have been dreadful. Even if he did change his mind and decide he wants it, this has been a bad enough run of results that you can't justify appointing him. As an audition for the job, it's been an abject failure.

I have no insider info here and I'm only speculating, but if that has been the board's approach and Davies isn't going to change his mind/even if he does they now accept that he can't be appointed, that would mean we're three weeks down the line and they haven't even considered alternatives, let alone interviewed anyone.

[ConTon74]

Kettlewell now binned by Killie. Another option perhaps?

[Brian Skelton]

10 minutes ago, ConTon74 said:

Kettlewell now binned by Killie. Another option perhaps?

Will be going back to Ross County I suspect.

[Greacen2000]

14 minutes ago, dunning1874 said:

I suspect that this is exactly what the board wanted to do and that's why they initially kicked the can down the road to after the Airdrie game, in the hope that a little spell as caretaker would give Davies enough of the bug for managing that he'd want to take it.

This has hit two problems: despite Davies stating in public several times since joining Morton that he really wants to be a manager again, he doesn't want to be Morton manager. You can take that at face value that he's behaving with integrity and wants to keep his word to Imrie that he wouldn't succeed him as manager regardless of the circumstances of Imrie's departure, or more cynically you can conclude that he doesn't want it because he genuinely believes the job is beneath him and he'll be able to walk into a job at a higher level despite last managing in March 2014, with that job going so spectacularly wrong that it destroyed his reputation.

The second and bigger problem is that despite the kindest run of fixtures of the season so far, Davies' results as caretaker have been dreadful. Even if he did change his mind and decide he wants it, this has been a bad enough run of results that you can't justify appointing him. As an audition for the job, it's been an abject failure.

I have no insider info here and I'm only speculating, but if that has been the board's approach and Davies isn't going to change his mind/even if he does they now accept that he can't be appointed, that would mean we're three weeks down the line and they haven't even considered alternatives, let alone interviewed anyone.

if that is the case then someone is guilty of gross negligence 

 

8 minutes ago, ConTon74 said:

Kettlewell now binned by Killie. Another option perhaps?

I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in the frame for a return to Ross County.  If not, I would probably put him in the same "meh but better than most of the other names I've heard mentioned" category as Ian Murray

[Ferguson]

31 minutes ago, ConTon74 said:

Kettlewell now binned by Killie. Another option perhaps?

Worth noting that Kris Doolan is taking over as their interim manager since he was supposed to be joining Killie as head of development anyway, so he’ll probably be out of the running for the Morton job if he was ever in it.

[dunning1874]

If you want the lengthy winless runs we sometimes saw under Imrie but with more defeats during them and without the lengthy unbeaten runs to balance them out, Kettlewell's your man. 10 winless games leading to his sacking by Kilmarnock, 10 winless games and only one win in 16 leading to his sacking at Ross County, one win in 9 up to his resignation from Motherwell which included him fabricating a load of lies about abuse from their supporters to deflect from his poor performance.

Another in the category of obviously being a massive downgrade on Imrie, so why bother?

[Jamie_M]

3 hours ago, AyrshireTon said:

Advertising that we are looking to fill the post would be a start.

A pointless start but a start it would be.

 

[so72]

4 hours ago, RossMcC1874 said:

Has John Laird been around football for a while or am I missing something? I know he was appointed in 2023 and before that apparently was a successful business man. But I wasn't aware he had been around football for a while. 

Some record if he has rubbed everyone up the wrong way in the space of 2 years or so. 

Felt a bit optimistic about who might take over Imrie but the longer it goes on not going to lie its giving me the fear. 

He set up a shanner of a youth system for Morton around 15 years ago. Tried to get a few of the younger boys to sign-up with him whilst playing for boys teams and training with Morton u17s. It was a shambles. 

[Greacen2000]

3 hours ago, AyrshireTon said:

Advertising that we are looking to fill the post would be a start.

 

5 minutes ago, Jamie_M said:

A pointless start but a start it would be.

 

I could totally understand the club not advertising the role if they have robust succession planning in place - with a shortlist of candidates lined up, maybe already having sounded out some of them, or an intention to promote from within.  3 weeks of radio silence later, it seems unlikely that either is the case so it would definitely be good to get some sort of update from the club at this stage.

I saw someone mention on here (possibly in the match thread?) that in hospitality Davies was talking about "big changes coming in January".  This would suggest that something is going on behind the scenes.  Who knows what it is or when we will find out?

[TRVMP]

Any halfway serious candidate will have an agent, and any halfway serious agent will know how to get their name through to the club. The lack of an ad isn't a factor.

[Jamie_M]

11 minutes ago, Greacen2000 said:

 

I could totally understand the club not advertising the role if they have robust succession planning in place - with a shortlist of candidates lined up, maybe already having sounded out some of them, or an intention to promote from within.  3 weeks of radio silence later, it seems unlikely that either is the case so it would definitely be good to get some sort of update from the club at this stage.

I saw someone mention on here (possibly in the match thread?) that in hospitality Davies was talking about "big changes coming in January".  This would suggest that something is going on behind the scenes.  Who knows what it is or when we will find out?

Don't read advertising the post and providing an update as one in the same.

The latter should most definitely be happening and soon.

Pinning up a job ad on the othwr hand will do nothing. Anyone within football who might be tempted ti reply to such a job ad will alredy have their CV stuck in the Morton inbox.

[Greacen2000]

Just now, Jamie_M said:

Don't read advertising the post and providing an update as one in the same.

The latter should most definitely be happening and soon.

Pinning up a job ad on the othwr hand will do nothing. Anyone within football who might be tempted ti reply to such a job ad will alredy have their CV stuck in the Morton inbox.

I’m not conflating the 2 at all.  My saying the club need to update us is 100% to do with 3 weeks having passed and us being no further forward.