Ross County vs Morton 25/04/26

[SassenachTon]

Trying to grasp at positives here, but there aren't any. The only faint glimmer of hope (apart from beating Airdrie) is the fact that a relegation and a hard reset didn't do Arbroath any harm - quite the opposite given where they are this season.

[Jamie_M]

3 minutes ago, SassenachTon said:

It was Imrie who assembled this shitshow of sand-dancers.

His point remains valid - they are being set up in a way that is not even making the best of the limited ability they have  which has undoubtedly pushed a mediocre bottom half finish into genuine relegation threat.

[TRVMP]

5 minutes ago, Jamie_M said:

The last time we conceded four goals was against Stenhousmuir, a Lowly League 1 outfit. That's about to be our level now and that's Murray's responsibility...etc.

And I for one welcome our new Stenny overlords (in the playoffs)

[SassenachTon]

@Jamie_M Fair enough so.

[Jamie_M]

5 minutes ago, SassenachTon said:

Trying to grasp at positives here, but there aren't any. The only faint glimmer of hope (apart from beating Airdrie) is the fact that a relegation and a hard reset didn't do Arbroath any harm - quite the opposite given where they are this season.

We'd be unlikely to see the same as Arbroath - we'd still be scraping the bottom of the pond for the worst full time players, with an even smaller budget with which to do so.

[Chesh]

12 goals conceded in our last 5 league games.

That's on Murray.

 

 

 

 

[TopCat]

1 hour ago, Jamie_M said:

His point remains valid - they are being set up in a way that is not even making the best of the limited ability they have  which has undoubtedly pushed a mediocre bottom half finish into genuine relegation threat.

I certainly dont mean this as a defence of Murray, but we're now onto the 3rd management team who can't get a consistent tune out of these players.

We're in a relegation battle because we don't have enough good players to keep us out of it. Trying to pick the biggest culprit out of the squad, Imrie, Davies and Murray doesn't make much sense if they've all failed to meet the standard required.

[CM48]

1 hour ago, Jamie_M said:

 

You do realise, these posts make you look almost as pathetic as the team on the park - point scoring on our impending relegation?

 

You’re right.

Just lashing out because I’m f***ing raging.

[vikingTON]

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing time and time again while expecting a different outcome, then Ian Murray should be sectioned under the Mental Health Act for:

• persisting with three completely useless sand dancers contributing nothing behind a centre forward (who was also pish)

• persisting with Gillespie in a central midfield two, leaving us out of our depth in the middle of the park, and above all

• persisting with the Wilson at centre back nonsense 

The players put on a truly abject, nick of a display themselves, but it is Ian Murray who accepts it. We know he accepts it, because he fields the same garbage lineup and formation every single away game, and makes nothing other than laughable, token like for like substitutions during the match.

At 2-0 down after 15 minutes, there should have been wholesale changes to both the shape and personnel. If a manager messes up the starting lineup, that happens. The job of the manager is to adjust and try to fix those failures, instead of just gormlessly laying a massive turd. 

Most damningly, we look less organised and coherent a side than when Murray took over - so he's bringing little on the training ground to compensate for a risible lack of in game management. Murray should not be managing the team on Friday night - never mind next season. 

Edited April 25 by vikingTON

[Tubes]

Go up there today and be hard to beat, simple. Fucking wide open nonsense at times, the reluctance to change things will be Murray’s undoing going forward from here.

Some absolutely honking performances right through the team, Shaw undoubtably being one of them, but other stinking performances noted throughout. He takes a hammering on here but other performers offering much less at times. Moore at ?2nd goal was awful. Garrity completely anonymous throughout and his delivery from corners in particular was horrible. Blues gets pass marks at times by others as runs around and deceives many. Goals against Raith etc keeps him from the firing line at times but he does nowhere near enough. Anonymous today but he wasn’t the only one tbf so would be unfair to completely put blame on him. No pass marks for anyone today, embarrassing all in all when RC have been fucking awful all season.

 

Edited April 25 by Tubes

[Greacen2000]

What an absolute shit show.  I don’t understand why Murray chooses to weaken us in 2 key areas by playing Shug in defence when there are other options available.

Really clutching at straws to find a positive here - there really isn’t one.  At least we know that a draw next week will guarantee us 8th.  On the other hand I have zero faith in our ability to even achieve that based on current form, and the possibility of us losing & Ross county winning with a collective swing of 6 goals in their favour feels like a very real one.

win - guaranteed safe with a chance of 5th (lol)

draw - finish 8th

lose - we will definitely be in 9th or 10th.

you know what? There’s your positive - games as big as next week’s one are what football is all about and they don’t come about too often.  Sure, I would rather us be playing a dead rubber to decide whether we were finishing on 6th or 7th, but in terms of emotion, nerves & atmosphere, next week will be absolutely electric.

[so72]

19 minutes ago, TopCat said:

I certainly dont mean this as a defence of Murray, but we're now onto the 3rd management team who can't get a consistent tune out of these players.

We're in a relegation battle because we don't have enough good players to keep us out of it. Trying to pick the biggest culprit out of the squad, Imrie, Davies and Murray doesn't make much sense if they've all failed to meet the standard required.

Murray is absolutely who to blame for the fact we could finish 10th (TENTH). Insisting on playing players out of position and insisting on playing Shaw, Garrity and Moffat; thats why we are now on the verge of something that was UNTHINKABLE a month ago.

[TopCat]

2 minutes ago, so72 said:

Murray is absolutely who to blame for the fact we could finish 10th (TENTH). Insisting on playing players out of position and insisting on playing Shaw, Garrity and Moffat; thats why we are now on the verge of something that was UNTHINKABLE a month ago.

I know I have a lower opinion of the squad than most, but I'm not shocked to see us in this position. Having had the misfortune of witnessing the last two games, I haven't seen a team deserving of a place in this league. The pitiful, talentless forward line against Queens Park and the tactical and defensive disasterclass today were equally pathetic.

Murray clearly (and understandably) doesn't trust a lot of the squad, but that's no excuse for persisting with Wilson at the back and Gillespie ahead of him. 

Hopefully he sees sense next week and Airdrie shit the bed.

[so72]

4 minutes ago, TopCat said:

Hopefully he sees sense next week and Airdrie shit the bed.

Hopefully we see sense and sack him before next week.

[dunning1874]

Murray has made the results worse. That's the inescapable issue.

[so72]

I was satisfied with the Murray appointment at the time but it just hasn't worked. Have heard from one of the squad that he doesn't really talk to the players at all, and leaves it all to the coaches. He also came across very soft the couple of times I've been to hospitality. I know players are all grown adults, but he just seems the opposite of Dougie and I'm sure the players have struggled with the transition. Plus, frankly, I want the Morton manager to be a bit of a bastard.

[Brian Skelton]

John Laird and Imrie along with Murray are contemptible in what has happened this season.

[Chesh]

Just play players in their actual position please.

[vikingTON]

25 minutes ago, TopCat said:

I know I have a lower opinion of the squad than most, but I'm not shocked to see us in this position. Having had the misfortune of witnessing the last two games, I haven't seen a team deserving of a place in this league. The pitiful, talentless forward line against Queens Park and the tactical and defensive disasterclass today were equally pathetic.

Murray clearly (and understandably) doesn't trust a lot of the squad, but that's no excuse for persisting with Wilson at the back and Gillespie ahead of him. 

Hopefully he sees sense next week and Airdrie shit the bed.

Even with the players who played today alone though, Murray could have fielded an outfield team like this:

Comrie Moore Longridge (OR Lopata-White) Ballantyne

Blues Wilson Gillespie (OR Crawford)

Any two sand dancers 

Main

Such a lineup certainly isn't good enough to be finishing in the promotion play-offs, but it also wouldn't be shipping 4 goals, while barely registering a shot across 90 minutes, against that dogshit Ross County side. It wouldn't be getting completely overrun just like in almost every previous away league match since Murray came in. That's on him. 

Then we have the mysterious vanishing act of various players from the first team and now the squad altogether. Delaney ripped Ross County to shreds in the previous two meetings - we had Longridge in the same role today. 

And as for not trusting players - two centre halves were brought in during January, while another defender in Longridge was bizarrely given a new contract a couple of weeks ago. None of those three played more than 45 minutes today under Murray. So he's not resisting changes because of a lack of trust in a squad he inherited - he's got no ideas about how to change it. The same was apparent even in games that we won like at home to Arbroath: his in-game management was terrible. 

[TopCat]

I'm pretty sure a win on Friday would put Murray on 18 points from 16 games - the same as Imrie.