Greenock Morton v Partick- League Opener

[TRVMP]

That was much improved, fair play to Murray and the players. If not for the officials we'd have got a very creditable point against a promotion favorite. Next week I think we can get a result. 

[dunning1874]

Much better performance than expected so it's hard to find much to criticise. You can't legislate for losing goals because the linesman isn't watching the game.

There's clearly very little goal threat in this team so hopefully Gorman will fix that, but it's encouraging that we were capable of the kind of battling performance we've rarely seen under Murray. Wilson was terrific and Cochrane very good as well. Bold call by Murray to persist with Black rather than rejigging the midfield with Gillespie or Wilson going back there but he played well.

[tondaft1874]

Really stupid ball for shug to play across the park to young Black for us then to get done on the counter and concede. Apart from that, much improved. Strange that the young boy Greenock comes on ahead of McCluckie though is he injured?

Could be a difficult period though if we have lost Longridge and Gillespie to injury...

[HamCam]

Ultimately we lost the game but it was a much improved performance from the cup games. No-one could doubt the effort today but the final third is desperate stuff hence no goals now in six games this season. Even more depressing is it is only one goal in our last nine games. We never did enough to win but Thistle looked to get lucky with a foul, the officials never saw, in the build-up to the goal. Despite hitting the bar twice and the post once, I never felt we were being cut open as so often has been the case under Murray. Losing Longridge to injury never helped - it did not look great as he hobbled off the pitch.

In terms of the positives - it was a relief having a keeper who gave the defence confidence, we had more than one shot in the direction of the goal (none on target), the more experienced players all put in a shift with Wilson showing how important he is to the team and the young lads stood up well to the challenge. Hopefully we have more bodies and a degree of confidence going in to the Stenny game. We really need to see some goals and points on the board.

One final comment, I realise we are skint but I don't think we will save much cash by rationing the chips at the food kiosk. Remind me not to bother next time.

[Mr.Blue]

Expected a doing today so although we lost I have come away with some positives.

The big keeper look solid.

Defence was fine. Thought Laiith was ok if he stuck to the basics. Declan Black grew into the game and is love to see him in his natural position 

Midfield is our strongest area. Shug, Cochrane and gills all played well. Looking forward to savoury and Sandilands coming into the area for competition.

Up front the players worked hard BUT we are desperately in need of an attacking threat.

Ideally another centre forward and winger to come in and possibly a left back. 

Edited August 1 by Mr.Blue

[vikingTON]

My expectation before the game was a leathering and instead it was a marginally unfortunate, narrow loss. Full credit to the first team squad and management: they asserted a pride not just in terms of effort but also performance levels today. There was plenty to build on today looking towards next week's game, and then after our imposed break. With the Estrella negotiations moving towards a decisive phase, it has been a very encouraging 24 hours for the season. Two particular points of credit IMO:

1) The team actually defended from the front at times with some effective pressing. We picked our opportunities to squeeze Partick (and with Brophy's fitness a constant press was impossible) and when we did press, the midfield three took turns to add pressure without leaving us wide open. We lost that trait under Imrie long before Murray's arrival. If we can restore it, then in the narrow confines of Cappielow we will be well in every game that we play. 

2) While we can't rely on them on a weekly basis, the young players showed all the merits of energy, aggression and doing the basics right throughout the game. They weren't fazed by the occasion or the subs by the match situation. The starting XI would clearly benefit from extra quality but having options who can step up is important too. I wouldn't be massively concerned if Black (apparently a midfielder) was brought on for 20 minutes in place of a tiring veteran, put it that way. 

[vikingTON]

21 minutes ago, Mr.Blue said:

Expected a doing today so although we lost I have come away with some positives.

The big keeper look solid.

Defence was fine. Thought Laiith was ok if he stuck to the basics. Declan Black grew into the game and is love to see him in his natural position 

Midfield is our strongest area. Shug, Cochrane and gills all played well. Looking forward to savoury and Sandilands coming into the area for competition.

Up front the players worked hard BUT we are desperately in need of an attacking threat.

Ideally another centre forward and winger to come in and possibly a left back. 

The attacking threat could be boosted by actually pairing Brophy with another forward like Gorman - with hopefully at least one and different type of centre forward added to mix things up as well as offering cover. 

Sand dancing wingers should be binned (becoming a Plan B option if we're losing) and we should double down on our relative strength and options in the middle of the park, once Ballantyne is back to hold the right hand side. 

Edited August 1 by vikingTON

[GiGi]

We're definitely going to struggle to score goals with this team. 

That said I thought we worked and defended really valiantly today so the result didn't really bother me as much as it usually would against those bastards. The guys you needed to step up did so, and the young lads gave a proper account of themselves against what will end up being a top side in the division. 

It's a real shame that the linesman missed Drozd tripping Murphy for their goal and I hope that fanny ends up snapping something crucial before long. 

Still in real bother but that was heartening. 

Edited August 1 by GiGi

[Chicken_Soup]

For all the criticism he’s taken, and justifiably so, Murray deserves credit for how the team performed today. Unusual circumstances, but I was very happy to applaud them off the park at the end.

They made that far more competitive than it had any right to be and let’s be honest, were only undone by a piece of blatant cheating. From where I was standing, I know the linesman saw the foul, so my only conclusion is that he was too timid to call it and didn’t want to get involved. 

Dean Black was great, and Wilson was my motm. His willingness to get anywhere on the park to help out his teammates and stop them getting exposed is superb. And again, similar to when that rat Paton elbowed Black the other week, he was the one standing up to Drozd. He’s showing real leadership at the moment, it’s just a shame he couldn’t score our best chance of the game when Garrity chipped it through to him. 

Between the signing of Harrison, today’s performance and the Estrella news, there is cause for optimism.

[AyrshireTon]

Very encouraged by what I saw yesterday.

On another day we'd have gotten a point from that, but considering the chances that they had I'm not overly bothered about the defeat. Still a kick in the stones to lose it so late and the team looked gutted at their hard work being for nothing. Really felt for them at the end and they deserved the applause at FT.

Wilson was excellent, with Black a close second for me, although there were no real failures in the team. Harrison was composed despite having little to do (no chance with the goal or the ones that his the woodwork). Liked the look of Greenock when he came on.

IF we can repeat this effort, we should be ok this season.

[SpoonTon]

11 hours ago, Mr.Blue said:

Expected a doing today so although we lost I have come away with some positives.

The big keeper look solid.

Defence was fine. Thought Laiith was ok if he stuck to the basics. Declan Black grew into the game and is love to see him in his natural position 

Midfield is our strongest area. Shug, Cochrane and gills all played well. Looking forward to savoury and Sandilands coming into the area for competition.

Up front the players worked hard BUT we are desperately in need of an attacking threat.

Ideally another centre forward and winger to come in and possibly a left back. 

I'm not a huge fan of the term "natural position". He's 16, maybe full back will become his best position, maybe not. At that age, to make it, players with change positions as often as not. Sometimes it takes time to figure out what is most "natural" for a player. 

Jim McAlister started out as a winger for us, and played nearly all his football there for us. Fans complained when we tried him on centre mid, but it turns out that that was his best position. Ross Forbes, a left footed centre mid, had his best ever season at right mid. James McPake came to us as a struggling striker and left as a big prospect at centre half. Peter Weatherson was incredible as a lower league right back. Mark Russell started as a winger who was slotted in as a makeshift left back. 

Black, at his age, isn't going to have the fully developed skillset for any role, and what he does have could be moulded into different things. It's like the old saying, a full back is either a failed winger or a failed centre back. This move is as likely to be the making of him as anything else. 

Sorry, I know you just meant you wanted to see what he's like in the position he usually plays, but this is one of my bugbears. Feel free to ignore my hang ups 

[Mr Toon]

Joe Jordan went to Leeds having played for us mainly on the wing and there are many more examples of players finding success in positions more suited to their skill set.

Another interesting development is that we have fielded more young players, mainly out of necessity already this season than for a long time. That will already have been noted and scouts will be taking an interest.

Managing that process will be important to the players and to us to get the best out of them and to ensure that if and when they leave we get the best possible return.

Early days but some aspects looking brighter already after all the gloom and doom.

[2bobbylinns]

I know what you are saying about people playing in other positions, but Dean is really strong as an attacking midfielder. He is relentless, a real pain for defenders with the way he presses, can run with the ball and can finish. 
It’s good that he’s getting minutes at right back, however, seeing him from a young age he could make a real impact going forward.

[irnbru]

Pretty pleased with yesterday despite the loss. We know we're up against it this season but there was enough fight and organisation in the team to give a bit of hope. Players got a good reception at the end too so hopefully we can get a bit of a siege mentality at least at Cappielow. 

Thought the midfield actually looked quite good. Sandilands looks like he could be better than Lyall with a bit more strength, Cochrane gets about his business effectively and Wilson was at his best so a good core to the team. 

Thought all the younger players showed some promise too so the thin squad is less of a worry. Black done what was asked of him but looked tired as the game went on and inexperience showed at times but with Ballantyne added that time I'm a lot more confident we'll be OK. 

[Charles_Joe]

52 minutes ago, irnbru said:

Pretty pleased with yesterday despite the loss. We know we're up against it this season but there was enough fight and organisation in the team to give a bit of hope. Players got a good reception at the end too so hopefully we can get a bit of a siege mentality at least at Cappielow. 

Thought the midfield actually looked quite good. Sandilands looks like he could be better than Lyall with a bit more strength, Cochrane gets about his business effectively and Wilson was at his best so a good core to the team. 

Thought all the younger players showed some promise too so the thin squad is less of a worry. Black done what was asked of him but looked tired as the game went on and inexperience showed at times but with Ballantyne added that time I'm a lot more confident we'll be OK. 

Things that seem terrible at the time can sometimes turn out to be hugely beneficial in retrospect. We might end up glad of the league cup debacle. 

[SpoonTon]

3 hours ago, 2bobbylinns said:

I know what you are saying about people playing in other positions, but Dean is really strong as an attacking midfielder. He is relentless, a real pain for defenders with the way he presses, can run with the ball and can finish. 
It’s good that he’s getting minutes at right back, however, seeing him from a young age he could make a real impact going forward.

From that description, I can see why they picked him for the full back role. I really liked how he stuck to his task - showed great attitude and discipline. 

[Hej]

Cochrane and Wilson partnership will be key this season if we're going to have any chance. It's a good energetic base in midfield and allows us to play a really front foot press if we can find someone more athletic than Brophy to compliment it at the top.

Definitely feel more hopeful about this season, but we'll clearly need more players to have a chance of stayinhg. Can't be finishing games with 3 school kids on the park.

[irnbru]

27 minutes ago, Hej said:

Cochrane and Wilson partnership will be key this season if we're going to have any chance. It's a good energetic base in midfield and allows us to play a really front foot press if we can find someone more athletic than Brophy to compliment it at the top.

Definitely feel more hopeful about this season, but we'll clearly need more players to have a chance of stayinhg. Can't be finishing games with 3 school kids on the park.

Thought Brophy was decent. Worked hard and good link up play but was a bit isolated. 

[Hej]

22 minutes ago, irnbru said:

Thought Brophy was decent. Worked hard and good link up play but was a bit isolated. 

I don't think he was bad either, but someone more athletic and better at pressing would compliment the team more

If Brophy was 3 inches taller or a few yards quicker he'd still be playing in the top flight.  Bit like a low-rent Lawrence Shankland.

[Rossco]

I'm amongst the noise recently I think it might not be as bad as what we thought.

 

Still a long hard season ahead but the starting 11 yesterday was not bad. Seems Murray got a lot right too and he seemed less downbeat post match as he has been.

We need to find goals from somewhere though but at least the club from the players, manager and fans seemed to be on the same page.

 

No doubt will be a rumour about how we siphoned petrol from a parked car to get the team bus to next game just to further keep us in constant misery as if we don't have enough to deal with