Morris Dancing

[theakston2k]

Lets adjust the question. If Morris had MacDonald and Gladwin available (when they are not injured) do we see any of the recent games being that different?

Not sure we do. They are definitely a loss, but not enough to warrant current form. Larger concern with current form is the demeanor and effort of the players, as Morris himself has stated. Nothing about the squad/team at present gives the sense that things are getting better ahead of next season.

Disagree, in hindsight we all owe MacDonald an apology. He was clearly the only thing holding our defence together and that’s born out in the stats. The Mansfield game apart our form in games he didn’t play was pretty shocking.

[Riddick]

Disagree, in hindsight we all owe MacDonald an apology. He was clearly the only thing holding our defence together and that’s born out in the stats. The Mansfield game apart our form in games he didn’t play was pretty shocking.

Yeah thats fair statistically, but stats would also suggest Austin has had a negative effect on points per game?

[theakston2k]

Yeah thats fair statistically, but stats would also suggest Austin has had a negative effect on points per game?

But that negative impact is primarily due to Austin’s time with the club coinciding our defence imploding. We conceded 4 to Rochdale, 3 to Gillingham, 4 on Friday since his departure. I don’t think we’d have crumbled as much as we have done if he was still in the back 4, he was clearly the only person injecting any kind of organisation.

[Nemo]

Disagree, in hindsight we all owe MacDonald an apology. He was clearly the only thing holding our defence together and that’s born out in the stats. The Mansfield game apart our form in games he didn’t play was pretty shocking.

The first spell in which he was injured (Newport H to Wimbledon H) was a bit of a two part thing - up until Mansfield A, we win four, draw one and lose one (ignoring the JPT game), conceding 6 goals (1 per game on average). Then everything goes wrong against Stockport in the FA Cup and we have two draws and three losses over that five game spell.

The key difference for in that split is that Clayton only plays one of those second five (Crawley away 0-1), having played all of the previous six.

Defence for me is about partnerships - MacDonald and Clayton worked. Brennan and Harries did not!

I did the maths on the partnerships here btw - http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=59555.msg1728055#msg1728055 - the short version being that Clayton + either Baudry or MacDonald worked well. Left foot, right foot, experienced, inexperienced. Who'da thunk it?

[Riddick]

The first spell in which he was injured (Newport H to Wimbledon H) was a bit of a two part thing - up until Mansfield A, we win four, draw one and lose one (ignoring the JPT game), conceding 6 goals (1 per game on average). Then everything goes wrong against Stockport in the FA Cup and we have two draws and three losses over that five game spell.

The key difference for in that split is that Clayton only plays one of those second five (Crawley away 0-1), having played all of the previous six.

Defence for me is about partnerships - MacDonald and Clayton worked. Brennan and Harries did not!

Yep MacDonald and Clayton, with FBT at LB and Hutton at RB, looked like a decent foundation.

I still have no idea what the behind the scenes reasons were for MacDonalds departure.

[horlock07]

Yep MacDonald and Clayton, with FBT at LB and Hutton at RB, looked like a decent foundation.

With his record Morris would probably have played FBT and Hutton in the middle, Clayton as a holding midfielder and MacDonald up front.

[Robinz]

Would we agree that Morris was given a hospital pass ?

The captain and vice captain being transferred out and not replaced Fact.

Young and inexperienced squad Fact.

None of the players were signed by Morris except the new previously out of contract G Mac and Blewitt. Fact

Suggested, no control of the fitness / conditioning of players. Maybe fact.

Inexperienced and possible problem D of F Maybe fact.

Players sent off and suspended Fact

Long term season ending injuries Fact.

Right, Morris must be a failure and lets get rid. Ya right

Come on, give the guy a chance to build a future successful team.  

  

[Nemo]

It is possible to both to be put in a bad position, and to do a bad job even within that context (see my employment history for further details). Almost all of us would agree that both things are true, it's just about the degree of blame you allocate to each side I guess.

[horlock07]

Would we agree that Morris was given a hospital pass ?

The captain and vice captain being transferred out and not replaced Fact.

Young and inexperienced squad Fact.

None of the players were signed by Morris except the new previously out of contract G Mac and Blewitt. Fact

Suggested, no control of the fitness / conditioning of players. Maybe fact.

Inexperienced and possible problem D of F Maybe fact.

Players sent off and suspended Fact

Long term season ending injuries Fact.

Right, Morris must be a failure and lets get rid. Ya right

Come on, give the guy a chance to build a future successful team. 

   

In what was was it a hospital pass, he knew the squad before he took the job, would undoubtedly have been asked during the interview process whether he could work with the squad and no doubt confirmed that he could. Reed and Gladwin had gone before he was appointed. MacDonald announced at Aberdeen on the same day he was appointed (I recall it was common knowledge he was off a bit before then), as far as I am aware it wasn't compulsory that he took the job when it was offered.

He hasn't been handed a perfect hand, but is any manager handed thus, but these attempts to deflect any blame whatsoever from him are a little odd.

[DiV]

Would we agree that Morris was given a hospital pass ?

The captain and vice captain being transferred out and not replaced Fact.

Young and inexperienced squad Fact.

None of the players were signed by Morris except the new previously out of contract G Mac and Blewitt. Fact

Suggested, no control of the fitness / conditioning of players. Maybe fact.

Inexperienced and possible problem D of F Maybe fact.

Players sent off and suspended Fact

Long term season ending injuries Fact.

Right, Morris must be a failure and lets get rid. Ya right

Come on, give the guy a chance to build a future successful team. 

   

He wasn’t given a hospital pass.

He wasn’t dealt a great hand at all - but he’s played said hand appallingly.

[Robinz]

Maybe you are right....

Perhaps its just in hope that we can get a successful football club soon.


 

[RobertT]

I think he inherited a much worse squad than the one that went into January.

I think he has done nothing to extract the right level of results out of the group he did inherit - he has continued trying to play U23 football.

I don't think Lindsey would be doing that much better with the current group either.

Two bad Managers and an ever worsening squad.

Morris may work if he was able to recruit a squad in his image - will we ever have the resources and squad spaces to achieve that for him?

[horlock07]

I don't think Lindsey would be doing that much better with the current group either.

At least under Lindsey they at least looked like they wanted to play for the club and manager, they may not be very good, but that's a big difference to just looking like they can't be arsed.

[4D]

Would we agree that Morris was given a hospital pass ?

The captain and vice captain being transferred out and not replaced Fact.

Young and inexperienced squad Fact.

None of the players were signed by Morris except the new previously out of contract G Mac and Blewitt. Fact

Suggested, no control of the fitness / conditioning of players. Maybe fact.

Inexperienced and possible problem D of F Maybe fact.

Players sent off and suspended Fact

Long term season ending injuries Fact.

Right, Morris must be a failure and lets get rid. Ya right

Come on, give the guy a chance to build a future successful team.  

We are bottom of the form table in a very shit league. I think we have a number of players who are better than this league on their day. Something is wrong and ultimately that falls at the managers feet.

[Mooneyraker]

Seeing this open training day pic of a smiling Morris in one of his early training sessions made me feel quite sad to be honest.

https://twitter.com/Official_STFC/status/1644059587123765249

I was really excited when we got him and am simply baffled at how it has turned out thus far.

Listening to a few podcasts he had done before he joined us he spoke about how desperate he was to succeed as a manager.

I simply can't get on board with the view that he has pulled the pin and gone full kamikaze Sheridactyl but something has clearly gone very wrong. If that was the case he'd literally be sabotaging his career. Sheridan was a grouchy washed up mess by the time we got him with every one of his best years firmly behind him.

I think I'd have to go back to Danny Wilson and Iffy before that for the last times I felt genuine sadness at how it was playing out for a manager.

I'm still hoping that he can turn it around but it really has been a disastrous cherry on top of the steaming turd sundae that is the 2022/23 STFC season.