The result on Saturday was, I'm not exageratting, one of the worst in Greenock Morton Football Club's history. Being rogered 4-1 at home while going for promotion, by one of the worst teams in Britain, shot shy relegated and shite, is not to be thanked.

The scoreline is bad, the game itself was odd - I thought there was some semblance of effort and passion back in the second half, but nothing really went our way at all.

No matter - the history books show that result, and every football journalist and football fan for that matter, whoever their team is, in Scotland has probably noticed how catastrophically we have capitulated in the last few months.

It's @!#$ jawdropping.

At this stage in the season, I want players hurling themselves in front of the ball at the back, using every sinew and ounce of energy in the their bodies to stop the opposition from scoring. I want the forward players doing similar, using everything in the their power to get the ball in the net. I want the midfield working their arses off and not hiding, treating it, apparently, as if it were just another game. We have seen it from part time journeymen players like in Allan McGraw's team who lost out on goal difference to get promoted to the Premier League. Just watched that footage on Friday night before the Stenny game, and it was amazing to see the spirit there, the HUNGER, from guys who drove forktrucks during the day, or lugged about boxes and bottles on their backs for a living. You know who I am talking about.

Well I am sorry to the boys, they may be reading all this, and I am sorry if I am out of line questioning whether they were trying their hardest or not - it's been a long hard season - but it's been a long hard season for part timers and relegation fodder Stenhousemuir as well, and there is no way a Morton team should be throwing up results like that at this stage in the season.

All we want is play with passion and pride. I'm sorry but we did not see that on Saturday.

They were at the GMST Player of the Year do on Saturday night, and looked suitably sheepish, and to be fair to them they certainly still looked shellshocked and gutted. The only one I spoke to was Chris Millar who I congratulated on winning the award, and he's the only one I really felt like speaking to in any case as I felt let down by the rest of them - Chris was all over the park on Saturday, he had that hunger I want to see. HE looked like a FULL TIME player. He looked like he wanted to go up.

John and Marco in Word Up later that night - yeah, looked forlorn and annoyed. But stop that happening ON the pitch lads. I know you are not superhuman, but we shouldn't be getting tore up by Stenny and Dumbarton and Berwick, man...

I feel absolutely and totally gutted about this. Call me an idiot if you want, but this feels worse than relegation to me. And I think some of you will agree with me.

In time I will forgive like the bloke who started this thread, but at the moment I am utterly heartbroken, and that's why I don't think I'll post much for a bit. Because I know if I start, then I won't stop! A bit like now.

But don't get annoyed when you see other people getting annoyed at the side. They've let the fans down badly, and the good guys in the team will appreciate that as much as any of us. They have a slim chance to rectify that on Saturday, either with a pride restoring good performance against the Champions, or with a miraculous promotion.

They would barely deserve it to be honest, after Saturday, and I would feel incredibly sorry for Dumbarton and Accies' after the GRIT and STEEL and PRIDE they have shown in the last quarter to drag themselves back into conceivably getting promoted on the last day of the season. If only we could be so proud of our own players.

You have one last chance to get some semblance of pride back to this club on Saturday, lads. I don't like following a laughing stock, but it's my @!#$ calling in life.

Try and make it a bit easier for us all on Saturday, get a win, and perhaps get out of jail if someone up there really likes you.

Yer Dong

2. Re: Where did Cowboy go wrong?
Author: axeman
Date: 11-05-04 20:52

One of the main faults we had in the 2nd half of the season was the fact we gave up on our passing game.

In the 1st half of the season we built up attacks from the back, normally passing from Derek Collins to Marco Maisano. We were then getting movement from players, Chris on the right, Mel on the left & Stuart pushing up on the right as well, when given the space.

The ball would then normally have gone to one of the above or to John in the middle. But we kept it simple pass & move, probing the opposition for any openings. Further up the field would bring Walker, Weatherson & Williams into the passing moves. Again keeping it simple, supporting the players around them & making space for themselves. The key to our early season form was possession, playing the ball to feet & exploiting the gaps left for us.

In some of our early games we must have had around 60/65% of the ball & that's what gave us control & allowed us to dominate teams.

This changed round about the time Greacen got injured. Suddenly we didn't have the option of one of the back 3 breaking forward & putting more pressure on the opposition. The players who came in at varying times were more comfortable hoofing the ball up the park, thus cutting out the slow methodical build-up which had served us so well.

It also meant that our forwards who were more comfortable on the ground & showing a burst of acceleration, were now having to scrap out aerial duels which were meat & drink to opposition defenders.

The death knell for the slow build-up was probably the Partick cup game. The 1st goal we lost was due to Partick closing down on that ball played from defence to midfield by Derek to Marco. They had watched us & knew it was coming & being a Premier team were fit enough to harry us out of our normal game.

Whether this spooked us or not, who knows ? But after that the slow build-up quickly disappeared from view. Instead of understanding that this was a team 2 leagues above us, we threw out the baby with the bath water, & gave up on the style which was obviously highly successful in the 2nd Division.

Since then our form has slumped further & further. We no longer keep possession for any great lengths of time, thus allowing more physical teams to overrun us. The service to our forwards has all but dried up as we no longer play to our strengths. As soon as our defenders clear the ball it's coming right back at them. We've become experts at putting ourselves under pressure.

As far as this Saturday goes away to Airdrie, Cowboy could go back to the side that beat them 6-1 up there, which I believe has never played together again in the league since. Whether he could restore that pass & move game at such a crucial time is highly dubious. The players' confidence & form is now all but shot to hell & some of them look as if they'd rather be anywhere else but on the park.

In saying that I'd rather see them try that style again now & play a bit of football, rather than some of the long ball crap they have been doing.

We can but try.

3. From the Office of the Chairman
Author: Douglas Rae
Date: 14-05-04 15:52

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN

"LAST CHANCE SALOON" '
Tomorrow we all head for Airdrie for the final match of the season which will decide the outcome of our season. Before we know the outcome let me take a minute to thank every supporter for the fabulous support that you have given to the team throughout the entire season, even latterly when we have not been doing at all well. I have said it many times before but another time will not go amiss; that it is the quality and numeracy of our support that has inspired me to input as much as I have to improving both the stadium and the team. I salute you all!!

I spoke with our team this morning and thanked them for the fantastic high points that they have provided us with this season and although we have also had many low points (none more so than last Saturday and at Hamilton) I still have a sense of pride in the boys.

I told them that with one game to go that there was really little difference to what we faced in our final game last year. We had to win it or we would not have been promoted. Similarly if we do not win tomorrow then there is no way that we can be promoted this season. The only difference this year is that the ultimate outcome is not in our own hands as we have to rely on Forfar taking something off Hamilton which certainly is not impossible.

Let me say here and now that if we do not make it to the First Division this season then further improvements in personnel will be made during the close season to try and ensure that the promotion that we all crave will be achieved next season.

The Club and I have had an enormous number of letters and 'e' mails from many battle hardened supporters assuring us that, irrespective of the outcome tomorrow, they will be back with us next season to cheer the Ton yet again. Such messages have been both uplifting and re-assuring.

My very best wishes go with you all; have a good summer break and come back amongst us to play your own vital role again next year.

Bye for now,

Douglas Rae
CHAIRMAN