I've missed the previous few games so last night was my chance to see what exactly the Morganaissance was about. Someone please tell me that the previous games were better than last night as if that was the standard for the hype then I don't see that much has changed. Sloppy passing, poor shooting. It wasn't all bad, most of the set pieces are much better than we have seen for a while (low bar in fairness) and he did work hard for the 90 mins. I'm not going to sit here and say he was bad last night just that it was an average performance.
Edit- I'm lying, I saw the pizza trophy game and completely forgot he was playing in that, says a lot.
I've missed the previous few games so last night was my chance to see what exactly the Morganaissance was about. Someone please tell me that the previous games were better than last night as if that was the standard for the hype then I don't see that much has changed. Sloppy passing, poor shooting. It wasn't all bad, most of the set pieces are much better than we have seen for a while (low bar in fairness) and he did work hard for the 90 mins. I'm not going to sit here and say he was bad last night just that it was an average performance.
Edit- I'm lying, I saw the pizza trophy game and completely forgot he was playing in that, says a lot.
Last night was about the same as he's been in recent game imo, maybe slightly better.
Think he's recent performances have been looked at as decent, because those around him have been so abysmal
I've missed the previous few games so last night was my chance to see what exactly the Morganaissance was about. Someone please tell me that the previous games were better than last night as if that was the standard for the hype then I don't see that much has changed. Sloppy passing, poor shooting. It wasn't all bad, most of the set pieces are much better than we have seen for a while (low bar in fairness) and he did work hard for the 90 mins. I'm not going to sit here and say he was bad last night just that it was an average performance.
Edit- I'm lying, I saw the pizza trophy game and completely forgot he was playing in that, says a lot.
Agree with this. He set a low bar for himself so any improvement, however slight is seen as him turning a corner. However, credit where it's due, he hasn't given up and if he carries on like recently at least we've got a half decent consistent player on our hands, rather than one just going backwards.
I started the season wanting it to work out for him, was then resigned to letting him go, but now I would happily have him as a squad option for next season, pushing to be a regular starter.
I started the season wanting it to work out for him, was then resigned to letting him go, but now I would happily have him as a squad option for next season, pushing to be a regular starter.
I think the problem we've got in midfield is that you could say that about Lee (I know he's not our player), Morgan, Gilbey and even Clare if you consider him as a utility player. We also don't know about JFC. We need to strengthen the quality rather than having 3/4 decent CMs vying for a spot dependant on how they've been playing recently.
I'm pleased for Albie. Earlier in the season, Clare and Dobson were unfairly left out by Adkins BUT the same can be said about Jacko completely ignoring Morgan once he took over.
Yes I entirely understand starting every week with Dobson, Gilbey and Lee when we were playing well and winning, but Morgan wasn't even getting minutes from the bench when our form started dropping off.
I'm pleased for Albie. Earlier in the season, Clare and Dobson were unfairly left out by Adkins BUT the same can be said about Jacko completely ignoring Morgan once he took over.
Yes I entirely understand starting every week with Dobson, Gilbey and Lee when we were playing well and winning, but Morgan wasn't even getting minutes from the bench when our form started dropping off.
I know we both commented on this earlier in the season but it's strange how it's taken until February to go back to the midfield balance that worked at the end of last season. 1 holding and 2 playing box to box. Or a 6 and 2 8s.
We have tried 6,8,10 and 2 6s and a 10 (which didn't work and I am still not sure why we played it).
With Clare he was really poor, he wasn't the only one, in the Bolton and Accrington games and hasn't played in midfield since. He has been a revelation at RCB and I don't really see why you would play him anywhere else. But I wonder where Jackson saw him and Morgan in the pecking order before Clare changed position?
I'm pleased for Albie. Earlier in the season, Clare and Dobson were unfairly left out by Adkins BUT the same can be said about Jacko completely ignoring Morgan once he took over.
Yes I entirely understand starting every week with Dobson, Gilbey and Lee when we were playing well and winning, but Morgan wasn't even getting minutes from the bench when our form started dropping off.
I know we both commented on this earlier in the season but it's strange how it's taken until February to go back to the midfield balance that worked at the end of last season. 1 holding and 2 playing box to box. Or a 6 and 2 8s.
We have tried 6,8,10 and 2 6s and a 10 (which didn't work and I am still not sure why we played it).
With Clare he was really poor, he wasn't the only one, in the Bolton and Accrington games and hasn't played in midfield since. He has been a revelation at RCB and I don't really see why you would play him anywhere else. But I wonder where Jackson saw him and Morgan in the pecking order before Clare changed position?
Interesting that Clare left Oxford because our old boss Robinson played him at right back and not midfield, when for us he's only found a regular role as a right CB in a 3, and the way he was playing last night, him and Matthews effectively swapped between RCB and RWB!
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
To give credit where it is due Albie has played ok the last few games. I had totally written him off and tbh I still think he is miles away from what we need, yes he can pick a pass if given time but he 100% needs to have space and time if he is under any sort of pressure and being closed down the messages from his brain to his feet seem to take too long to get there
We have seen this before from Albie. He will play well for two or three weeks and then will be poor for a month or more.. He has played over 100 times for the club so we know what he is at this point - someone who can pick out a nice pass out wide to a winger but lacks quality/creativity in the final third , slows the possession down and who is highly inconsistent with his defensive commitment. He is fine as a reserve but not someone you want starting on a regular basis.
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
Can't agree with the first half of you post but yeah fair point on the final sentence. I guess my issue with Morgan is I can't remember a player in our recent past that has had as many chances and still we all end up back to the same view point as fans, some think he's not good enough and some think he will come good.
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
I'd say he's currently our best option in midfield. He has earned his place in the squad based on training and performance.
When you play forward passes more than sideways and backwards passes, you'll see more intercepted or on occasion over hit.
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
Can't agree with the first half of you post but yeah fair point on the final sentence. I guess my issue with Morgan is I can't remember a player in our recent past that has had as many chances and still we all end up back to the same view point as fans, some think he's not good enough and some think he will come good.
I don't remember us having a player that can play so well and so poorly sometimes in the same game. His inconsistency has cost his position as much as it has won him more chances. Plus he turns 22 this month, this season is I believe his last chance saloon to prove he is good enough to stay with us. I think he realises it too.
Any other midfielder that we've had and been inconsistent has been at best a couple of years older than Morgan. I have no doubt that part of his continued chances are because professionals are not willing to write off a player because he has a few poor games, in line more often than not with when the whole squad has been shit.
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
Can't agree with the first half of you post but yeah fair point on the final sentence. I guess my issue with Morgan is I can't remember a player in our recent past that has had as many chances and still we all end up back to the same view point as fans, some think he's not good enough and some think he will come good.
People saying send Lee back/don't consider a permanent because he has had a drop in form (coincided with Stockley getting injured and losing his hold-up/link up play) when he has shown to be more consistent and effective than Morgan.
If Albie hadn't come through our academy then we would've jettisoned him from the club a long time ago, and him not taking yet another chance is the reason he shouldn't be near a team with aspirations of promotion. (So I guess he's safe for this shower of mediocrity we currently find ourselves in!)
lacking in some ways, squad player at best for me and it his age that's not a good thing, needs to go out on loan to find his level and gain experience/hone his passing etc
He's filled in nicely for a very out of sorts Elliot Lee. Well done Albie and keep up the hard work. Euell is a good calming influence on him.
Not sure we will ever see enough goals from midfield with both Morgan and Gilbey in midfield. Remember when each of them just needed one goal, then they'll push on and score regularly. It hasn't happened which is telling of the finishing and goalscoring instincts.
We do have to be honest and yesterday he had two more rash swipes at goal from promising positions within the box, one with either foot. There is no need to lace it as hard as you can - that's a bit schoolboy. Unfortunately, these are the areas we expected and needed Lee to be more refined, but he has been equally as wild.
Played well last night and calmed the midfield down when we needed him too. Never quite understood the early season criticism of Morgan - I honestly think a lot of that was Adkins having no idea how or where to play him.
I'm pleased for Albie. Earlier in the season, Clare and Dobson were unfairly left out by Adkins BUT the same can be said about Jacko completely ignoring Morgan once he took over.
Yes I entirely understand starting every week with Dobson, Gilbey and Lee when we were playing well and winning, but Morgan wasn't even getting minutes from the bench when our form started dropping off.
Jacko has often said that if a player wants to force himself into the squad, then he has to really impress in training. At some point recently, Morgan must have done just that.
With the poor results a few works ago, Morgan got his chance and so far held his place. He knows what to do - work hard in the 1st team and impress in training.
I'm pleased for Albie. Earlier in the season, Clare and Dobson were unfairly left out by Adkins BUT the same can be said about Jacko completely ignoring Morgan once he took over.
Yes I entirely understand starting every week with Dobson, Gilbey and Lee when we were playing well and winning, but Morgan wasn't even getting minutes from the bench when our form started dropping off.
Jacko has often said that if a player wants to force himself into the squad, then he has to really impress in training. At some point recently, Morgan must have done just that.
With the poor results a few works ago, Morgan got his chance and so far held his place. He knows what to do - work hard in the 1st team and impress in training.
I agree with that of course, though the cynic in me also feels that all managers use that comment as a means of deflecting questions as to why Player A is left out and Player B plays every week, as the fans and media don't see training and have to accept the manager's word
I'm pleased for Albie. Earlier in the season, Clare and Dobson were unfairly left out by Adkins BUT the same can be said about Jacko completely ignoring Morgan once he took over.
Yes I entirely understand starting every week with Dobson, Gilbey and Lee when we were playing well and winning, but Morgan wasn't even getting minutes from the bench when our form started dropping off.
Jacko has often said that if a player wants to force himself into the squad, then he has to really impress in training. At some point recently, Morgan must have done just that.
With the poor results a few works ago, Morgan got his chance and so far held his place. He knows what to do - work hard in the 1st team and impress in training.
I agree with that of course, though the cynic in me also feels that all managers use that comment as a means of deflecting questions as to why Player A is left out and Player B plays every week, as the fans and media don't see training and have to accept the manager's word
Ha ha ....... maybe, although Jacko's been pretty consistant so far, both in team selection and about players outside the starting XI forcing their way into the team.
If people are doing the biz in the first team or the results are good - then if it ain't broke, no need to fix it. I like the way he stands by players who've been decent but maybe not at their best for a game or 2. He likes continuity.
Of course, you have to accept the manager's word. Even us! But if the team needs freshening up, he's going to take the squad player that impresses him in training.
He's filled in nicely for a very out of sorts Elliot Lee. Well done Albie and keep up the hard work. Euell is a good calming influence on him.
Not sure we will ever see enough goals from midfield with both Morgan and Gilbey in midfield. Remember when each of them just needed one goal, then they'll push on and score regularly. It hasn't happened which is telling of the finishing and goalscoring instincts.
We do have to be honest and yesterday he had two more rash swipes at goal from promising positions within the box, one with either foot. There is no need to lace it as hard as you can - that's a bit schoolboy. Unfortunately, these are the areas we expected and needed Lee to be more refined, but he has been equally as wild.
A bit harsh on Morgan as he has gone one full game plus injury time without a goal. Had a very good effort frame range last night. 3 weeks ago he would have hit the corner flag with that effort
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
Can't agree with the first half of you post but yeah fair point on the final sentence. I guess my issue with Morgan is I can't remember a player in our recent past that has had as many chances and still we all end up back to the same view point as fans, some think he's not good enough and some think he will come good.
People saying send Lee back/don't consider a permanent because he has had a drop in form (coincided with Stockley getting injured and losing his hold-up/link up play) when he has shown to be more consistent and effective than Morgan.
If Albie hadn't come through our academy then we would've jettisoned him from the club a long time ago, and him not taking yet another chance is the reason he shouldn't be near a team with aspirations of promotion. (So I guess he's safe for this shower of mediocrity we currently find ourselves in!)
That’s true - Lee has been consistently dreadful for weeks.
Morgan is not supported strongly because he’s an academy player- I actually think he’s treated more harshly because of it . He’s supported because there’s clearly a talent there.
Incidentally, the comment above about slowing the game down is totally invalid . He always tries to pass the ball quickly and invariably forwards , which can lead to a few going astray. Give me that over the players that look for the safe 5 yard sideways pass any day .
He has done better of late admittedly, but unfortunately not so much that he has to play. For me still not having the effect required consistently over a whole game. If there are better players which it’s fair to say Fraser is expected to be, he should probably be on the bench, which four games ago I don’t think he should have been near. He has improved a little though.
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
Can't agree with the first half of you post but yeah fair point on the final sentence. I guess my issue with Morgan is I can't remember a player in our recent past that has had as many chances and still we all end up back to the same view point as fans, some think he's not good enough and some think he will come good.
People saying send Lee back/don't consider a permanent because he has had a drop in form (coincided with Stockley getting injured and losing his hold-up/link up play) when he has shown to be more consistent and effective than Morgan.
If Albie hadn't come through our academy then we would've jettisoned him from the club a long time ago, and him not taking yet another chance is the reason he shouldn't be near a team with aspirations of promotion. (So I guess he's safe for this shower of mediocrity we currently find ourselves in!)
That’s true - Lee has been consistently dreadful for weeks.
Morgan is not supported strongly because he’s an academy player- I actually think he’s treated more harshly because of it . He’s supported because there’s clearly a talent there.
Incidentally, the comment above about slowing the game down is totally invalid . He always tries to pass the ball quickly and invariably forwards , which can lead to a few going astray. Give me that over the players that look for the safe 5 yard sideways pass any day .
I’d say he’s overly supported because he’s an academy player, if he wasn’t ‘ours’ he’d have gone long ago.
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
Can't agree with the first half of you post but yeah fair point on the final sentence. I guess my issue with Morgan is I can't remember a player in our recent past that has had as many chances and still we all end up back to the same view point as fans, some think he's not good enough and some think he will come good.
People saying send Lee back/don't consider a permanent because he has had a drop in form (coincided with Stockley getting injured and losing his hold-up/link up play) when he has shown to be more consistent and effective than Morgan.
If Albie hadn't come through our academy then we would've jettisoned him from the club a long time ago, and him not taking yet another chance is the reason he shouldn't be near a team with aspirations of promotion. (So I guess he's safe for this shower of mediocrity we currently find ourselves in!)
That’s true - Lee has been consistently dreadful for weeks.
Morgan is not supported strongly because he’s an academy player- I actually think he’s treated more harshly because of it . He’s supported because there’s clearly a talent there.
Incidentally, the comment above about slowing the game down is totally invalid . He always tries to pass the ball quickly and invariably forwards , which can lead to a few going astray. Give me that over the players that look for the safe 5 yard sideways pass any day .
I’d say he’s overly supported because he’s an academy player, if he wasn’t ‘ours’ he’d have gone long ago.
Is he over supported... There havent been many people defending him since the Cheltenham game on this thread alone - Im sure the Managers dont just keep him around because he's an Academy lad, hasnt saved others has it
Thought Morgan was great last night - him and Dobson ran the midfield, making up for Gilbey who had a bit of a mare.
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
That's great and all but the problem is he can't pass. I know performances can sometimes be subjective but looking at the stats for last night pass completion of 66%, that's pretty poor for a midfielder. He also had 4 shots, most out of anyone playing last night so that's good he's getting in the right positions, problem is zero on target.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
That's pretty harsh - I'd say he's one of the best passers we have, he often releases us on an attack with his vision and passes, and although his pass completion stat may be lower, i'd bet his passes are a lot braver than the other players, and he is often crossing the ball which we didn't win a lot of last night. Dobson's probably at a higher % as he collects/recovers the ball in front of the defence then off-loads to the wings or the other 2 mids, not the same kinda passes.
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
Can't agree with the first half of you post but yeah fair point on the final sentence. I guess my issue with Morgan is I can't remember a player in our recent past that has had as many chances and still we all end up back to the same view point as fans, some think he's not good enough and some think he will come good.
People saying send Lee back/don't consider a permanent because he has had a drop in form (coincided with Stockley getting injured and losing his hold-up/link up play) when he has shown to be more consistent and effective than Morgan.
If Albie hadn't come through our academy then we would've jettisoned him from the club a long time ago, and him not taking yet another chance is the reason he shouldn't be near a team with aspirations of promotion. (So I guess he's safe for this shower of mediocrity we currently find ourselves in!)
That’s true - Lee has been consistently dreadful for weeks.
Morgan is not supported strongly because he’s an academy player- I actually think he’s treated more harshly because of it . He’s supported because there’s clearly a talent there.
Incidentally, the comment above about slowing the game down is totally invalid . He always tries to pass the ball quickly and invariably forwards , which can lead to a few going astray. Give me that over the players that look for the safe 5 yard sideways pass any day .
I’d say he’s overly supported because he’s an academy player, if he wasn’t ‘ours’ he’d have gone long ago.
Is he over supported... There havent been many people defending him since the Cheltenham game on this thread alone - Im sure the Managers dont just keep him around because he's an Academy lad, hasnt saved others has it
When I say overly supported, he clearly hasn’t been consistently good enough for a long time, and yet people still make excuses for him in his defence. I don’t recall a player to have so many lives after turning in below par performances. It’s astonishing he’s played around 80 games and we still don’t know how things will turn out. As I’ve said in the past , if and it’s a big if he proves a hell of a lot of people wrong, then I’ll be the 1st to eat humble pie, because that means he’s doing well for Charlton.
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Edit- I'm lying, I saw the pizza trophy game and completely forgot he was playing in that, says a lot.
Think he's recent performances have been looked at as decent, because those around him have been so abysmal
Yes I entirely understand starting every week with Dobson, Gilbey and Lee when we were playing well and winning, but Morgan wasn't even getting minutes from the bench when our form started dropping off.
We have tried 6,8,10 and 2 6s and a 10 (which didn't work and I am still not sure why we played it).
With Clare he was really poor, he wasn't the only one, in the Bolton and Accrington games and hasn't played in midfield since. He has been a revelation at RCB and I don't really see why you would play him anywhere else. But I wonder where Jackson saw him and Morgan in the pecking order before Clare changed position?
The thing I like about Morgan is he always plays with his head up, looking for a pass which I think is something we missed when we had Lee in his place, who was often dribbling into dead ends only to turn back on himself and play sideways/backwards.
So is the general consensus that Morgan is deserving of a place in the side at the moment because he's not as bad as he has been in the past, he's running around a lot more than he did and he's the only one who can replace Lee who is woefully out of form?
I agree his shooting is pretty poor but as per JJ himself he's working on that and trying to be more dangerous in front of goal.
Surely if we're talking about the team, the fact that Morgan is performing better than Lee (who appears to be his direct competition currently) does mean he deserves his place...
When you play forward passes more than sideways and backwards passes, you'll see more intercepted or on occasion over hit.
Any other midfielder that we've had and been inconsistent has been at best a couple of years older than Morgan. I have no doubt that part of his continued chances are because professionals are not willing to write off a player because he has a few poor games, in line more often than not with when the whole squad has been shit.
If Albie hadn't come through our academy then we would've jettisoned him from the club a long time ago, and him not taking yet another chance is the reason he shouldn't be near a team with aspirations of promotion. (So I guess he's safe for this shower of mediocrity we currently find ourselves in!)
Not sure we will ever see enough goals from midfield with both Morgan and Gilbey in midfield. Remember when each of them just needed one goal, then they'll push on and score regularly. It hasn't happened which is telling of the finishing and goalscoring instincts.
We do have to be honest and yesterday he had two more rash swipes at goal from promising positions within the box, one with either foot. There is no need to lace it as hard as you can - that's a bit schoolboy. Unfortunately, these are the areas we expected and needed Lee to be more refined, but he has been equally as wild.
At some point recently, Morgan must have done just that.
With the poor results a few works ago, Morgan got his chance and so far held his place.
He knows what to do - work hard in the 1st team and impress in training.
If people are doing the biz in the first team or the results are good - then if it ain't broke, no need to fix it.
I like the way he stands by players who've been decent but maybe not at their best for a game or 2. He likes continuity.
Of course, you have to accept the manager's word. Even us!
But if the team needs freshening up, he's going to take the squad player that impresses him in training.