Steve Morison

[BrizzleBluebird]

Good shout Remote.

I have no doubts there'll still be times when he baffles some of us with his selections (more than likely after a defeat no doubt) but so far we can't really fault him this season (league cup aside, and even then we were totally dominant to begin with but fell apart).

I like the fact he has bristled with a little bit of anger when questioned about the signings. In reality, although most of us wouldn't have picked out the players signed, there actually is a decent amount of experience there across them all. Probably more than we realised at the time.

It's also so refreshing that he's gone after players to fit a system.
If we look at the likes of Man Utd, you can have all the money and big name players you like but it won't equate to success without a coherent plan to work to.

Even if we look back to much of our own recent years of procurement, OGS bought all manner of players, few of which proved useful.

Warnock we know wasted money on many players... Bobby Reid still puzzles me to this day as he was never going to suit the way we played... I swear Warnock just loved buying some of Brizzle City's best players as a wind up and nothing more

Gotta say, all in all this far, my glass is getting close to full!

 

[Masky]

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Hmmmmm.....

MASKY OF LLANDAFF

 

[remote]

You should have been a journo Remote.

Not really, your summaries are reasoned, well judged and factual not speculative.

Much too good to be a journo.

Thanks Blue.
With time on my hands, its easy to ponder.
Having the games posted on the city website helps.
Being a 'non-attending' supporter, I havent felt this engaged for a long time. (I must try and line up a visit to Mam's to coincide with a home game).

Its been an interesting journey in a relatively short space of time.
Even if we only finish a few places above last year it will be progress. I hope we will excede that, but if not, solid foundations will have been laid. I'm not expecting a top 2 finish, a solid top half finish will do.

Round pegs in round holes. A game plan everyone seems to understand. People understanding how they contribute to that game plan. A smile on players faces and exuding positivity and mutual support.

Top to bottom the club now seems to be pulling in the same direction. An extrodinary turn around.

 

[ninian opinion]

His transformation of the squad this season - in terms of personnel and style - has been nothing short of stupendous.

Not forgetting his getting in the right sort of loan players in January to ward off any relegation fears.

He though just does not come across well in interviews, but notwithstanding that, for me he gets full marks for his input into the football club.

 

[clingo]

Now we're a few games in, thought I'd bump this back to the top to have an early reiew on SMs start to the season.
There have been a few comments on him on other threads but he's probably deserving of his own thread.

He's no doubt a confident guy, totally focused with a clear vision of what he wants and how he wants the team to play.
He'd shown signs of this with the 23s, but transferring that to a senior side is a big step up.

After he got us safe last year he seemed to have a wobble, but with hindsight he was trying stuff out and testing players, jettisoning those he already knew wouldnt fit his style.

Talking the talk, which he did, is one thing, walking the walk another.

He said his scouting team were working flat out from january and deals were in the pipeline.
They kept their cards close to their chest and delivered. Other than Bale, no long term speculation. Dont think we mentioned a name more than 3 days before a signing and nearly every name mentioned was signed. Unprecedented.

SM said their scouting was targetted based on the style they wanted to play and how the players would fit the style and in the first few games it shows.

15 signings, £550k spent and the wage bill reduced.
Peering at the Brizzle and Swans boards, you still read 'no funds available, no funds available, no commitment, no aspirations'.
The swans have done well scouting for bargains in the past few years but still want to spend big.
Not sure SM could have assembled a much better squad if Tan had chucked him 10 or 15 million.
Conversion of chances needs to be improved, no doubt. Whether thats a proven goal scorer or working on what we've got I dont know.
As he said in his interview on Saturday, he'd be worried if we weren't creating chances, hes less worried that were not finishing them.
I still think we'll have decent numbers of players scoring 8 to 12 goals this season with no-one hitting big numbers.
3 different scorers in our first 3 league games.

The guy is confident and has the courage of his convictions.
If we keep this upward trajectory, we need to tie him, and his extended backtoom staff, down to a longer contract or ensure our aspirations match his as a minimum.

Glass half full.

Good shout Remote.

I have no doubts there'll still be times when he baffles some of us with his selections (more than likely after a defeat no doubt) but so far we can't really fault him this season (league cup aside, and even then we were totally dominant to begin with but fell apart).

I like the fact he has bristled with a little bit of anger when questioned about the signings. In reality, although most of us wouldn't have picked out the players signed, there actually is a decent amount of experience there across them all. Probably more than we realised at the time.

It's also so refreshing that he's gone after players to fit a system.
If we look at the likes of Man Utd, you can have all the money and big name players you like but it won't equate to success without a coherent plan to work to.

Even if we look back to much of our own recent years of procurement, OGS bought all manner of players, few of which proved useful.

Warnock we know wasted money on many players... Bobby Reid still puzzles me to this day as he was never going to suit the way we played... I swear Warnock just loved buying some of Brizzle City's best players as a wind up and nothing more

Gotta say, all in all this far, my glass is getting close to full!

The standard of writing on this board just gets better! Match day threads, analysis, you name it
I can see a Pulitzer or two heading for some posters on here

Back to Mr Morrison, he's just simply transformed the club. Others had the chance but didn't have the vision.
Whatever happens from here on in, VT and his board have to now continue to make Cardiff City a progressive club.

Glass overflowing.

 

[BrizzleBluebird]

In some ways SM actually got a little lucky timing wise.

With so many big earners and more "experienced" players contracts terminating, he actually was able to have a massive clear out without any hassle of pay offs etc. having to be made.

This then allowed him to go get the players he wanted.

Others have tried to change us but been hampered by the existing squad (both Trollope and Harris had a go but couldn't make it work).

So in some respects the stars have aligned for Morison to put into practice what he wanted to do, however, that doesn't take away the fact that he appears to be getting it very right in an exceptionally short space of time.

As we keep saying, there will definitely be bumps and defeats along the way but the future hasn't looked this bright for quite some time.

 

[clingo]

Not sure McCarthy or Harris had the vision. They did however have funds made available to them.
Anyway, we've got a visionary now!

 

[BluefromBridgend]

Not sure McCarthy or Harris had the vision. They did however have funds made available to them.
Anyway, we've got a visionary now!

Mystic Moro?

 

[clingo]

Mystic Moro?

I like it. But not the initials

 

[remote]

In some ways SM actually got a little lucky timing wise.

With so many big earners and more "experienced" players contracts terminating, he actually was able to have a massive clear out without any hassle of pay offs etc. having to be made.

This then allowed him to go get the players he wanted.

Others have tried to change us but been hampered by the existing squad (both Trollope and Harris had a go but couldn't make it work).

So in some respects the stars have aligned for Morison to put into practice what he wanted to do, however, that doesn't take away the fact that he appears to be getting it very right in an exceptionally short space of time.

As we keep saying, there will definitely be bumps and defeats along the way but the future hasn't looked this bright for quite some time.

A very valid point Briz.

A double edged sword in my mind though.
Having a blank canvas meant he could start from scratch.
Starting from scratch meant it could have gone horribly if his targets didnt want to join or if his vision was flawed.

Possibly a unique situation which could have gone a number of ways.
Luckily for us it seems to be panning out.

 

[Oldsparkey]

A very valid point Briz.

A double edged sword in my mind though.
Having a blank canvas meant he could start from scratch.
Starting from scratch meant it could have gone horribly if his targets didnt want to join or if his vision was flawed.

Possibly a unique situation which could have gone a number of ways.
Luckily for us it seems to be panning out.

Unfortunately, if we perform at Brom and Wurzel City this week like we did in our previous away game at Reading, opinions will shift the other way.

We can't help it - we can all tend to shift into fickle football supporter mode.

 

[remote]

Unfortunately, if we perform at Brom and Wurzel City this week like we did in our previous away game at Reading, opinions will shift the other way.

We can't help it - we can all tend to shift into fickle football supporter mode.

Think it depends on where you set your expectation.
For much of the game at Reading and against Portsmouth, we played some good stuff.
A bit better finishing early in both games and we could have run away with both.
Ifs, buts and maybes . Woulda, coulda, shoulda. I know.
Im happy that we're playing football and creating chances. Being positive and going forward.

If we keep playing as we have, I'll cut them some slack.

Anyway, under-performing as we did at reading will be enough to see the Wurzels off.

 

[Oldsparkey]

Think it depends on where you set your expectation.
For much of the game at Reading and against Portsmouth, we played some good stuff.
A bit better finishing early in both games and we could have run away with both.
Ifs, buts and maybes . Woulda, coulda, shoulda. I know.
Im happy that we're playing football and creating chances. Being positive and going forward.

If we keep playing as we have, I'll cut them some slack.

Anyway, under-performing as we did at reading will be enough to see the Wurzels off.

Not so sure about Reading - did you see the way they were taken apart and thrashed 4-0 by Rotherham on the weekend? Hope that Reading game was just a one-off "non turn up day" like Morison said. How poor were Ince's mob Saturday?

Their keeper let one in at the near post, let one tame shot go through his legs, and came out of his area to meet an onrushing Rotherham guy who took the ball around him and slotted.

Got a feeling that Mr. Ince will be struggling this season and we just gave them 3 points by "not turning up".

 

[remote]

Not so sure about Reading - did you see the way they were taken apart and thrashed 4-0 by Rotherham on the weekend? Hope that Reading game was just a one-off "non turn up day" like Morison said. How poor were Ince's mob Saturday?

Their keeper let one in at the near post, let one tame shot go through his legs, and came out of his area to meet an onrushing Rotherham guy who took the ball around him and slotted.

Got a feeling that Mr. Ince will be struggling this season and we just gave them 3 points by "not turning up".

I saw that and thought it put things in perspective.
We know its a funny old league.
It could easily be that we beat Rotherham to complete the circle.

Under MM and Colin I never saw us scoring more than a goal or two.
I think our current squad has goals in them.
As clingo said, at some point there'll be a deluge.

 

[FrankfurterBlue]

There's not turning up and 'not turning up'. From reports I've seen and heard we did a lot of good stuff at Reading but didn't put them to bed? Didn't finish off......and we set up to defend a bit more? Maybe young players get daunted away from home? If so then the next two are better markers of progress. The highlights of O 'Dowda on Saturday show some real spark though throughout the team. Lovely to see.

 

[BrizzleBluebird]

Not so sure about Reading - did you see the way they were taken apart and thrashed 4-0 by Rotherham on the weekend? Hope that Reading game was just a one-off "non turn up day" like Morison said. How poor were Ince's mob Saturday?

Their keeper let one in at the near post, let one tame shot go through his legs, and came out of his area to meet an onrushing Rotherham guy who took the ball around him and slotted.

Got a feeling that Mr. Ince will be struggling this season and we just gave them 3 points by "not turning up".

To be fair though, Rotherham didn't have Curtis Nelson playing for them did they?

Bit harsh on Nelson perhaps but he definitely had a bad week and it was palpable how much more settled the defence was with Ng back in there...

On another day we win both Reading and Pompey games by taking advantage of our early pressure and superiority.
Sadly we went the other way in both....

I trust SM and the team to get a minimum of 3 points from the next 2 games... Though my heart is set on 4.