The D&G Steve Morison Analysis

[John 0]

In this article i''m go to assess the purchase of Steve Morison from Watford in light of a reportedly agreed figure of £3.5 million between Swansea and Watford over the transfer of Danny Graham. Whilst i understand how pre-judgment can often be haphazardly pre-judged on here, i do ask of you to keep a cool head, for our frontal lobes too often get the better of all of us on here as it is.

First of all, Graham (25) has over two years in his favour against Morsion (27), and eclipsed

Morsion, the penalty taker of Millwall until late in the season, having

only taken 1 penalty himself, by 9 goals (26 to 17). Considering Morison is rarely

seen as anything more than a poacher, and Graham is seen as a striker

that more regularly participates in the build-up play, i see this as a

particular issue.Graham also competed highly for a striker on

the assist table (with 9), whereas Morison managed a distinctly average

5. Grant Holt has shown in successive seasons how important it can be having a striker that''s regularly providing the killer ball (consequently, any fan that thinks Morison a form of replacement for Holt, perhaps on a basis of build or background, unequivocally needs to re-evaluate their interpretation of Morison).Morison was also of course part of a better side, and was in better

supply with players like James Henry in company; so much so that he

could supposedly miss 5 in 6 chances (this seems to be the line that many Millwall fans tread), and still end up with 17 goals to

his name. Graham was a tryer, but by Watford fans admission, was too

often left isolated by his team, forcing him to retreat on many occasions.It genuinely worries me to think we paid anywhere near the fee Swansea have paid for Graham. From what i understand there could be as little as £500K, purely on the basis of the transfer value, seperating the two. If we''re to believe what we''re told, Morison isn''t far off being our record signing, yet a cursory glance at a career that has demanded such a price leaves a lot to be desired.As

for comparisons, there''s little competition to be had here when asking

the fans of their former (or soon to be former) clubs. The

statistics themselves show enough to justify that.I''ve been

hearing Millwall fans call Morison average for too long now not to let

it get to me, while i''m led to believe we spent over £2

milllion on him.For me this is a concern. Not a cemented

mistake. I''ve never doubted a purchase of Lamberts, and have never gone

on to doubt their class on the basis of their form at any one time. But

managers of all backgrounds, from Ferguson to Roeder, have the ability

to make big mistakes. In my opinion, there is now stronger evidence than

otherwise to suggest this could be one of Lamberts.The manner in which this forum conducts itself isn''t lost on me, i know full well what kind of responses i''m likely to get in return. Comments that speak of faith as an aside, i implore that you don''t (i also plea that no one sends me a link to any Youtube video exhibiting his talents in some sort of compilation - Goran Maric and Julien Brellier among others show there are lessons to be learnt when citing Yountube as a reference), i''d like some rational and empirical feedback.There''s nothing i''d like more at the moment than to be wrong about this.

[star_manic 0]

why should you be right and lambert wrong?

[John 0]

[quote user="star_manic"]why should you be right and lambert wrong?[/quote]More to the point, why should Lambert ever be wrong?[8-)]

[Cantiaci Canary 556]

I don''t think it''s as simple as a direct comparison.

 

Lambert has hunted down Morison for his own reasons.

 

He clearly thinks he will fit better into his plans and strategy than Graham ... otherwise he would have put in bids for the Watford striker.

 

Lets celebrate what we have rather than pine for what we don''t.

[Yobocop 1,095]

I''m very excited about this signing and think Morison is another ''classic'' Lambert signing.

Someone who wants to come in and prove something, he might not be someone like Graham who finished top goalscorer last season (was it?) but he is an all round footballer, and I know albeit Wales does have international experience.

The money we have paid for him is about the going rate for someone of his age and quality.

[John 0]

Point of the matter, i''ve heard people say ''Lambert has been wrong for the first time'' with respect to Doncaster away, Carlisle away, Simeon Jackson, not buying a replacement and/or back-up for Holt and Hoolahan before the Championship season, Swansea away, Hull at home, Portsmouth at home, Aaron Wilbraham, Marc Tierny, John Ruddy, the dealing of the Burnley saga... etc., on countless occasions. I refuse to believe he hasn''t been doubted at some stage by anyone that would question the very matter of my questioning on this board.Lamberts supposed ''infallibility'' is a petty notion, and i don''t, nor should anyone, want to entertain it in discussion. Lambert is a human genius, not an omnipetent God.

[Cantiaci Canary 556]

John - relax!

 

Enjoy the double promotion, look forward to the new faces yet to come in and wear your Norwich shirt with pride.

 

We may not have Lambert for long - make the most of it! 

[John 0]

[quote user="Give Peas a Chance "]I''m very excited about this signing and think Morison is another ''classic'' Lambert signing.

Someone who wants to come in and prove something, he might not be someone like Graham who finished top goalscorer last season (was it?) but he is an all round footballer, and I know albeit Wales does have international experience.

The money we have paid for him is about the going rate for someone of his age and quality.[/quote]The meaning of a great portion of my article being that he isn''t (or at least comparitively speaking, he isn''t).And if the price we paid for Morison is the going rate for someone of his age and prestige, Swansea have certainly paid millions below that of Graham''s.

As for speak of him fitting Lamberts mould of player, that is one of the rare few areas i find solace in in this discussion.

[I am a Banana 0]

mistake in the 1st line, Steve Morrision from watford?

[John 0]

[quote user="I am a Banana"]mistake in the 1st line, Steve Morrision from watford?[/quote]It hurts, but i can only take this one on the chin.

Yes Banana. Of course i meant to say ''Millwall''.

[Yobocop 1,095]

Every decision will be discussed on this message board and any other message board and will have people either agreeing with it or disagreeing with it. That''s what makes a football message board interesting...

I don''t think anyone would be silly enough to think everything Lambert touches turns to gold, but lets face it he has took a struggling League One club to a place in the Premiership elite in less than 2 years and all this on a minimal budget or at least a smaller budget than the other clubs competing for a place in the Premiership.

Whilst I can see the point you are making, we have to appreciate what we have here and also live for now because who knows whats round the corner?

[Joanna Grey 0]

Don''t know what you''re worrying about, it''s not your money is it? Now go and say your "Hail Lambert" twenty times you sinner.

[John 0]

[quote user="Cantiaci Canary"]

John - relax!

 

Enjoy the double promotion, look forward to the new faces yet to come in and wear your Norwich shirt with pride.

 

We may not have Lambert for long - make the most of it! 

[/quote]That is a fair, welcome point CC, and i most definitely enjoy it; however, at the risk of sounding as one that delights in being a contrarian, i should think us resting on the laurels of our succes could deflate almost any debate to be had on this board, could it not?

[ZLF 271]

[quote user="I am a Banana"]mistake in the 1st line, Steve Morrision from watford?[/quote]

fine opinion - its not all about the player - PL wants 5 more players this season and cost, experience and ability to have an impact this season, attitude (does PL like morisons more than grahams) and ability to fit in with teh squad come into it.

Whether we think there are better options is why this board is here - to debate them; questioning PL is fine and discussing it here by debate rather than just responding well "pl does not think so" is pointless

John - i accept your point of view; my own is that Morison has played internationals, has 2 years more experience overall and is likely to cope with the step up better to the PL better than Graham who may need some time to adjust; he may be a better bet long term; but I dont think we have time or the money on our side to wait and find out

I would have been happy with Danny Graham - but dont seem him as that much better than Morison to worry about not having him

We have options up front - and that is exactly what we need.

Now for the defence...

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="John"]Whilst i understand how pre-judgment can often be haphazardly pre-judged on here[/quote]Sorry, you''ve lost me there.

[Thirsty Lizard 3,155]

Just a couple of points John. Firstly, to the best of our knowledge - and I know plenty of things are undisclosed - it would appear that we have paid £2.1 million for Morrison up front with a possible £700,000 to follow whereas Swansea have paid £3.5 million up front for Graham - making the difference at the moment £1.4 million.

Secondly, reading the interview Morrison gave to the Sun it seems that Morrison played 3 months of last season with a broken foot and another 3 months with a heel bruised so badly he couldn''t actually put any weight on it when he wasn''t playing. If that''s correct we could perhaps expect a good deal more from him next season if he''s fully fit.

Anyway, ILIT.

[crabbycanary 2]

After what we have had to deal with over recent times -board dealings -certain Managers etc, Lambert has obviously done far more right than wrong . He has done something which will be so hard to emulate in the football world.

Even he recognises he gets things wrong ( Doncaster away)

There hasn''t ever been ( or in the future) a manager who hasn''t made the odd ricket in a game or over a signing, so I am not concerned in the slightest. Shame on you for introducing negativity to try and shatter the Green and Yellow dreamworld I am currently in :)

[John 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="John"]Whilst i understand how pre-judgment can often be haphazardly pre-judged on here[/quote]Sorry, you''ve lost me there.[/quote]My view on the matter Chops is that people on here are too frequently attacked for showing dissent over a player yet to don the yellow and green kit at Carrow Road.The history books don''t possess facts of the future; but they do possess valuable facts of the past.

[John 0]

[quote user="John"][quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="John"]Whilst i understand how pre-judgment can often be haphazardly pre-judged on here[/quote]Sorry, you''ve lost me there.[/quote]My view on the matter Chops is that people on here are too frequently attacked for showing dissent over a player yet to don the yellow and green kit at Carrow Road.The history books don''t possess facts of the future; but they do possess valuable facts of the past.[/quote]''Urgently'' perhaps being a more appropriate term in the context of that sentence.

[Mister Chops 7]

[quote user="John"][quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="John"]Whilst i understand how pre-judgment can often be haphazardly pre-judged on here[/quote]Sorry, you''ve lost me there.[/quote]My view on the matter Chops is that people on here are too frequently attacked for showing dissent over a player yet to don the yellow and green kit at Carrow Road.The history books don''t possess facts of the future; but they do possess valuable facts of the past.[/quote]Got it, thanks.  Though an analysis of Grant Holt at Championship level before last season would have been equally damning.  For as long as we have this management team getting the best out of the players they want to bring in, I trust their judgement even if on paper it may look questionable - perhaps Morison can lead the line & hold it up better than Graham, for example, playing more of an all round team role.

[Yobocop 1,095]

I''m still with you John, I understand what you mean.

[PurpleCanary 5,554]

[quote user="Thirsty Lizard"]Just a couple of points John. Firstly, to the best of our knowledge - and I know plenty of things are undisclosed - it would appear that we have paid £2.1 million for Morrison up front with a possible £700,000 to follow whereas Swansea have paid £3.5 million up front for Graham - making the difference at the moment £1.4 million.

 

 Secondly, reading the interview Morrison gave to the Sun it seems that Morrison played 3 months of last season with a broken foot and another 3 months with a heel bruised so badly he couldn''t actually put any weight on it when he wasn''t playing. If that''s correct we could perhaps expect a good deal more from him next season if he''s fully fit. Anyway, ILIT.[/quote]

 

--

 

I made pretty much the same point on another thread. We have got two strikers for the price Swansea seem to have paid for one.

 

More generally, I don''t think you can compare - say - Graham v Morison in isolation. You can only really assess signings at the end of August when everybody has been brought in. £3.5m may be the most Swansea spend on one player, while we may pay more for Snodgrass, or someone else. And priorities in terms of areas of the squad to be strengthened are important. We almost certainly need another keeper. Do Swansea? I''ve no idea but they might feel they have good enough back-up for de Vries.

 

Way too many imponderables at the moment to make definitive judgments.

 

[John 0]

[quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="John"][quote user="Mister Chops"][quote user="John"]Whilst i understand how pre-judgment can often be haphazardly pre-judged on here[/quote]Sorry, you''ve lost me there.[/quote]My view on the matter Chops is that people on here are too frequently attacked for showing dissent over a player yet to don the yellow and green kit at Carrow Road.The history books don''t possess facts of the future; but they do possess valuable facts of the past.[/quote]Got it, thanks.  Though an analysis of Grant Holt at Championship level before last season would have been equally damning.  For as long as we have this management team getting the best out of the players they want to bring in, I trust their judgement even if on paper it may look questionable - perhaps Morison can lead the line & hold it up better than Graham, for example, playing more of an all round team role.[/quote]I understand your viewpoint Chops. However Holt was never truly free reign in the Championship in any one season before us that could constitute a chance worthy of such consideration. After his season in League One, i frequently pointed out Holt had equals in the likes of Jason Scotland and Chris Iwelumo in stepping up to the second tier of English football as a late developer (those two having failed to perform at Championship level prior to 28 years of age, with both fitting a similar mould to Holt). As such, i was confident that he would reach 20 goals.For Morison i can find no such equal that gives me that confidence.As for fashioning a sort of focal point, going by both record and empirical evidence, it would seem Graham has (quite comperehensively) the greater range of facets in his favour to fulfill such a role.

All i can say in favour of Morison is that Lambert knows what he wants. Though it''s just equally the case that he might not be right.

[Canarino 0]

Morison is 6ft 2 inches tall, which is definitely something in his favour!

[John 0]

[quote user="Give Peas a Chance "]I''m still with you John, I understand what you mean.[/quote]And the understanding is mutual Peas.

I fear the damining impression i''ve conveyed doesn''t quite tally with how i feel. I do rate Morison as a player, and i certainly rate Lambert as a manager (of that there is no question). It''s only the case that, unfortunate as it is, there are other factors i can''t evade that concern me.

[AJ 1,218]

Morison has clearly been brought here as serious back up and competition for Holt in my eyes. I don''t think we''ve signed him to score a hat-full of goals - but if he does, then brilliant for us!

We score goals as a team, and are a different unit to Millwall''s hard playing outfit. He might thrive under Lambert, wait and see.

In Lambert we trust.

[Cantiaci Canary 556]

[quote user="John"][quote user="Cantiaci Canary"]

John - relax!

 

Enjoy the double promotion, look forward to the new faces yet to come in and wear your Norwich shirt with pride.

 

We may not have Lambert for long - make the most of it! 

[/quote]

That is a fair, welcome point CC, and i most definitely enjoy it; however, at the risk of sounding as one that delights in being a contrarian, i should think us resting on the laurels of our succes could deflate almost any debate to be had on this board, could it not?
[/quote]

 

I enjoy a good debate John but I think it''s harsh to drown our new signing in question marks before he has even worn a City shirt.

 

Lets debate whether he is a good signing once he has played a few games.

 

Any signing from outside the Premier League will be a gamble. No one can tell who will score more goals out of Morison, CMS & Graham ... a lot will depend on how well each team adjusts to the league and the club they''ve joined.

 

In short - lets wait and see! 

[The Voice Of Reason 0]

It''s important to remember that PL is not perfect BUT does seem to learn fast and react well to situations.

We are often have better tactics in the 2nd half of games, playing the same team for the 2nd time etc. Etc

This is 1st for PL being in the Premier League, I think PL and his team will learn quickly enough to help us survive.

[Jack Barak 46]

I think this is an interesting post and echoes the concerns many people have - maybe not about individuals but about the perceived levels of who we are likely to sign against who we would like to sign. As soon as promotion was confirmed this board was full of well known players - Defoe, Klose, Owen etc, all internationals, all proven at the highest levels and all on massive wages, this type of players are clearly out of our reach and Lambert is signing players that he think will add to the squad both on and off the pitch...last year showed the importance of our mentality to getting results and I think anyone who comes in would have to be prepared to keep going to the end even when it doesn''t look like it is going to be our day whilst also being affordable. Let''s not forget that we are still sitting on £23m of debt which we pay around £2m a year to service, the priority has to be to add to the squad whilst also allowing us to pay that down. An extra £1.4m on Graham - who was in the Prem before and was not considered to be good enough - is no more of a safe bet than the price paid for Morison. This looks like a thought through signing that will add depth and options whilst also living within a budget, if Lambert has £20m to spend (which would surprise me to be honest) than that is only £2.8m per player (based on 7 coming in), this is within that budget.

[king canary 7,578]

Personally I think assists is one of the most misleading stats in the game. Say Morrison wins the crucial flick on for a team mate who then just has to square it for a striker to tap in- Morrison gets no credit for that. You cant judge what a player brings to a team as a whole without watching a team for 90 minutes on a regular basis.