When Jim Duffy swapped Broadwood for Cappielow in May of 2014, the reaction was lukewarm to say the least. Clyde fans were in a state of “meh” at losing their manager of three years, as Duffy had done a respectable job on a limited budget. Morton fans were underwhelmed and voiced their frustration at the club’s board for picking the “cheap option”, while supporters of divisional rivals such as Dunfermline and Stranraer expressed their delight at the appointment. For a man once whisked into Edinburgh via helicopter to become the new Hibs manager, his stock had certainly fallen.
Duffy was a combative centre-half in his playing days, making over 300 appearances for Morton, Dundee and Partick Thistle. He won the PFA Player of the Year award in 1985, despite playing in a Morton team that shipped over 100 goals and was relegated from the Premier Division. A knee injury would force him to cut his playing career short at the age of 28, at which point he transitioned into a coaching.
Around a year later, he became the UK’s youngest football manager when taking the reigns at Falkirk in 1988, and the rest is history. Duffy would go on to manage Dundee, Hibs, Dundee again, and Norwich as caretaker, before unspectacular spells at Brechin and Clyde. There was also a coaching gig at Chelsea in the early 2000s in which he helped bring through and coach players such as John Terry.
His managerial achievements included two cup final appearances with Dundee (both losses) as well as surviving relegation (for a season, at least) during their administration period. And that’s about it. He had a disastrous spell at Hibs and a bizarre stint as director of football on the other side of Edinburgh at Hearts. His appointment at Morton looked to be his last chance at managing a full-time club in Scotland.
It is important to take into context just how much of a mess Morton were when Duffy arrived – fresh off their worst season in the modern era, finishing rock bottom of the Championship, some way off ninth-placed Cowdenbeath. This just one year after a title battle with Partick Thistle for promotion to the top-flight.
Morton’s last game of the season was the infamous 10-2 drubbing by Hamilton at New Douglas Park, a result which managed to sum up the 2013-14 season better than anything else could. The likes of Garry O’Connor, Nacho Novo and Dougie Imrie were long gone, and Morton headed into the League One season with just six players on their books. Add to that a fan base in complete disarray, a board which no longer seemed interested, the prospect of Morton becoming part-time should they fail to secure an instant return, and it was plain to see that Duffy had quite the job on his hands.
Duffy assembled a squad of players, some good, some bad, some downright ugly, but they just about got the job done. Owing a lot to Declan McManus and his goals, as well as the January arrivals of Peter ‘Peaso’ MacDonald, Ross Caldwell and Michael Tidser, Duffy’s men got over the line on the last day of the season, beating Peterhead 3-1 on Helicopter Saturday.
But, my goodness did they make hard work of it. Morton lost a staggering 11 times to part-time teams that season, as well as being dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Spartans of the Lowland League. This left some questioning whether the Hamilton result was really that bad. What got Morton over the line was the team spirit that Duffy had created. Coming back from one, two and three goals down at times and salvaging points won Morton that league title.
Some might argue the superior fitness played its part due to the Greenock side being one of only two full-time teams in the league. Opposition players were usually puffing out their arse after the 75th minute and Morton were able to take advantage. Some others might argue that their full-time rivals Dunfermline, enjoying a torrid season finishing seventh in League One, helped Morton greatly. I don’t doubt that. But that spirit, that playing for the shirt mentality Duffy had managed to instil in his team was the biggest factor. He knew he had assembled an average group of football players, but he also knew how to get them playing and fighting for him on their way to the title.
Did Morton fans warm to him as a result of achieving what was required? No, absolutely not. The losses in League One, the mess at Spartans and the horrendous brand of football – affectionately known as Duffyball – was still very much in the back of supporters’ minds and most would’ve been glad to see the back of him.
Duffy soldiered on, however, and began compiling a squad to compete in the Championship, he did not make a lot of changes. The Morton forum crashed about 40 times that summer as players that looked out of their depth in League One were handed new contracts. The team looked incredibly unbalanced and understrength for the much more rigorous demands of Championship football.
“Duffy out” was the cry before a ball was even kicked that season. He was to prove them wrong again. Morton finished fifth, not troubling the play-offs in the end but also in no danger of relegation. A season which included a 2-2 draw away at Ibrox, a 3-0 drubbing of Hibs at Easter Road, a 90th minute equaliser in Paisley, as well as reaching the quarter-final stage of both the League and Scottish Cup. A very respectable showing on Morton’s first year back.
The loan system was used excellently, securing the likes of Denny Johnstone, Luca Gasporotto, Declan McManus (again) and Alex Samuel, who complimented the squad of improving youngsters assembled. Were supporters convinced yet? Nope. “Duffy out” was again the cry after a 3-1 derby loss to St Mirren. Although The Duff had done well that season, many were convinced this was his ceiling and he wasn’t the man to take Morton forward. Boy, were they wrong.
This season, it has all seemed to click. The players that Duffy has had since League One – Thomas O’Ware, Ross Forbes, Lee Kilday, Mark Russell, Rickie Lamie and Derek Gaston – all developed into leading Championship players. It is unclear what Jim Duffy does on the training ground four days a week, but there’s a reason he’s coached at the top level and is still held in such high-regard by the likes of John Terry. He is a brilliant coach, and his work with these players in particular has been nothing short of miraculous.
He has again dipped into the loan market and secured Aidan Nesbitt and Jamie Lindsay, both from Celtic, and added the likes of Andy McNeil and Michael Doyle to the squad. He unearthed Jai Quitongo – a player who didn’t look up to standard last year during cameos from the bench, but is now Morton’s leading striker and wanted by a host of clubs.
It wasn’t all rosy this season, though. As recently as September, fans were calling for Duffy’s dismissal once again. Despite a fantastic Betfred Cup campaign, Morton were struggling in the league itself, and were humiliated at Hampden losing 2-0 to Queens Park in the Irn-Bru Cup. The following weekend players were arguing with fans at Somerset after yet another defeat. A good old fashioned shame game which Morton have become all too accustomed to recently.
Duffy decided to sign free agents Andy Murdoch (formerly of Rangers) and professional lunatic Gavin Gunning to plug holes in the thin, injury-hit squad, and it took off from there. He guided his team to their first semi-final since the 1980s against Aberdeen, their first Renfrewshire derby win in 18 years, and is currently sat third in a very competitive Championship, undefeated at home since March.
The team spirit and tight-knit dressing room which Duffy wanted from day one is there. Whenever you hear a Morton player interviewed, or someone on loan at the club, they always seem to mention what a great group of lads it is, and how it’s the best dressing room they’ve been involved in.
This was the case in League One and last season as well, but Duffy now has a very capable group of young footballers that have worked with him over a number of years and thus knows exactly what he wants from them. His team are incredibly well-drilled, disciplined and defensively sound, boasting one of the best defences in the country, but exciting going forward with the likes of Quitongo, Oliver, Nesbitt and statistically the country’s leading playmaker Ross Forbes.
Duffy as a coach appears to be more proactive now as well. Morton lost a lot of late goals last season and seemed incapable of seeing out games, which left supporters tearing their hair out. The team can now grind out results even when they’re not playing well as each member of the squad is so well-drilled.
Perhaps the biggest sign of Jim Duffy’s… erm… new-found ability as a manager is what he managed to do with Jamie McDonagh. An Irish youth international signed in the summer from Sheffield United to bolster the front line. He came in as a striker, though it became quite clear fairly early on he wasn’t a very good one. What does Duffy do? Turn him into a right-back, of course, and a bloody good one at that. McDonagh has excelled despite having never played there in his entire career, so much so he’s now regularly keeping actual right-back Michael Doyle out the team
Whilst I won’t go as far as Chick Young in touting Jim for the Scotland job (he’s perhaps a season or two off that yet…) it is perhaps time he lost the stigma that surrounds him in Scottish football. He is a good manager, a brilliant coach and a stand up guy. Not once did he complain when Morton fans were calling for his head, and he’s done nothing but praise and thank supporters during his time at the club. Instead of responding to the criticism, he has got on with his job and made many people eat a lot of humble pie.
We are only in January, and whilst Morton look good for a play-off spot, it could all go tits up in spectacular Morton-fashion. If it does, it will not be down to Duffy, it will be down to a lack of investment and backing of Duffy from the board. Duffy has been responsible for one of the most enjoyable and relativity successful periods in Morton’s recent history. He’s already a legend at Cappielow as a player, he’s on the right track to become a legendary manager as well.
By Evan McFarlane (@EvanMcfarlane)