Shayden Morris: Part Two
Starter
Last week, I looked at the data surrounding Shayden Morris, a player, just like his team, who has had a season of peaks and troughs. The Englishmen started on Saturday in Perth, but had little impact in his one hour on the pitch.
It was almost the perfect Morris performance to review. How can someone who looked unstoppable off the bench in the weeks previous, offer so little when he starts a match? Was this a St. Johnstone problem, or, is this a Shayden problem?
Tactical Setup
Morris played in his typical position on the right wing. Aberdeen, on paper, played a 4-2-3-1, Saints a 3-4-2-1. A lot of the match looked something like this.
On-Ball Actions v St. Johnstone
I noted down all his on-ball events. Here’s my list.
Touch Map from Whoscored.com
Morris had 25 touches overall in his 62 minutes (0.42 per minute). For comparison, Keskinen managed 37, in 83 (0.44 per minute). His dribbling numbers were considerably lower than his season averages: 1/2 successful dribbles, 0.016 per minute played compared to 0.062.
This match did not provide overwhelming evidence to suggest he should start more games.
Space
In the last two weeks, the Dons have come up against back fours and Morris was able to receive the ball in space near the touchline, with time to get his head up and generate attack defenders in 1v1 situations.
This week it was 3/5 at the back with Drey Wright, supported by Barry Douglas on the left side. The extra layer of protection allowed Wright to get a lot closer to Morris without fear of a pass being played into space. So we saw a lot of these scenarios.
St. Johnstone have layers of cover and Morris is receiving in a tight space and under pressure. It’s difficult for him to get into that green highlighted area where the damage is done1. He gave it a go this time and Wright did a good job sticking with him as we can see below (trying out GIFs, hope this works).
But this is a problem, not just for Shayden but the team too i.e. attacking back 3/5s. Next three fixtures? You guessed it.
When the ball was deeper in the Aberdeen half, he was quickly pressurised and forced with a player on his back. In the image below, Douglas has stepped up onto Morris. In doing so, he has vacated space in behind. You might be looking for Shayden to take advantage of this and spin into this area (highlighted in yellow).
Unfortunately, he is unable to turn his marker and the ball goes out for a throw.
I think it’s fair to attribute some of Morris’s struggles to tighter marking and the St. Johnstone defensive shape. The team was unable to manoeuver the ball to create the optimal situations for Morris. Again, we have to consider the opponent’s effect on this but the passing was slow and ponderous, so the quick switches that Morris thrives on, rarely occurred.
Chances
Though he had a ‘poor’ game, Morris was still involved in two of the Dons best chances. Firstly, he intercepted the goal-kick and then chipped the ball into Nisbet for his swivel volley in the first half. Then he had this glorious opening himself early in the second period, following Keskinen’s through pass.
It was another illustration of the strengths and weaknesses of his game. He can get himself into a great position as we can see from the distance he covers but isn’t able to get the shot away, whether through technique or decision making.
Defensive Side of the Game
Again it was another strange match. Morris slotted in as the right midfielder in the 4-4-2 out-of-possession shape. There was one occasion when a deep pass split both he and Shinnie, which was pretty poor. See below.
Sometimes it does feel like he doesn’t show the same intensity to get involved and close down opponents that his athletic gifts would allow him to. That being said, it certainly didn’t seem to me like he was the cause of any major opportunities for Saints.
The Two Questions
Last week, I suggested I try and answer the following two questions in regard to Morris.
Should he be starting more games?
Should he be offered a new contract?
Let’s look at number one first. Critics (and there are plenty) will point to this match as further evidence that Morris should not start. It’s a fair argument. The first counter would be that no player performed particularly well. It seems to me that Morris gets scrutinised considerably more than other players. This was only his sixth start of the season. The team’s record in those games now stands at two wins, three draws, and one loss.
The second counter is that we are not comparing Morris to the almighty, but the current alternative, which is a loan player, unlikely to be here at the end of the season.
Our current attacking equation probably looks something like this (with Keskinen switching wings).
Okkels (60m) + Morris (30m) > Morris (60m) + Okkels (30m)
Effectively, the only piece of that puzzle that’s done any meaningful work is the Morris (30m) section. Was anyone getting excited when Okkels came on for the last half hour?
What Okkels and Keskinen can do, however, is perform two roles - inverted winger and inside forward - that Morris does not seem, right now to be able to for the team. Given how Jimmy seems to want the team to play more often than not, then I think he will continue to favour Keskinen and Okkels. Aside: Would a one-year deal for Junior Hoillet have been that bad an idea?
This is probably one of the fundamental elements that will need to be considered when a decision is made on his contract. Of the two, the inside forward position that Keskinen plays would appear to be the most attainable. As his chance shows, his pace will allow him to get into shooting positions. He just needs to develop the positional understanding and technical comfort to exploit them. Do we have enough time to wait for that?
So for #1: Should he be starting more games? - I think he deserves more of a crack. I expect he’ll be on the bench in all three remaining league games but I would like to see him start again in one of the next two games, with an opportunity for him to stake a claim for the semi-final.
Should he be offered a new contract? - This is trickier. He’s already said he doesn’t want to be a supersub long-term which is understandable but I think he would need to continue to round out his game to be a consistent starter next season. Unfortunately, the issue would be that if he does well the team may lose him in the summer for nothing.
I think the ideal scenario is that he signs a one or two-year extension. It’s been a good season for him, relative to the two previous ones. His wages, I can’t imagine will break the bank or the structure and it would give the club some time to see if he can continue to progress, without committing too far ahead. However, if a League One or League Two club comes in for him around the 300-400K mark, that would not be an easy one for Aberdeen to turn down. Another interesting summer ahead.
For the remainder of this year, Morris is likely to be our most important twelfth man (sorry Red Army) in some big matches ahead.
I have a soft spot for him. At his best, and we know it’s not always, he gets me off my seat, in the classic way only wingers can. And after Saturday, we all need some reminders of why we love this game.
Enjoy the break. Big boy stuff when we get back.
COYR.
For a much deeper read on this topic, check out the wonderful Arsenal writer Edu’s BBQ who wrote about this following the Gunner’s recent matches against PSV and Man Utd.
I don't think our shape helps Morris against a back 5 as we made it too easy for StJ to defend the wide areas. We needed 2 players to occupy the outside centre backs, instead we just had 1 occupying the 3. In these games Nisbet isn't the player to play the 10(ISH)role, other than Clarkson I'm not sure who could(Boyd worth a go?) but it needs someone who is cuter on the ball. I think if back 3/5's are going to be more common again, Thelin will have to consider a genuine 4-3-3 formation with a squad capable of playing it.