Defeats get out of hand for McManus
DISILLUSIONED Scot Alan McManus has revealed he’s reached a low ebb with his game due to Covid-19.
The veteran, 50, has struggled to practice due to the pandemic and crashed to a 4-1 second-round defeat to Zhao Jianbo at the Gibraltar Open yesterday.
He damaged his right hand before the event and said: “It’s been difficult to practice for a year now and I can’t really move my hand either so that doesn’t help.”
Anthony McGill lost 4-2 to Pang Junxu while Fraser Patrick saw off Oli Lines 4-3.
ANTON McELHONE has warned his Morton players not to underestimate managerless Ayr today at Cappielow.
The Greenock side sit eighth in the table, just two points above an Ayr outfit who parted with gaffer Mark Kerr and his assistant Michael McArdle after last weekend’s 1-0 defeat by Arbroath.
And McElhone insists complacency cannot set in as his troops bid to win their first game in 10.
The Ton boss said: “I don’t think the managerial situation is anything we can capitalise on.
“Our win against Dunfermline at the start of December came just after David Hopkin left. There was no pressure on us and it was a free hit.
“For Ayr, they might just feel a bit of relief because a change takes thoughts away from a run of defeats.
“Players can be buoyed by a change for maybe a week or 10 days and we know they’ll be highly motivated to turn it around.
“They are a much better side than they’ve shown and have some really good players.”
The Somerset Park side are set to start life without Kerr and interim boss Davie White has backed them to be up for a fight.
Academy chief White said: “We’re in a battle now so there’s no hiding place for the players.
“We have a good squad of players and everybody believed one win would turn things around. Things need to change.”