JOHANSSON IN AT MORTON
MORTON last night appointed former Rangers and Charlton striker Jonatan Johansson as their new manager — six days after Ray McKinnon’s shock departure to Falkirk. The Greenock side are still considering legal action in the wake of McKinnon’s sudden defection to Westfield just three months into his tenure. But club chairman Crawford Rae has now awarded a two-year contract to 43-year-old Finn Johansson, a former reserve team boss at Cappielow. He has also coached at Motherwell and most recently at Ibrox and will now take his first steps in management with the Championship outfit. ‘Jonatan has a fantastic work ethic, a great football brain,’ Rae told Morton’s official website last night. ‘He has a fantastic CV, both playing and coaching, and he has been eager for an opportunity to get into management. ‘We are thrilled about our appointment and we look forward to sharing this new chapter together. ‘I cannot wait to see him in action as we rekindle Greenock Morton’s long-standing Nordic association of over 50 years.’ McKinnon had left Morton joint top of the league after three games, but they lost their first match in his absence — 1-0 away to Partick Thistle last Saturday — to drop to fifth place. This week club captain Jim McAlister admitted the Morton squad had been left angered and bewildered by McKinnon’s abrupt departure on the eve of the trip to Firhill. McAlister, who was signed up by the former Dundee United boss for a second spell at Cappielow, said the nature of McKinnon’s exit was further soured by the fact he hadn’t contacted any of the players to explain why he had left for rock-bottom Falkirk.