LEGEND IMRIE IS NOW OUR ENEMY
Acciesbidtoendtongaffer’srun
Hamilton boss Stuart Taylor insists his side will face the best team in the Championship right now when Accies hero Dougie Imrie brings his Morton side to town.
Imrie has legendary status around New Douglas Park after some 250 appearances and 35 goals for Accies during two spells in the 2010s, not to mention being part of the side that kept the team in the Premiership in 2017 via the play-offs.
The former winger was also part of the coaching staff until a move to Livingston last year.
He then joined Morton in December for his first managerial job and he’s taken to it like a duck to water.
Imrie is unbeaten in his first six Championship games, winning four of them and outperforming league leaders Arbroath in the form guide to claim the January manager of the month award.
It represents a huge challenge for Accies and while Taylor knows players and fans will show their respect for Imrie, he will still be very much the enemy for 90 minutes on Saturday.
Taylor said: “As it stands, Morton are the best team in the league on latest form
And that’s the way we’ll treat it. We know it’s going to be a really tough game with the form they are on and Dougie has, quite rightly so, got manager of the month.
“I’ve known him from the time I was here before. Back then Dougie was a give-everything type of player and he was different to anything else we had at the club at the time.
“He was a really committed player, full of hunger, passion and desire and did very well for the club. He turned out to be a great signing and he’s taken that hunger, desire and passion into his management career.
“Supporters recognise when people are working hard and Dougie was always doing that and I would expect the supporters to give him a round of applause when he comes out, and quite rightly so.
“But I also know how much Hamilton fans want us to win games and how loyal they are to their own side, that once the referee’s whistle blows then he’ll be seen as the enemy – and that’s normal in football.”
Accies, however, are on a good run themselves, unbeaten in four of their last five outings and drawing three on the bounce.
They were hugely unfortunate not to stun Arbroath last week when a last minute penalty for the hosts earned a 2-2 draw.
Taylor, who had to watch from home due to Covid isolation, was buoyed by that display and he insists his focus is on building on that, rather than getting one over Imrie.
He added: “We need to make sure we look after ourselves and do the right things. It’s not about looking at other people. It’s about what we can do and can we go and win a game.
“I thought it was a fantastic performance by the lads in Arbroath and we were disappointed not to win it, so it’s about can we extend our unbeaten run, rather getting one over on someone else.
“What motivates me is doing the best we can.
Can we win the game?
Can we create chances, score goals and keep clean sheets?
“That’s what we’ll try to do.”
Ready for battle