Dougie Imrie reveals what will remain amid style change

Imrie has made it no secret that he wanted to take his side in a new direction over the course of the summer moving away from the 'big bad physical Morton' narrative that's stuck around for far too long.

Dougie Imrie has gone down a new path this year (Image: Alex Craig)

And this has seen a swathe of new players come in to the club - however it's not the first massive change in playing style or personnel that he's oversaw at the club.

The former Hamilton Accies man admits its easy to talk the talk and he’s now desperate to see his new-look team walk the walk. And you only need to look at two of his first three seasons at the club that’s already seen similar transitions pay off.

In the second part of a wide-ranging, exclusive he said: “It’s always easy in your head to have your own philosophy, how you see the game. But it comes down to what you’ve got in the building.

“When I first came to the club, they weren’t playing well, they were at the bottom of the table, and I had to come up with a game plan to get them winning games of football.

“That looked like a 3-5-2 because I couldn’t play with a four at the time. It was about utilising what I had in the building, and it worked well.

READ MORE: Imrie reveals player promise as he looks to new style

“I then changed it in my first full season. we changed it to a 4-2-3-1, which we ran with again last season. This year we’re flipping between formations with varying width.

“We’ve now got players who can play in three or four positions which is helping me.

“I think I’ve got a very good, young and talented squad who’ll win games and be competitive.”

Ton have gotten off to a good start - but Imrie wants more (Image: Alex Craig)

It takes guts to try and make such wholesale changes within a club in a division like the Championship and this year is no different as the gap between teams has never been tighter.

And whilst things may look different on the park, Imrie believes that some old habits will never die as he opened up what made him tick as a player and now as a person.

He does though, admit that everyone from fans to players to himself need to trust the work that’s being put in on the training field with the stakes as high as ever.

Ton sit in sixth place after two games, drawing both of their opening games 0-0 and he reckons that it’s just the nature of the league they find themselves in

He continued: “The Championship is so competitive; I’ve said when I’ve been in football that the Championship is the toughest in the country.

“I had many great years in the topflight, but I’ve always said playing in or against Championship clubs was always tough because the opposition want to be where you are, which is the top flight.

"I’m really happy with a lot of aspects of our play. The only frustrations that I’ve got, which hasn’t come from a lack of opportunities, is the lack of goals."

"I certainly believe the players deserve to have more points on the board, but you have to earn the right to win games.

Imrie says that one thing will never change in his dugout (Image: Kenny Ramsay)

“It’s not just the players and the fans who need to trust the process, I do too. I’m trying to take a bit more of a back seat in terms of not wanting to be out on the touchline every two minutes shouting instructions.

“But me being me, knowing how passionate and desperate I am to win games of football, that then comes out all the time. That’ll not leave me, and I was the same as a player.

“People probably think I’m a maniac on the sidelines but it’s because Io want my football club to be successful.

“That winning mentality can never leave you and it’ll not leave me. I think that’s because of me coming into the game late. I don’t want to lose what I’ve worked for.”

To read the full, in-depth interview with Dougie, check out today's edition of the Tele.