Clinton Morrison on Whittaker's Plymouth Future, FA Cup Upsets and More
Will Jackson 
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week, as well going over some of the hot topics in the football world.
This week he discusses Crystal Palace's early season struggles, Eberechi Eze's return to form, the FA Cup first round and Morgan Whittaker's future at Plymouth under Wayne Rooney.
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Leeds v Plymouth
Q: How do you think it’s going for Wayne Rooney at Plymouth?
A: It's difficult. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, what do you expect? He doesn't really have the financial backing like other teams in the Championship, so it's always going to be up and down.
But they have shown character, and it does show the players are playing for the manager when you're three down and somehow you come back and you make it 3-3.
Players like (Morgan) Whittaker, and they've just bought in (Andre) Gray’s experience and he scored. So these kind of players, (Ibrahim) Cissoko is another they have got and he's a very good player on the wing. They have got players - (Ryan) Hardie up front who can score goals - you're looking at the list of players that they've got. And they've brought in young players from Premier League clubs and experience. So they have got players that can cause problems and score goals.
They’ve got a manager who when I was playing was actually the best around. As a footballer, he was fantastic. When a guy like that is telling you what to do if you're a striker, then I think only things can only be positive. And I think Plymouth, you look at where they are at the moment, it's been a bit of an up and down season, but it's not been as bad as some people are saying for Wayne Rooney, it's been nowhere near as bad. So I think they just gotta keep going. That point that they got on the weekend will give them confidence moving forward.
Do I expect them to get anything at Leeds? No, because Leeds are, for me, the favorites to get promoted this season with the squad of players that they have got. But that's not Plymouth’s battle. If he could go there and get a point, Wayne really would bite your hand off.
But I think they're doing alright, Plymouth. They're doing alright. I think, you know, you like everyone scrutinizes Plymouth, it's because of Wayne Rooney. Yeah, I feel whatever club when he was, when he was at Birmingham, everyone looks and says, ‘How's Wayne Rooney doing or how are Birmingham doing?’, it wasn't because of the football club, it was because of Wayne Rooney, because of how he is and how big he is in the game.
But I think he's doing a he's doing an alright job there at the moment. And listen, you're going to have loads of ups and downs in the Championship. But me, personally, I hope he's successful this season, because I like him as a person, and I think he could be a success as a manager.
Q: Players are clearly playing for him like you say, how important is it to have a manager like that that you can look at and know he’s been there, done it all?
With these players that they've got at Plymouth, you just go and pick the manager's brain and stuff like that. And if someone like that walks into the building, it should give the whole club a big lift.
No matter what's happened before in his managerial career, it should give you a big lift. It's a different football club (to Birmingham). You've got different players, and is there much pressure? Do the Plymouth hierarchy want him to be challenging in the top six? Then you're going to probably have to give him loads of money.
I don't think Plymouth that's their objective to go and challenge at this precise moment, maybe eventually, in a few years, but not now.
I think it's for Wayne, really, to bring through a few youngsters as well as progress the football. And I think slowly but surely, he will do it. But when you see someone like that come through the building, it should just give you a big lift.
Q: One of those youngsters, and again, somebody you've already mentioned, scored the final goal the other day. Morgan Whittaker, how highly do you rate him? I think I was probably surprised that he stayed there over the summer. I think he probably could have got a higher up team in the league. Do you think it's only a matter of time before he does get picked up?
A: Yeah, I agree. I thought he would probably be moving in the summer of them out of course, he hasn't had the impact that he had last season. So sometimes when you're hot, it's probably the best time to move, and that's what everyone says. So he hasn't had that kind of impact, but he can, we know Morgan Whittaker can score goals.
The only thing I would say is, can he work harder? That's the only thing criticism I could label at him. I think he's got great ability. He can score all kinds of goals. But sometimes when you're watching the games and you're thinking, ‘he’s drifting here, can he work harder and get on the ball more?’, and that's when I think he can go and lean on his manager, who was exceptional at that, going to get the ball and going to make things happen. But we know the left foot he's got is fantastic. He has a rocket of a left foot, scores all kinds of goals and nine times out of 10 his goals come from outside the box. Can he go and get the scruffy goals as well that would take him to the next level as well?
But he's a he's a good player, and yeah, me and you both thought would be leaving Plymouth in the summer because he scored that amount of goals in a Championship. The next level is, can someone come and take you in a Premier League, or can you go abroad? But Plymouth have done ever so well to keep hold of him. And he's going to be big for Plymouth this season. He's going to be big for Plymouth for staying up this season. Because regardless, he's had a slow start to the season, but he'll score you big goals in big games.
Q: Already been linked with, moved, possibly to Rangers, I think in January…
A: They're gonna find it hard, Plymouth, to hold on to him. They are, but I think Rooney will do everything he can. But then if they do lose him, Wayne Rooney is a manager who can attract players just because of who he is.
Crystal Palace
Question: It's been a slow start to the season for Palace after the success at the end of last season, but with back-to-back wins this week starting against Spurs on Sunday, can they kick on from here?
Answer: Last season I thought Palace overachieved. A lot of the games they won towards the back end of the season were against teams whose seasons were fizzling out whereas Palace were on a high, Olise was coming back to fitness, Eze was flying and the two of them were playing exceptionally together alongside Wharton and Marc Guehi as the core of the team.
This season, they have lost two key players - Joachim Andersen and Michael Olise - the captain who had a great partnership with Marc Guehi and Olise who I don’t need to say too much about, you can see he’s ripping it up for Bayern Munich.
I always said that guy (Olise) would be a world star from when I first saw him and he’s continuing to show that, but when you lose two players and it rips out your team, then you’re in trouble along with losing Doucoure too who is outstanding - there was talk of Liverpool wanting him. But if he can get fit and get his partnership with Wharton - although I have to credit Will Hughes because he does a great job in there - I think Palace will kick on this season, but they need to get the best out of their attacking players.
I hope Eze isn't out for too long. It looked like he felt something but hopefully it was just tightness in his hamstring because you don’t need a player like him out for long because he is that X Factor.
Q: Eze and Wharton have maybe not been at their best so far this season, could it be a potential hangover from the Euros? Why have they not quite hit the heights of last season so far?
A: Palace are so reliant on Eze, and sometimes he can attract two or three players so he can find it difficult to find space. But in the last two or three games it looks like he is getting back to his best, which is why I hope this injury doesn't keep him out for too long because he is just getting back into the groove and that would be disappointing. He is one of the best in terms of ability I have seen.
He doesn't look like he’s trying when he’s on the football pitch, it looks like he’s in the playground playing with his friends and that's how good and highly I rate Eze. I think he is a top player and will hit the ground running now. I just hope the injury isn't too bad and he can continue, because once you get form like that, you can just kick on
Q: That assist for Mateta on Sunday, are there signs Eze is finding his confidence?
A: Not many can do that. No one saw that until the replay, and he can see it. To get the flick round the corner, at that speed, that's what separates him from a lot of players and that’s why I think he’s a top player. Eventually big teams will come and get him, I don't think it will be in January but in the summer he probably will move on because he deserves his opportunity to go to a top-four team because he is an outstanding player.
In that game against Tottenham, apart from the assist for Mateta he was sitting defenders down and he just looked like he was enjoying his football again and when he has a smile on his face, Eze is a top player. I have always said it and can never have criticism of him because he has the world at his feet.
Luton v West Brom
Q: We spoke about Luton last week after the Sunderland game and it happened again against Coventry, but good signs that their strikers were both on target and are finding form. How important will they be to any hopes they have?
A: You have to give huge credit to Mark Robbins and his team. They turned it around and you end up coming away from the CBS Arena with no points, and it's probably worrying for Rob Edwards, but I do believe he will turn it around there.
Adebayo and Carlton Morris. I think the two of them as a partnership are probably the best two in the Championship (when) playing together as a partnership - they were a handful in the Premier League.
I think Adebayo getting his first goal against Sunderland, and then managing obviously to score against against Coventry will only give him confidence moving forward. So I think they are handful, but it's just in other areas. You're looking at Luton and the conceding goals. You go away from home, you scored two, and you concede three goals. I think they're missing Mengi at the back. I like Mengi, I thought he was good in the Premier League for them. So they are missing key players. I think when they get everyone back, I think Luton will be fine, because they have got some good players.
As I said, I don't look at the Championship league until Christmas, but Rob Edwards will want to start climbing up the table, and I tipped them at the start of the season.
They were level at 90 minutes, then had a man sent off and ended up losing. It’s just fine margins isn’t it?
It is fine margins. We were talking about when it was the Sunderland game, when they were the better team, and then it was kind of smash and grab from Sunderland. And then it's the same with Coventry. They're the better team, but credit Coventry, they get it back to 2-2 and then you go down to 10 men, and then you can see with literally the last kick in a game, and it's a sucker punch for you. And that's that.
Now, as a manager, how do you get your team back up? And let's be honest, they're playing against the West Brom team, who have started this season really well, so it's going to be a difficult football match for Luton.
Q: Yeah, you mentioned West. Brom started the season well, but they’ve had four draws and two defeats in the last six…
A: At the start of the season, (they were) very good, and then now too many draws. Listen, everyone's going to lose the game in the Championship because it's one of those where you're up and down. But they've had too many draws.
And I think Corberan, that's the disappointment will be for his team had too many draws, and they have kind of slipped down the table, and you're looking at it and you're thinking, ‘West Brom shouldn't really be there’, because that's another team I've tipped to be in the top six, because I think the squad they have, they've got youngsters, and they've got good experience in there, so they need to start turning them draws into wins.
It's going to be a difficult game on Friday night against Luton, because it's two teams that are not probably in particularly good form at the moment, but it's two teams at the start of the season where you would have thought, watching the Championship, they'd all be fighting on the top front along with the likes of Leeds and Burnley, but they're not at the moment. But as I said, there's still a long way to go, but they need to start turning these draws into wins.
Q: What's the key to doing that? They've got one goal in the last five….
A: You have got to look and say; now, how many chances are they creating? Because everyone just looks at the strikers and saying; well, your strikers are not scoring goals at the moment. But they're not really a team who come out all guns blazing, the football's nice and it's attractive but they've never been a team who can beat teams 4-0/5-0 and score loads of goals in their games, because they're very they keep it nice and structured, but they've got Karlan Grant on the left, Maja up front, so they have got people that can score goals. I like Swift. I like Wallace, so the Diangana. So all these players that I'm mentioning, they are players that can score goals.
So that's what Corberan has to work out, a way of how to get the best out of these players and to score goals, because that's the only thing that's probably missing, because defensively, they're really strong. They are strong. They've got experienced players that played in the Premier League but it's now doing the other side of it, getting more goals.
But as I say, the players I've just mentioned, they've got goals in their team. So I don't really worry. For West Brom, you always have teams that have this kind of dip in form during the season, and I think them to have it now is probably the best time than later on in this, the back end of the season. It is a big issue though, like now you need to start putting the ball in the back of the net.
FA Cup
Q: Ahead of the first round this weekend, what memories do you have of playing in the FA Cup?
A: think it was when I was at Coventry, we got to the last 16 and the quarter-final. We were on a good cup run, and we played Chelsea. And Chelsea was massive. And they had players like, Lampard, maybe John Terry might have played that day with Alex at the back, Ashley Cole left back, and I think Drogba was up front. We only lost, I think it was 2-0, and we held them for quite long. And if we didn't get that draw, we could have, probably have gone further in the FA Cup. And they were good moments.
They are good memories, because I always used to score a lot of goals in the FA Cup, in the early stages, and they're the best memories that you have of the FA Cup. When you're growing up as a kid, all you want to do is go and win the FA Cup.
Another one was towards the end of my career, when we were that was it Exeter and for the lower clubs, I think it's brilliant, and this is why I always say don't change the format, because for the lower clubs, we were a lower club at Exeter and towards the end of my career, we had Liverpool at home, and we got a great draw, and then we went to Anfield. And the money that you raised from going to Anfield is a lot of money.
It was on the TV as well, and we lost, obviously in the end to Liverpool at Anfield, but that was a great night. The fans got experience, and players got to experience playing at Anfield that have never done that and probably might not do it in their careers. So this is why I like the FA Cup. It has those magical moments and stuff like that. So that's why I say I love the FA Cup.
When people say, ‘Oh, is it the same?’ It is the same. Because when you're growing up, all you ever wanted to do is lift the FA Cup. And not everyone's going to do that. But you can take good memories from it, and that, that's the positive I can take from it, I've had a lot of good memories from it.
So you're just, you're like, ‘oh no, it's gonna this could be an upset, and it could be a struggle’. So, you know, hiding to nothing. So that's why I always say, as a manager, if you're going to make changes, don't make wholesale changes, because it will come back and and it will bite you. And the reason it will bite you is because people say, ‘why not just play your strongest team?’ Because the non-league players have got nothing to lose.
They will want to impress and beat a football league team and have a scalp and all the players are trying to get into the Football League and go higher. So they've got nothing to lose. The manager wants to prove he's better than the manager that's managing in the Football League as well.
So that's why when it comes to FA Cup, that's why you love it. The fans love it. It's a great day out, you get the excitement, you watch the highlights on the TV, and if you become a hero, you know you're splattered all over the paper, and you're the star in the TV. So these moments are magical in my eyes.
Potential FA Cup Upsets?
Q: Any potential upsets that have caught your eye?
A: There are a few. I didn't think there would be major scalps, but I will tell you where it could be - just because of where they’re playing - but Tamworth is a hard place to go and they've got Huddersfield. So I looked at that game, and that's kind of like a banana skin for Huddersfield because they are concentrating on the league at the moment. So you look at that and thinking, could there be an upset there with Tamworth?
It's difficult because a lot of the other teams are kind of playing each other. There was another one which is not a massive rivalry, but it kind of is in Southend v Charlton, because Southend are at home. So Charlton going to Southend is always a difficult one. If all these teams had them at home, then I'd back them to win. But when you're going to their grounds and you're going to the surroundings, how do players get up?
I also picked out Rushall Olympic v Accrington, because you're going to Rushall Olympic. And I looked at that because I, I've been to Rushall a few times and played and it’s on 4G, so it's not what you're used to, it is a leveller because you're not used to pitches like that, so it's going to be difficult.
So that probably the tie of the round. When that was drawn out, I bet they both were rubbing their hands, because AFC Wimbledon have been in good form this year and I'd give them a good chance of getting into the play-offs and even trying to get promoted.
I think the job Johnny Jackson has done is fantastic. MK Dons have appointed a new manager who had a brilliant spell at Crawley, and I think I think they'll start climbing the table, because the job he did at Crawley, the style of football is fantastic. I think MK Dons will start climbing the table. But that is the game where you're looking at FA Cup and thinking, ‘yeah, this could be a really good game. And it's that one's a hard one to predict.
I think AFC Wimbledon could cause MK Dons a surprise. I know it's at MK Dons and difficult, but they're in good form. So I think, yeah, I can see AFC Wimbledon and Johnny Jackson causing a bit of an upset.
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