Portsmouth to move on quickly after ‘ruthless’ Joe Morrell release
David Norris says the opinion-splitting departure of Joe Morrell will be forgotten if Portsmouth begin the new Championship season well.
Morrell bade farewell to Pompey upon the expiry of his contract this summer following three seasons and 105 appearances in blue.
Amid links to clubs such as QPR and Wrexham, the Wales international was debated as a player who some said helped the Blues tick in midfield while others argued his discipline was a liability [The News, 3 September] and he could not be trusted in the Championship by John Mousinho.
Norris, speaking exclusively to Pompey News, said: “Football moves on quickly and if Portsmouth start well, the focus will just be on the players who are at the club or coming in.
“It was a big decision – I thought the style of play may have benefitted Morrell and he is an international, but the club have made their call and have to stick with it.
“It was a bit more of a ruthless decision, similar to Raggett and Rafferty, and hopefully it doesn’t come back to look bad on [the club].”
Portsmouth made big call on Joe Morrell
Following the opinion of a fellow former Portsmouth midfielder in Norris, Morrell’s time at Pompey can be summed up as somewhat of a double-edged sword.
His positional play was at times excellent, and he maintained that style of an “engine room” midfield anchor that could allow the players ahead of him to flourish.
However, his cause had not been helped by five red cards in three years at Pompey – the only dismissals of his career – along with 24 of his 38 domestic yellow cards coming during his time at Fratton Park.
For context, Morrell had five full seasons in senior football prior to joining the club, in which he had received just 14 yellows and not a single red.
The club did hold an option to trigger a 12-month extension to Morrell’s contract alongside Zak Swanson – who may yet sign a new deal despite now being a free agent – but decided against this as any new deal would have been preferred to include more flexibility to benefit the club.
Should the 37-cap Wales midfielder find a new Championship club, it will be very interesting to see how he fares against his former employers.
In other Portsmouth news, an explanation on where the investment from the Eisners is specifically being directed.
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