MORTON boss Dougie Imrie says he’ll have no qualms about dropping Ali Crawford from his starting eleven - but only if it’s merited after the St Johnstone loanee’s tough start to life in Inverclyde.

Talented Crawford has been struggling to make an impact and became a divisive subject amongst the Cappielow support after his crucial penalty and rebound miss at Arbroath three weeks ago.

But the Ton chief sympathises with his former teammate, insisting that everyone goes through barren spells.

Imrie told the Tele: “It’s up to me and the staff to pick Ali and others up and keep putting them in, in the hope the penny does drop.

"There does come the time where you might need to take them out for a couple of weeks to take the pressure off, but top players do go through those spells.

“We’ve just got to hope that the penny drops for him soon. He’s a quality player. It’s obviously just not happening for him in front of goal.

“I just wish he could get that first goal to go and give him the confidence and keep putting the ball in the net.

“Some of the stuff he’s done for us since he’s come into the building has been excellent. We just need to look at his pass in the build up to the goal up at Arbroath, it’s a blind pass around the corner into Grant Gillespie, which most players would’ve played backwards or square.

“But he’s passed into the space where Grant was and it’s set up the whole move. Yes he’s missed the penalty, and with the quality he possesses he should’ve done better with the rebound. But it is what it is.

“Everyone goes through spells like that where nothing comes off and you start doubting yourself.