The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[pandarilla]

Agree 100% with this. If we don’t manage to get at least 4 players in (GK, LB, CB, CM) as well as Ferguson and McDaid re-signing then it’s going to be a long, hard struggle this season. 

In an ideal world, yes.

But there is such a thing as a budget.

[ayrunitedfw]

19 minutes ago, pandarilla said:

In an ideal world, yes.

But there is such a thing as a budget.

Well let’s show a bit of ambition and not act like the embarrasing cannon fodder we were on our last trip here. 

[pandarilla]

Well let’s show a bit of ambition and not act like the embarrasing cannon fodder we were on our last trip here. 

We're showing loads more ambition this time around - but we have a budget!

What do you suggest the club do?

Look, if McCall has the budget to get the numbers you suggest then he'll do it (or something similar). But I think you're overestimating what we can do here.

[D'Jaffo]

Well let’s show a bit of ambition and not act like the embarrasing cannon fodder we were on our last trip here. 

We splashed a fair bit of cash last time we were here and it didn’t get us anywhere.

Spending lots of money isn’t a guarantee that we’ll do well or even stay up. I’d say managing to keep hold of guys like Shankland, Crawford, Rose and potentially McDaid is already a huge show of ambition. We could quite easily have said we couldn’t afford them and let them leave but I’m guessing we’ve upped their wages and McCall will have told them what his plans are and why it’s important they stay.

We need a goalie and a LB, that’s clear. If we manage to stretch to a midfielder or centre half on top of that then I’d say we’ve had a pretty successful summer.

[UpInTheAyr]

Any of the budget left after a keeper and LB should be kept for the end of the year when the inevitable injury crisis kicks in and we need to fill a position desperately.

[ayrunitedfw]

14 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

We splashed a fair bit of cash last time we were here and it didn’t get us anywhere.

Spending lots of money isn’t a guarantee that we’ll do well or even stay up. I’d say managing to keep hold of guys like Shankland, Crawford, Rose and potentially McDaid is already a huge show of ambition. We could quite easily have said we couldn’t afford them and let them leave but I’m guessing we’ve upped their wages and McCall will have told them what his plans are and why it’s important they stay.

We need a goalie and a LB, that’s clear. If we manage to stretch to a midfielder or centre half on top of that then I’d say we’ve had a pretty successful summer.
 

I agree, if we’re able to get in 4 decent players in the positions I mentioned then I will class it as a successful summer but if we only manage to get two which McCall hinted at then I’d be worried. 

[ayrmad]

We need at least 4 players, we'd better get comfortable with the fact that it ain't happening, reality sucks but we'll just have to hope that 3 or 4 of our younger players can find serious improvement over the course of the season.

[D'Jaffo]

I agree, if we’re able to get in 4 decent players in the positions I mentioned then I will class it as a successful summer but if we only manage to get two which McCall hinted at then I’d be worried. 

If we get two players then we get two players. We’ve been lucky the past couple of years to have an owner who’s gave us more than our fair share of backing.

I think we might be entering a time when we have to learn to live within our own means.

I don’t think that squad plus 2 players would be cannon fodder. As much as the Championship is a step up it’s not a massive step up. I don’t think there’s anyone we’ve signed up so far that’s out of their depth in the Championship.

[ayrunitedfw]

5 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

If we get two players then we get two players. We’ve been lucky the past couple of years to have an owner who’s gave us more than our fair share of backing.

I think we might be entering a time when we have to learn to live within our own means.

I don’t think that squad plus 2 players would be cannon fodder. As much as the Championship is a step up it’s not a massive step up. I don’t think there’s anyone we’ve signed up so far that’s out of their depth in the Championship.

So you think the likes of Bell, Kerr, Adams will all be able to cope with being starters in the championship most weeks? 

[D'Jaffo]

So you think the likes of Bell, Kerr, Adams will all be able to cope with being starters in the championship most weeks? 

Say for example McCrorie and Talbot signed and McDaid re-signs just as an example.

McCrorie

Geggan Rose Higgins Talbot

McDaid Doc Kerr Crawford

Moffat Shankland


Of course I’d be delighted if we could add all 4 and if we did I’d be very confident of doing well in the league if we did.

What I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed to see happen is if that was our team for the league cup and a few games into the season we went and got another player. We unearthed an absolute gem last season in September and signed Harkins and Balatoni a couple of games in the season before hand.

[UpInTheAyr]

I think Moore will be a starter over Moff and Crawford will  be a starter in  the centre of midfield.

[D'Jaffo]

I think Moore will be a starter over Moff and Crawford will  be a starter in  the centre of midfield.

I think we’d be mental to start Moore over Moffat considering Moore never had a partnership with Shankland.

Might change if they get a pre-season together but imo Moffat is crucial.

[UpInTheAyr]

You think Moore signed up again to play the same role he did last season, he could be that selfless but I'd find it hard to believe he signed on without assurances that he'd be a starter, plus being a favourite of the manager, I could see it being him and Shanks in the league. That might work with Crawford in the middle or if we sign another midfielder that is more attacking or at least a better passer, then use Moff when there is a defensive midfield of Adams and Kerr.

[callum-ayr]

Goalkeepers: Hare-Reid 

Defenders: Geggan, Rose, Higgins, Bell, Ecrepont 

Midfielders: Forrest, McGuffie, Crawford, Kerr, Docherty, Adams, McCowan, Murphy

Strikers: Moore, Moffat, Shankland, Hilton

If McCrorie signs, I don’t think that would dent the budget too much, depending on how much we pay towards him. You’re looking at a definite left back needed (Talbot/Crane/Marshall?). If we can then add McDaid back into the equation, and another defender as well as Ferguson, were looking at a squad of around  22/23. Although a good 4/5 are reasonably untested at senior level (my criticism of McCall last year not getting the likes of McCowan and Murphy more game time in league/cup games we were cruising) they may become important squad members. You never know, Ecrepont might be a quick developer like Tierney. 

 

[callum-ayr]

Also, I’d hazard a guess at a possible starting 11:

New GK

Geggan Rose Higgins New LB

McGuffie Docherty Crawford McDaid*

Shankland Moore

Subs: Hare-Reid/Hart*, Bell, Adams, Kerr, Forrest, Ferguson*/McCowan, Moffat 

*If they re-sign

[pandarilla]

I'll be astonished if we start with Moore and shankland up front. It's just not worked well and that's at a lower level.

I hope I'm wrong and they find some chemistry - but at the moment id be looking for moff playing just off the big man.

Moore got a shit load of goals and a fair amount of game time. Obviously it'll be more difficult at this level but I hope he plays a similar role to last season.

[AyrExile]

9 hours ago, pandarilla said:

We're showing loads more ambition this time around - but we have a budget!

What do you suggest the club do?

Look, if McCall has the budget to get the numbers you suggest then he'll do it (or something similar). But I think you're overestimating what we can do here.
 

I would like to see them mix it up a bit. For the last three seasons we have done similar things and limped towards our end targets. Full time football was meant to help attract new players that wouldn’t come, solve the injury situation and help build a platform. I would like to see some new faces that aren’t as injury prone.  Bit of a gamble but got to try something different. Would also like to see us run with a larger squad to cover for injuries or lack of form. If that means some good players move on to free up cash then so be it. We gave six or seven young players full time contracts last season. Why are we not developing them so they can step in to cover when needed?  Lachlan says the same each year about cash so I still expect  a few players to arrive and some after the season begins. Really need to have a long hard look at the defence. It struggled badly last year when in theory it should have been easy as we were competing at the top. If McCall continues with his ultra attacking formations then we will need some quality at the back to have a chance.

[pandarilla]

I would like to see them mix it up a bit. For the last three seasons we have done similar things and limped towards our end targets. Full time football was meant to help attract new players that wouldn’t come, solve the injury situation and help build a platform. I would like to see some new faces that aren’t as injury prone.  Bit of a gamble but got to try something different. Would also like to see us run with a larger squad to cover for injuries or lack of form. If that means some good players move on to free up cash then so be it. We gave six or seven young players full time contracts last season. Why are we not developing them so they can step in to cover when needed?  Lachlan says the same each year about cash so I still expect  a few players to arrive and some after the season begins. Really need to have a long hard look at the defence. It struggled badly last year when in theory it should have been easy as we were competing at the top. If McCall continues with his ultra attacking formations then we will need some quality at the back to have a chance.

If we go for a bigger squad then the quality would have to be lower. I also don't think ft football was supposed to attract new players, it was suppose to get us fitter and playing better.

In terms of injuries, I wonder just how injury prone our squad actually is. Do we keep a track on the injury situations with other clubs to the same level of scrutiny? Injuries happen, and you have to cope.

This is the most exciting Ayr united team I've ever seen (I was 6 in 87 and wasn't paying much attention through the 90s) - and we're keeping it together. There's bags of potential and now they need to step up.

Yes we still need to strengthen but I'm buzzing for next season to start already.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, pandarilla said:

This is the most exciting Ayr united team I've ever seen (I was 6 in 87 and wasn't paying much attention through the 90s) - and we're keeping it together. There's bags of potential and now they need to step up.

Yes we still need to strengthen but I'm buzzing for next season to start already.

I've got to agree, this is the first time since the Barr era that I've actually been really looking forward to the start of a season.

There's no doubt that we've had to put up with quite a bit of dross over the past decade, however there's definitely light at the end of the tunnel with our current Manager and squad.

Lachlan has also come in for quite a bit of abuse over the past few years but again the guy is doing his best for us and for the first time in a very long time we all seem to be pulling together for the good of our team which is great to see. (well, with the exception of a few cretins on the SRE).

[rb123!]

Thomas Cerny been released from Partick Thistle...doubt he'll be coming here though.