The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[mccurdieboy]

Any word on who'd being kept and who's released yet?

[wuffster]

If anyone is interested in a (slightly crumpled) programme from the Wrexham cup game let me know!

[Guest]

Much will depend on the budget and what the "plan" is for the club.

Are we hoping to compete against Partick Thistle, Inverness / Dundee / Dunfermline / Hamilton etc or are we looking at further mid table consolidation where we'd be hoping to match / better the likes of QOS, Raith, Arbroath, Morton (should they stay up) ??

I'm not saying Success isn't "possible" with a lower budget, however is it realistic or fair to expect Hopkin to compete with the bigger well established clubs if we're filling our squad with reliable but limited lower end Championship / top of league 1 journeymen type players ??

Personally I'd rather we looked further afield for players rather than the known known types as these guys don't tend to create any excitement in terms of season ticket sales and as said we all know their limitations unfortunately.

A couple of "leaders", a couple of "promising" young players with a big club pedigree and a couple of wild card foreign unknowns would be my hope along with Ross Doohan as our permanent keeper signed on a 2 year deal, however if we end up with a team full of mediocrity then I think we should all be tempering our expectations and looking at a 5th, 6th or even 7th place finish as a very successful season.

[Finlay21]

1 hour ago, mccurdieboy said:

Any word on who'd being kept and who's released yet?

Would think shortly , I would also think that not all 2 year contracted players will return 

[North British]

29 minutes ago, WATTOO said:

Much will depend on the budget and what the "plan" is for the club.

Are we hoping to compete against Partick Thistle, Inverness / Dundee / Dunfermline / Hamilton etc or are we looking at further mid table consolidation where we'd be hoping to match / better the likes of QOS, Raith, Arbroath, Morton (should they stay up) ??

I'm not saying Success isn't "possible" with a lower budget, however is it realistic or fair to expect Hopkin to compete with the bigger well established clubs if we're filling our squad with reliable but limited lower end Championship / top of league 1 journeymen type players ??

Personally I'd rather we looked further afield for players rather than the known known types as these guys don't tend to create any excitement in terms of season ticket sales and as said we all know their limitations unfortunately.

A couple of "leaders", a couple of "promising" young players with a big club pedigree and a couple of wild card foreign unknowns would be my hope along with Ross Doohan as our permanent keeper signed on a 2 year deal, however if we end up with a team full of mediocrity then I think we should all be tempering our expectations and looking at a 5th, 6th or even 7th place finish as a very successful season.

Maybe a wee clue in Hopkins comments in the AP . Used the word winners ! So maybe guys who were with Ross Co , St Mirren , Livingston etc in their title winning teams at this level . 

[D'Jaffo]

Would think shortly , I would also think that not all 2 year contracted players will return 

I know he’s been disappointing this season but I’ll be really gutted if we let Murdoch go. I think he needed a season to get back at it and had the other players around him been better I think that would’ve in turn got him back to his best.

If we release him I guarantee he’ll rock up at Partick Thistle.

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, North British said:

Maybe a wee clue in Hopkins comments in the AP . Used the word winners ! So maybe guys who were with Ross Co , St Mirren , Livingston etc in their title winning teams at this level . 

There's no doubt that we need a couple of big characters who will gee the team up and be vocal on the park, that was seriously lacking last season (as we all know) and even Stephen Kelly (while still young) was another we missed hugely as he always imposed himself on a game and wasn't afraid to stick the boot in either.

[BukyOHare]

1 hour ago, WATTOO said:

5th, 6th or even 7th place finish as a very successful season.

I'd bite your hand off for 5th right now. Anybody else thinking otherwise needs to have a word with themselves. 

From where we were last season, if we can challenge the playoffs and end up 5th would be a monumental effort. 

Next seasons league will still be extremely strong and with our rebuild and aiming to right last seasons wrongs. For me it's about building a positive momentum with Hopkin's 1st full season with his own squad first of all, and any promotion ambitions further down the line in another season or two. 

Let's be both ambitious but also realistic. 

[No_Problemo]

4 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

I'd bite your hand off for 5th right now. Anybody else thinking otherwise needs to have a word with themselves. 

From where we were last season, if we can challenge the playoffs and end up 5th would be a monumental effort. 

Next seasons league will still be extremely strong and with our rebuild and aiming to right last seasons wrongs. For me it's about building a positive momentum with Hopkin's 1st full season with his own squad first of all, and any promotion ambitions further down the line in another season or two. 

Let's be both ambitious but also realistic. 

Fifth is hardly ambitious - I don’t see how fourth place isn’t realistic with the correct signings tbh. 
 

[North British]

7 minutes ago, Iain said:

don't think next season's league will be extremely strong. 

I think with Hearts and Alloa out , the league will be more compressed . It’ll be dog eat dog .

[Guest]

56 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

I'd bite your hand off for 5th right now. Anybody else thinking otherwise needs to have a word with themselves. 

From where we were last season, if we can challenge the playoffs and end up 5th would be a monumental effort. 

Next seasons league will still be extremely strong and with our rebuild and aiming to right last seasons wrongs. For me it's about building a positive momentum with Hopkin's 1st full season with his own squad first of all, and any promotion ambitions further down the line in another season or two. 

Let's be both ambitious but also realistic. 

As I say, much will depend on the budget and whether DS will be backing Hopkin to attract the level of players he wants.

If we end up with a team of Scott McLaughlin types as opposed to Alan Horace's then staying in the league must be the target but I suppose it's all about how the new recruits gel together and whether or not we hit the ground running.

There will be no Hearts next season but you'd expect Partick to be an upgrade on Alloa and one would think that Queens could struggle and that Arbroath will be up against it as well, so I suppose we just need to wait and watch and hope that we get some exciting signings in place.

[North British]

I’d expect Hoppy will have four or five deals done and ready to go . This is the advantage of not messing about in the play off gives you . Hopefully his marquee signings will be in that group , no point in letting them hang around in the market . 

Sweeper , centre forward , keeper and central midfielder please . 

[Thereisalight..]

I’d be happy with 80% of the 20/21 squad out the door. Definitely need a proven GK and striker(s). Those would be the first areas I’d strength swiftly followed by defence. It won’t happen but the first out the door should be Baird. Honestly can’t think of a worse Ayr captain during my lifetime

[ayrunitedfw]

2 minutes ago, Thereisalight.. said:

I’d be happy with 80% of the 20/21 squad out the door. Definitely need a proven GK and striker(s). Those would be the first areas I’d strength swiftly followed by defence. It won’t happen but the first out the door should be Baird. Honestly can’t think of a worse Ayr captain during my lifetime

Scott McLaughlin

[Thereisalight..]

6 minutes ago, ayrunitedfw said:

Scott McLaughlin

See, I liked him during his 1st spell so he gets let off with the 2nd spell because of that. At least McLaughlin showed passion if nothing else 

[ayrunitedfw]

2 minutes ago, Thereisalight.. said:

See, I liked him during his 1st spell so he gets let off with the 2nd spell because of that. At least McLaughlin showed passion if nothing else 

He was awful in his second spell and was a bad egg in the dressing room hence why McCall emptied him first.

As bad as Jack Baird has been I’ve not heard of him being a bad influence in dressing room

[Thereisalight..]

3 minutes ago, ayrunitedfw said:

He was awful in his second spell and was a bad egg in the dressing room hence why McCall emptied him first.

As bad as Jack Baird has been I’ve not heard of him being a bad influence in dressing room

I certainly dont think he will be a bad egg. He seems so lackadaisical about anything so I doubt stirring up shit would fall under his remit. Just playing shit 

[rb123!]

3 hours ago, D'Jaffo said:

I know he’s been disappointing this season but I’ll be really gutted if we let Murdoch go. I think he needed a season to get back at it and had the other players around him been better I think that would’ve in turn got him back to his best.

If we release him I guarantee he’ll rock up at Partick Thistle.

That would be a MASSIVE mistake letting him go, he'd inevitably turn into Iniesta next season under McCall, he was just as good as Robbie Crawford in 2018/2019 and look where he has ended up.

[BukyOHare]

1 hour ago, Iain said:

I don't think next season's league will be extremely strong. 

It'll be tough to even get in the playoffs. Potentially Hamilton and our County neighbours / Dundee, Partick, Dunfermline / Raith and Inverness all harbouring realistic and genuine promotion ambitions. It'll be strong week after week, as it always is in the Championship. 

[rb123!]

2 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

It'll be tough to even get in the playoffs. Potentially Hamilton and our County neighbours / Dundee, Partick, Dunfermline / Raith and Inverness all harbouring realistic and genuine promotion ambitions. It'll be strong week after week, as it always is in the Championship. 

McCall has already stated he wants to win the league next year and i can see them doing it tbf