The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[1nickydevlin]

23 minutes ago, North Terrace Gazza said:

So Duffy is keen on the gig permanently. An appeal to the owner if you are tempted to offer him the job take your time and let’s see what happens over the next 5 or 6 games. Last thing we need is immediately offering the job to another uninspiring manager and then struggle on over the season.

I'd have Duffy over most of the names mentioned thb.

[AyrExile]

Personally i would steer clear of giving Duffy the job on a permanent basis. Fair chance of a new manager type bounce happening and also the scrutiny of short comings happens more to external candidates. If he does ok i'm quite happy for him to carry on in an interim basis for a while yet There might be no outstanding candidates currently but the managerial merry go round means some might appear as the season goes on. It also allows Smith more time to find his way in the football world

[UpInTheAyr]

If Duffy then until before the next transfer window at the most.

Edited September 12, 2021 by UpInTheAyr

[diegomarahenry]

Its hard to tell how good a result yesterday was. Dunfermline are currently a basketcase, we play Rangers Kids on Tuesday and then Hamilton, still a basketcase after the switch of manager. After that we have a run of games that will show how good our team is against others in the league. A win yesterday, and then Tuesday and Saturday may build confidence or it may paper over cracks. 

Morton, Thistle, QOTS then Arbroath and Kilmarnock, Anything over 10 points out of that run would show that we were a very capable team in this league. 

Do we give that run of games to Duffy to show he can compete in this league or risk upheaval midway though it because it doesn't work, and then change. potentially missing out on managerial targets?

Giving Duffy the run of games will be the safest option, may allow the directors to look at potential replacements or structures. 

I'd personally prefer a new manager, I think that Duffy failed with Hopkin and the whole management team should have done the honourable thing and walked. However, I am willing to give Duffy a chance to prove he is the man for the job. His experience, like McCalls will hopefully mean that there is less drama at the club and we can be competing for a promotion play off place rather than looking over our shoulder with 6 weeks to go of the season. 

 

[Superhursty7]

Duffy impressed me yesterday by the way we set up and played how vocal he was you could hear him roaring vat McAlister from the north stand, willing to give O'Connor a chance and also having the baws to make so many changes (not sure what the situation was with McAdams did he spit the dummy when Hopkin left), I'm happy to give him a few games but we also need to remember that potentially Dunfermline will be looking for a new manager soon and will likely be competing with is for the same guys i.e Hughes.

[Finlay21]

9 minutes ago, diegomarahenry said:

the whole management team should have done the honourable thing and walked.

And that would have left us right in the shit , coaching team are only following the managers instructions, you could see clear as day yesterday that Duffy obviously did not agree with Hopkins philosophy, he totally changed the way we were playing and made 6 changes to the last team Hopkin played 

[diegomarahenry]

10 minutes ago, Finlay21 said:

And that would have left us right in the shit , coaching team are only following the managers instructions, you could see clear as day yesterday that Duffy obviously did not agree with Hopkins philosophy, he totally changed the way we were playing and made 6 changes to the last team Hopkin played 

That suggests that they stood back and didn't offer criticism, constructive or otherwise. They watched Hopkin fail catastrophically, be sacked 4 games in to the season and then step in to his shoes. That doesn't chime right with me. 

[Guest]

Don't know what anyone else thought, but yesterday's formation which seemed to be a 4-5-1 when out of possession to a 4-3-3 when in, appeared to suit us perfectly given the personnel which we had available to us.

Salkeld while much maligned was excellent in the first half in particular, he linked up really well with McAllister worked really hard, put over a load of crosses winning quite a few corners and also scored an excellent goal. From what I saw yesterday, there's definitely a place for him in the side.

On the opposite side of the park, the formation was perfect for Reading and having O'Conner beside him pulling men away played right into our second goal as he had the time and space to whip over an excellent cross which is really what we've been lacking. In the middle of the park Murdoch was superb and was greatly assisted by having 2 hard working but quality footballers in beside him in Maxwell and Bradley.

The team just had great balance yesterday and everyone seemed to know their jobs and even Baird and McGinty played well and looked pretty assured for the most part.

I know Dunfermline are struggling but we can only beat what's in front of us and with all the goings on of the past few weeks I thought they were excellent to a man yesterday, not only that but it was entertaining and we created lots of chances which is something we haven't done for about 2 years !!

Over and above all this, it should be remembered that both O'Connor and Bradley have hardly kicked a ball so won't be completely match fit, however if that's them not firing on all cylinders then I think we've got quite a bit to be looking forward to !!

What can I say, let's just enjoy it for a change.

[rgreig]

18 minutes ago, Finlay21 said:

And that would have left us right in the shit , coaching team are only following the managers instructions, you could see clear as day yesterday that Duffy obviously did not agree with Hopkins philosophy, he totally changed the way we were playing and made 6 changes to the last team Hopkin played 

Yes, exactly. I don't think it can just be a new manager bounce when several different players have been selected, in a different formation and approach to the game.

It will be interesting to see how we do against better teams than Dunfermline and whether we still have a coherent style of play. Win or lose if you can see a strategy and approach being developed it gives some hope. With Hopkin he may have had an approach but it was clearly doomed to failure.

The only player I was frustrated with yesterday was McGinty whose first instinct is just to launch the ball wherever he is facing. If he could change that he would be a lot more effective.

[Trogdor]

 

12 minutes ago, diegomarahenry said:

That suggests that they stood back and didn't offer criticism, constructive or otherwise. They watched Hopkin fail catastrophically, be sacked 4 games in to the season and then step in to his shoes. That doesn't chime right with me. 

That's a bit of a stretch. For all we know Hopkins ego was so stratospheric that he wouldn't welcome or take constructive criticism. There is a question of loyalty and maybe that's what you are suggesting that they should have gone as well. However, just because they were involved in the backroom doesn't make them as culpable as Hopkin he made the decisions and the buck stops with him ultimately.

Let's see how Duffy does. It's 1 game so far too soon to say yeah or nah for me. I thoroughly enjoyed that 1 game though. The first game I've enjoyed in many months.

[Finlay21]

37 minutes ago, diegomarahenry said:

That suggests that they stood back and didn't offer criticism, constructive or otherwise. They watched Hopkin fail catastrophically, be sacked 4 games in to the season and then step in to his shoes. That doesn't chime right with me. 

If you knew how stubborn Hopkin was , I personally think that Duffy was giving him feedback and he was not taking onboard , if things stayed as they were I think Duffy would have walked soon 

[HMIP]

52 minutes ago, diegomarahenry said:

That suggests that they stood back and didn't offer criticism, constructive or otherwise. They watched Hopkin fail catastrophically, be sacked 4 games in to the season and then step in to his shoes. That doesn't chime right with me. 

The counter argument is that Hopkin should have shown a bit more loyalty to his coaching team and not chucked it 4 games into the season just because the young team behind the goals were giving him a bit of abuse..  He walked away from Morton as well.  

[AUFC 1910]

26 minutes ago, HMIP said:

The counter argument is that Hopkin should have shown a bit more loyalty to his coaching team and not chucked it 4 games into the season just because the young team behind the goals were giving him a bit of abuse..  He walked away from Morton as well.  

I think the old team in the stand we’re giving it to him both barrels on Tuesday night too!

[jm86]

It could come down to something as simple as personal finances. By all accounts Hopkin is pretty well of and could afford to swan off into the sunset rather than put up with the aggro. The others perhaps not in that happy position, in which case it would be daft to expect them to give up presumably fairly well paid jobs. Would you?

[diegomarahenry]

57 minutes ago, jm86 said:

It could come down to something as simple as personal finances. By all accounts Hopkin is pretty well of and could afford to swan off into the sunset rather than put up with the aggro. The others perhaps not in that happy position, in which case it would be daft to expect them to give up presumably fairly well paid jobs. Would you?

In real life, no. In football, it happens all the time to the point it is expected. 

[diegomarahenry]

There may be a touch of the redemption in Duffy, Much the same as there was in McCall.

Gone from a credible coaching career to a fairly below average showing at Dumbarton. Part time and drifting out of football. Health suffering, it was probably time to bow out of front line football.

Today he has the chance to be a manager of a full time Championship team, back in the limelight and a chance to prove he wasn’t washed up after all. 

[D'Jaffo]

Duffy has been there as both a manager and a coach long enough to know when the manager wants input from his assistant. It’s maybe the case that Duffy tried to have his own input early on in the season and was ignored or it was agreed when Duffy came in that his only responsibilities would be carrying out whatever training involved. It’ll just depend on how Hopkin worked with his coaching staff.

I’ve never really laid any blame at any coaches we’ve had when things aren’t going right, simply because you don’t know what the dynamics are behind closed doors and how much input coaches are actually having. Under McCall it was very easy to know how much was down to Henry, Scally or Stewart as he made it very clear that training was left to the coaches. For that reason most of us rate Sandy Stewart pretty highly.

If Duffy can get a good run going he’ll be in with a shout of getting the job although he’s not really one of my first picks for the job.

[Hursty]

3 hours ago, diegomarahenry said:

That suggests that they stood back and didn't offer criticism, constructive or otherwise. They watched Hopkin fail catastrophically, be sacked 4 games in to the season and then step in to his shoes. That doesn't chime right with me. 

Have you ever coached or managed a team before?  Genuine question -  as to me at any level it's very hard/unusual for a coach to override the gaffer.  Offering an opinion to a manager usually won't make a difference and I get the feeling that Hopkin may have been set in his ways 

[Roxanne's man]

10 minutes ago, Hursty said:

I get the feeling that Hopkin may have been set in his ways

I have that feeling as well. Didn't think much of him when he was appointed manager and probably less now he's left. Change nothing on the pitch = Get nothing on the pitch. Piss tactics = piss results. Blootering the ball up the pitch from the back and crossing your fingers somebody gets it, doesn't cut it at this level.

The game yesterday was a *Dramatic* change from that drivel.

Now I'm not calling for Duffy to be appointed but I do see him as an option if results like this continue. Yesterday, Ayr United played Football for the first time since Hopkin was appointed. O'Connor is a breath of fresh air! A goal in literally a couple of minutes? Moff having a wee shot towards the end?

That's the excitement we badly needed back at Somerset! 

Dunfermline weren't the best but they were playing a team who have now found they're feet. Add a midfielder and I can see Ayr doing well

[diegomarahenry]

22 minutes ago, Hursty said:

Have you ever coached or managed a team before?  Genuine question -  as to me at any level it's very hard/unusual for a coach to override the gaffer.  Offering an opinion to a manager usually won't make a difference and I get the feeling that Hopkin may have been set in his ways 

Joyce and Timmons have worked with him before, Duffy hasn't so none of the others should be surprised if Hopkin is a stubborn individual that likes to fail while playing brutal football. He signed several players that played for him before and said he was a great guy to play for. 

All of a sudden he leaves and all these people are supposed to have been suffering Stockholm syndrome or tried their best to convince him but he just wouldn't listen?