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The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread


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Just now, Finlay21 said:

Agree with your point about it all depends on who applies , I just don’t like the look of the ones currently available 

If we can’t get Hughes or Petrie (who obviously always gets mentioned and doesn’t seem an option) then I would probably agree about waiting until the end of the season. 

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48 minutes ago, Finlay21 said:

Cant always go on previous teams performance, you don’t know what budget they had , which makes a massive difference to any team , I can’t see anyone at the moment we could see as long term who is out of a job , yes if someone else becomes available that totally changes the situation 

Isn’t that the thinking that landed us with Hopkin?  I’ve got a lot of time for Duffy, but the truth is he hasn’t really been an in demand manager at our level (or the level we aspire to be at) since the early to mid 2000s.  You have to think there are good reasons for that.  Giving him the job on the strength of 3 wins against Rangers boys club and probably the 2 worst teams in the league at the moment just smacks of short termism.  That said, I’d be happy enough for him to stay on in the role he was brought to the club to do.  My guess is he’ll walk if he doesn’t get the job though.

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22 minutes ago, Iain said:

Six games is a really small sample size to base any conclusions on. Especially if the results of matches are the only factor you're looking at. Doesn't make it easy for a board that's trying to look at the bigger picture though.

Based on that scenario, are you then saying Duffy should be be given more games to prove himself ? I am not basing it just on results , I am basing it on what players think of his coaching at Ayr and his man management current skills , I am not a big fan of Duffy , just don’t think we should be changing manager if current results continue unless  the ideal long term candidate becomes available 

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Isn’t that the thinking that landed us with Hopkin?  I’ve got a lot of time for Duffy, but the truth is he hasn’t really been an in demand manager at our level (or the level we aspire to be at) since the early to mid 2000s.  You have to think there are good reasons for that.  Giving him the job on the strength of 3 wins against Rangers boys club and probably the 2 worst teams in the league at the moment just smacks of short termism.  That said, I’d be happy enough for him to stay on in the role he was brought to the club to do.  My guess is he’ll walk if he doesn’t get the job though.
He will defo go if he does not get it, maybe it's just me but in his post match interview he didn't exactly sound desperate got the gig full time might have been to do with the loaded question from Callum having a sly did at the fans
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12 minutes ago, Finlay21 said:

Based on that scenario, are you then saying Duffy should be be given more games to prove himself ? I am not basing it just on results , I am basing it on what players think of his coaching at Ayr and his man management current skills , I am not a big fan of Duffy , just don’t think we should be changing manager if current results continue unless  the ideal long term candidate becomes available 

I was told the players liked Hopkin and thought his training and match plans were good, players are idiots. 

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11 minutes ago, Finlay21 said:

Based on that scenario, are you then saying Duffy should be be given more games to prove himself ? I am not basing it just on results , I am basing it on what players think of his coaching at Ayr and his man management current skills , I am not a big fan of Duffy , just don’t think we should be changing manager if current results continue unless  the ideal long term candidate becomes available 

Not at all, I just think there are more factors to weigh than a handful of results that may or may not be sustainable. If the board think his coaching method is superior and think he will be able to recruit effectively then I'm sure they will appoint him. If they have doubts about the other things then I don't think the results should outweigh those concerns.

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1 minute ago, itzdrk said:

I was told the players liked Hopkin and thought his training and match plans were good, players are idiots. 

What do we honestly expect players to say?  They’re hardly going to risk their future at the club by saying what they really think?  

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20 minutes ago, HMIP said:

What do we honestly expect players to say?  They’re hardly going to risk their future at the club by saying what they really think?  

Totally , there are massive differences between being a coach and being a manager , they might like his coaching style but detest his management skills , at the moment being coach he can keep players happy , but when he starts leaving them out team opinions can change very quickly 

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I dont think Duffy is the long term answer, but i think he is a decent option in that we know dont need to rush into an appointment as he has steadied the ship. For me ideally you would want someone in place end November / start Decembet to give them a chance to assess the squad before the Jan window. Wating till the end of the season would be a bad decision unless the new manager is already signed up and has some input in what they want in terms of re-signing and new signings by Jan / Feb time

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The board could actually be forgiven for not having a clear picture of who they want as manager long term.

When you look at the names out there it's a pretty thankless task with no real standout candidate. 

That said, I hope discussions are being had behind the scenes to bring some clarity for everyone's benefit. 

I really hope the board can learn from the most recent recruitment process which should still be fresh in the mind. Things from the process that in hindsight, went well, didn't go so well or things that we could do differently. 

We definitely need to keep building on the last few results. 

 

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A lot of people are making out like this is the Arsenal job. Championship managers last three years if they're any good. Likewise with quality: managers have good and bad spells at different times and different clubs. Wasn't that long ago that Dick Campbell and Yogi's respective stocks were significantly lower.

On the subject of stability: it only took two windows and the loss of a couple of players to get McCall to jump ship, and he was Mr Long Term through and through. Nothing in this game is eternal.  You take what you can get.

The club is developing off the pitch. It somehow managed not to throw a spanner in the works by getting relegated last season. If in a year's time the club is still in this division, and there's matchday bar and better facilities, then that's progress.

If people are still talking about swapping managers when Duffy's come in, changed the playing style like people wanted, started playing O'Connor like people wanted, and won all his games, then I don't know what it is that people want. You'd think Hughes had been born in Burns Cottage the way people seem to think he's destined to get the job.

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4 hours ago, Finlay21 said:

Based on that scenario, are you then saying Duffy should be be given more games to prove himself ? I am not basing it just on results , I am basing it on what players think of his coaching at Ayr and his man management current skills , I am not a big fan of Duffy , just don’t think we should be changing manager if current results continue unless  the ideal long term candidate becomes available 

The best Manager is the Manager that gets you results, so far Duffy is that man. We don't know if we'd have beaten Hamilton and Dunfermline with Hughes or anyone in else in charge, however we can state as fact that we have beaten them with Duffy in charge.

My "good" Manager rating, like most people, would revolve around the following,

1. Do the players respond to the Manager and do the try as hard as they can ?

2. Does the Manager appear to have a game plan / idea of what he wants to achieve and is this filtering through to the players ?

3. Is the team getting results ?

4. Are the fans being entertained and are the team creating chances ?

In the last couple of weeks I'd answer YES to all of the above and as such I really don't know what more people are expecting / hoping for ???

Unfortunately it's a cut throat business of course so should we fail to win or put in a good performance over the next 2 or 3 weeks then I suppose all bets are off once more !!

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49 minutes ago, Thumper said:

A lot of people are making out like this is the Arsenal job. Championship managers last three years if they're any good. Likewise with quality: managers have good and bad spells at different times and different clubs. Wasn't that long ago that Dick Campbell and Yogi's respective stocks were significantly lower.

On the subject of stability: it only took two windows and the loss of a couple of players to get McCall to jump ship, and he was Mr Long Term through and through. Nothing in this game is eternal.  You take what you can get.

The club is developing off the pitch. It somehow managed not to throw a spanner in the works by getting relegated last season. If in a year's time the club is still in this division, and there's matchday bar and better facilities, then that's progress.

If people are still talking about swapping managers when Duffy's come in, changed the playing style like people wanted, started playing O'Connor like people wanted, and won all his games, then I don't know what it is that people want. You'd think Hughes had been born in Burns Cottage the way people seem to think he's destined to get the job.

Short term we are getting results, a new manager appointment also needs to take into account the long term and future transfer planning. That is something we have been told isn’t Duffy’s strong point...

Its not as simple as we’ve won a couple of games, give it to Duffy. 

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3 hours ago, honestly united said:

I dont think Duffy is the long term answer, but i think he is a decent option in that we know dont need to rush into an appointment as he has steadied the ship.

I don't think we can necessarily assume that Duffy is OK with being a stopgap manager for an extended period. He may say to Smith that he is willing to stay on but not just until a candidate we like better becomes available. I don't think many people would be OK with that kind of arrangement (but who knows what Duffy has said to Smith).

Smith also said in the interview with Graham Speirs that we are not ready as a club for promotion. So it sounds like he is looking for someone who is looking to build foundations - i.e. with the academy, training facilities etc. - rather than chase promotion as quickly as possible. I have no idea what Duffy contributes in that regard. If that is something that he is motivated to work on, and he continues getting results that show we aren't going to be relegated then I could see him fitting into Smith's plans beyond this season.

I also think that Grant isn't going to last much longer at Dunfermline so that does complicate the timing a bit.

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As others have said, Duffy has certainly made a difference relative to Hopkin. I suspect that's more of an endictment on Hopkin being an abysmal manager whilst Duffy is a competent one who can do a job.

At the end of the day if he keeps winning he'll get the job, of that I have no doubt.

It also might be what we need for a bit - its probably a low risk appointment. He's pretty steady if unspectacular at this level. That could well be what we need to consolidate in the division as more things are progressed off the field. 

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1 hour ago, rgreig said:

I don't think we can necessarily assume that Duffy is OK with being a stopgap manager for an extended period. He may say to Smith that he is willing to stay on but not just until a candidate we like better becomes available. I don't think many people would be OK with that kind of arrangement (but who knows what Duffy has said to Smith).

Smith also said in the interview with Graham Speirs that we are not ready as a club for promotion. So it sounds like he is looking for someone who is looking to build foundations - i.e. with the academy, training facilities etc. - rather than chase promotion as quickly as possible. I have no idea what Duffy contributes in that regard. If that is something that he is motivated to work on, and he continues getting results that show we aren't going to be relegated then I could see him fitting into Smith's plans beyond this season.

I also think that Grant isn't going to last much longer at Dunfermline so that does complicate the timing a bit.

I had thought Duffy had said when he came in over the summer he didnt want to be a manager anymore and was happy coaching, so he is maybe happy to take the reigns for a few weeks / months until someone else takes over, but doesnt want it long term.

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Notice from the highlights on B&W TV that both our goals came from gigantic hoofs up the park, one from a goal kick. The post hoof play in both cases was actually quite classy, with Adeloye involved in both.

For the first he beat the centre half out on the wing,, ran inside and played Murdoch in with a perfectly weighted pass across the edge of the box. Murdoch, steaming in with a late run didn't have to break stride as he slid a pinpoint ball into the feet of Bradley who produced an excellent finish. A really well worked goal.

For the second Adeloye showed fantastic control to chest the ball down to Bradley before turning and running goalwards.  Bradley hit the ball first time into Tomi's path. He took one good touch before despatching the ball low into the corner. Again, a well worked goal. Young Bradley and Tomi involved in both.

The difference between Duff ball and Hoppy ball, was that, for the first we had runners following up from midfield and for the second, we had Tomi with someone playing beside him to get on to the knockdown.

Bradley has the makings of a really good player for Hibs. Rough round the edges and a lot to learn, but capable of moments of brilliance. He was having a pretty duff game, but kept persevering and trying things and finished up contributing massively to the win. Assuming he gets plenty of game time with us, he'll go back to Hibs a much better player.

 

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