The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[Frosty]

17 hours ago, Iain said:

there's no evidence of a tactical or strategic plan. If you could point to something Bullen has done or is doing that is causing good results then there would be more cause for optimism. Right now it looks like Dipo is carrying the team and results are likely to deteriorate when he moves on because there's nothing underpinning any success they're having this year.

Are you seriously saying we’ve won 14 out of 30 league games and have got a result in 70% of our league games this season by having no tactical plan. Bullen must be the luckiest manager in the world if he’s achieved that by having no tactics. 
 

Not sure what you mean by a strategic plan - for me that’s something for the club as a whole which Bullen would only play a part in along with Smith, Mathie, Glendinning etc. There seems to be one in place as far as I can see from an infrastructure perspective, through highlighting appropriate players and signing and then getting the best out of them. The idea that the player side of things would see us moving from missing relegation by a ball hair in recent seasons to achieving promotion to the Premiership for the first time in our history is wild and I think says more about the supporters who think that was possible in the manager’s first full season than the failure of the manager to deliver it.

I’m surprised you need some examples of Bullen’s contribution to our results and vastly improved outlook this season. Dipo is clearly a rare talent but the player we have that is now acknowledged as the best striker in the division and one that will see us getting a sizeable financial return hadn’t demonstrated that in his career to date and didn’t in his League Cup performances where some on here were suggesting he couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo and we’d signed a dud.

The progress of Kirk, Albinson and recently McAllister are examples of the sort of player development that needs to be a key feature of a club like ours. There needs to be more of it and it would be good if there was more evidence of it at the top end of the park although I think there is some evidence of it with Bryson and McKenzie. Getting a tune out of McGinty shouldn’t be overlooked also.

Dipo will be hard to replace but people said that about Adeloye last year and we got a significant upgrade. It’s simplistic in the extreme to say our results are likely to deteriorate without Dipo - it’s like saying that if you take his goals away we’d be in the relegation places. Do those suggesting that think we were planning to play with 10 men or not sign an alternative if we didn’t sign him.

I’m not saying Bullen is going to be the one to get us back to the top division after what is now getting close to 50 years but the fact that in his first full season in charge we’re still in the mix with 6 games to go means he’s 100% earned the right to have another go next year if we do, as expected, come up short this time.

[No_Problemo]

Btw - of all the chat of our woeful form, that is us now second in the form table (for last six) and won three of our last four. Bar 45 minutes against Dundee, we have been good in the last six league games. If we weren’t utterly shafted against Inverness it would be looking even better. 

[Trogdor]

To move the subject on a little from the Bullen debate - the tactical genius or managerial pariah? (the truth is invariably somewhere in between btw).

It's quite interesting to look at the run in. Essentially this table looks at the PPG achieved by opponents you are still to play compared to your opponents already played. Ryan's caveat that past results don't equal future performance is worth bearing in mind.

It is from Soccerstats and comes with a health warning as follows - They have the Raith pumping of Cove the wrong way round in that table. IE - Raith actually have 38 points and Cove have 27 points.

What's interesting is that Queens Park look to have a significantly worse run in than Dundee. We also have a slightly easier run in according to this.

This takes no account of current form as an example Arbroath at home have a PPG of 0.64 (1 win 6 draws in 14 games) but they just beat Queens Park (away admittedly). 

As North British suggested it is still mathematically possible that we win this league. It requires us to win every game pretty much as per below:

Cliche alert - we need to take it a game at a time. That run with Morton (H), Partick (A) and Queens Park (H) looks vital. Ending the season away to Inverness is unhelpful but shades of 2020/21 where we had to go up there an get a result in the last game under Hopkin and we did it.

Let's go!

[Trogdor]

16 hours ago, BukyOHare said:

Apologies if it's been said already but I thought in terms of being an attacking threat Maguire was excellent last night, two really good assists and link up play in and around the Cove box. Could easily have got himself a goal as well.

Definitely his best game for us so far, hopefully a sign that his attacking output is improving as his fitness improves.

I missed this but totally agree with you. I thought he was man of the match. His touches and awareness show that he is a baller and has played well beyond this level. As you say, hopefully that's him at match fitness for the run in.

[Richey Edwards]

14 hours ago, Lochwood said:

Well only one word after Friday night Maguire, the guy was everything I thought he would be to the team ,and it’s great to see a bit of real Quality on the pitch, you can’t coach that ability it’s natural.

The whole back four were collectively good and McAllister coaching young Hewitt through the game was great to see. If they are handing out two year contracts out McAllister should be top of the list for his attitude and commitment and versatility. I think young Hewitt when he gets over his nerves will do well at right back, he is good athlete and I believe that position is his best shout of making it.

Watched the highlights of Queen’s Park and I can’t believe they lost that game, it was one way traffic.

Watched  Fleetwood game today with Corrie Nabada playing left centre back he was very good, still tied to Ipswich but read his recent profile on wiki, there’s a quote from Hopkin saying one of his performances was the worst he had seen, what did he know eh.

Hopkin's performance as manager is the worst I have seen, so he can stick that in his pipe and smoke it.

[Thumper]

On 26/03/2023 at 17:18, Richey Edwards said:

Hopkin's performance as manager is the worst I have seen, so he can stick that in his pipe and smoke it.

Hopkin's football insights are so valuable that he gets to make them doing commentary for a TV channel which isn't in English.

[Richey Edwards]

14 minutes ago, Thumper said:

Hopkin's football insights are so valuable that he gets to make them doing commentary for a TV channel which isn't in English.

I remember one time he said "the grass is a wee bit wet because of the water".

How much did he get paid to say shit like that?

[Jeff Venom]

Hopkin who continued to call Afolabi "Afaloaby" in last season's L1 promotion play-off matches, despite signing the guy for Ayr less than 12 months previously.

[AYRSHIRE_ANGUS]

I see that Dundee have reduced their prices to £15 for the home game v Hamilton on Saturday. So that will mean a larger than normal crowd full of impatient Dundonians expecting a pummelling of wee diddies Hamilton.

Twenty minutes in without a goal and that idea could easily backfire. The foundations of a shock result are in place.

[ryanayr1987]

With the good weather coming in we could be doing another fan day. I know it always is a kiss of death to the result. 

[AUFC 1910]

Just get the free buses to Inverness booked

[Trogdor]

52 minutes ago, AUFC 1910 said:

Just get the free buses to Inverness booked

You had me at free.

[RossBFaeDundee]

7 hours ago, AYRSHIRE_ANGUS said:

I see that Dundee have reduced their prices to £15 for the home game v Hamilton on Saturday. So that will mean a larger than normal crowd full of impatient Dundonians expecting a pummelling of wee diddies Hamilton.

Twenty minutes in without a goal and that idea could easily backfire. The foundations of a shock result are in place.

One of the more desperate posts I've seen on this thread of late, and that is saying something.

[AYRSHIRE_ANGUS]

4 hours ago, RossBFaeDundee said:

One of the more desperate posts I've seen on this thread of late, and that is saying something.

Thank you. 

[Iain]

5 hours ago, RossBFaeDundee said:

One of the more desperate posts I've seen on this thread of late, and that is saying something.

Agreed. Dundee tripping over their own feet is a laughable fantasy that would never happen in reality.

[RossBFaeDundee]

6 hours ago, Iain said:

Agreed. Dundee tripping over their own feet is a laughable fantasy that would never happen in reality.

You know I never said it couldn't happen, I said it was a desperate post because it is.

Anyway, best of luck against Arbroath lads. Should be an easy 3 points for you live on the telly, no pressure!

[muZZa__44]

Seems like that’s Kirk season’s over gutted for him

[No_Problemo]

26 minutes ago, muZZa__44 said:

Seems like that’s Kirk season’s over gutted for him

That’s us back to being a Musonda, or even McGinty injury away from disaster… as much as McAllister has filled in well we won’t beat top end teams with the back four we had on Friday night. 

[rb123!]

[UpInTheAyr]