The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[THEHonestman1910]

11 hours ago, rb123! said:

Jim McIntyre

Stuart Kettlewell

Martin Canning

Peter Houston

Ian McCall (Yes i know but still, we're getting that desperate....)

Steven Pressley

David Hopkin

Scott Marshall 

Most obvious candidates for me plus bit of a left field one at the end

Jim McIntyre - No thanks, hasn't done enough in recent years to warrant a move here.

Stuart Kettlewell - Done well the last time he was in this league (albeit, he was a partnership with a co-manager) . Steven Ferguson left then about 6 months later, Kettlewell was sacked. 

Martin Canning - Jesus Christ no

Peter Houston - Done well with Falkirk and unlucky not to have had them back in the SPL. Since sacked from Falkirk, he's done well with the Scotland youth side. He was probably the person I would've gone for when McCall left. 

Ian McCall - Yeah I'd probably have him back. I really don't care how he left us and I'm sure deep down he regretted the move. 

Steven Pressley - He'd probably want some stupid budget to come to us. Also said that he wouldn't manage another team in Scotland. 

David Hopkin - Done well at Livingston but Morton have got better since he left which would be a concern. 

Scott Marshall - Who?

 

A lot of those managers are probably better than what we've got right now. It's more of a case of what they'd bring to us long term. 

Edited February 21, 2021 by THEHonestman1910

[ayrunitedfw]

[Thumper]

16 minutes ago, malkyshotton said:

Think you’re correct about waiting for emotions to calm down and if what you think about Kerr being manager next season is correct then that surely must mean we’ll be in the championship which would be great. Saying all that it’s pretty alarming how quickly we’ve tumbled down the league and how bad our form is. Hard to see where or when the turnaround is going to come but hopefully starting at Dens midweek.

the league table is still hilariously tight, which is why QOS or Arbroath going on runs keeps fucking with everyone. But two wins since November is fucking appalling, even if arguably those were the two you'd have chosen to win if given the option looking back.

[itzdrk]

29 minutes ago, HMIP said:

Cameron was a superb chairman in many respects, but his Achilles heel quite consistently was managerial appointments.  Neil Watt, Mark Shanks, Mark Roberts, now Kerr.  I don’t think he was really steeped in the Scottish football community which was probably a good thing in certain respects, but I think it also meant he didn’t have many connections who could help with possible candidates.  People have their views on John Hughes, but given his record and his apparent interest in the job, it is bizarre that we didn’t even speak to him.

All this panic merchant chat can jump in the sea as far as I’m concerned.  Kerr seems like a decent guy, but in 18 months we’ve gone from a solid top 4 side to a club tail spinning into League 1.  Sensible folk have been saying for months that a solid experienced first team coach is needed.  Either that or Kerr needs to be binned.  But then, struggling managers don’t like to have a solid experienced first team coach as they see it as a threat to their own position - call it the Dalziel syndrome.

John Hughes has never applied to be Ayr United manager.  

[Trogdor]

If we're looking for an auld heid alongside Kerr. How about Jimmy Nicholl? He's done that before - he's obviously the NI Assistant but could combine the roles.

I don't consider myself a panic merchant but we've only got 12 games to turn this shitshow around. By the end of next Saturday we'll only have 10 games left. We need a change in form pretty fucking quick.

Edited February 21, 2021 by Trogdor

[HMIP]

6 minutes ago, itzdrk said:

John Hughes has never applied to be Ayr United manager.  

Well done on completely missing the point. 

[wuffster]

4 minutes ago, HMIP said:

Well done on completely missing the point. 

Not really missing the point though is it? Hughes was open (on Sportsound ages ago) about how he did not apply but had an agent ask if Ayr were going to give him the job. When that generous offer was declined/unanswered he chose not to pursue it.

[ayrunitedfw]

14 minutes ago, itzdrk said:

John Hughes has never applied to be Ayr United manager.  

He enquired about it was told by someone at the club that we already had someone lined up for it so it suggests Mark Kerr was getting job from the get go 

[itzdrk]

2 minutes ago, HMIP said:

Well done on completely missing the point. 

How exactly have I missed the point here? We always operated under asking people to apply for the job including every time there being a story in both local and national press, if John Hughes was interested he would have applied. Hughes was asked about this after Kerr was appointed and said he didn't think he should need to apply.  He essentially tried to bypass the process by having someone just ask straight out of he would get the job and took the huff.   

I am fully aware of the situation.  

[Thumper]

14 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

If we're looking for an auld heid alongside Kerr. How about Jimmy Nicholl? He's done that before - he's obviously the NI Assistant but could combine the roles

I find it difficult to believe that if Jimmy Nicholl wanted a job in Scottish football again that he wouldn't have one. f**k, he could probably just take every second season at Raith when they continually send McGlynn back on sabbatical.

[UpInTheAyr]

Seems more like a Dundee fit.

[Trogdor]

1 minute ago, Thumper said:

I find it difficult to believe that if Jimmy Nicholl wanted a job in Scottish football again that he wouldn't have one. f**k, he could probably just take every second season at Raith when they continually send McGlynn back on sabbatical.

You could well be right. There's no many auld heids with a good track record tbf. I'm sure he was at Dundee for a bit helping McPake out as well.

I almost suggested Craig Brown but he must be some age now.

[HMIP]

4 minutes ago, itzdrk said:

How exactly have I missed the point here? We always operated under asking people to apply for the job including every time there being a story in both local and national press, if John Hughes was interested he would have applied. Hughes was asked about this after Kerr was appointed and said he didn't think he should need to apply.  He essentially tried to bypass the process by having someone just ask straight out of he would get the job and took the huff.   

I am fully aware of the situation.  

You think Hughes “applied” for the Ross County job?  Or Tommy Wright “applied”  for the Kilmarnock job?  It’s not how football necessarily works.  

Our recruitment process was built on sitting back and waiting for candidates to come to us.  The upshot was a frankly dismal short list.  That Kerr got the job is a reflection of how poor the alternatives were.  I’m not going to get hung up on whether Hughes was necessarily the right choice.  More making the point that sometimes you have to be proactive, dare I say even a little ambitious.  I think the point Hughes was making that there are guys out there who would be interested in discussing a job opportunity who won’t necessarily respond to an advert in the local paper.  It’s now how headhunting or senior recruitment gets done in any industry.

 

[eez-eh]

Surely no one here is seriously suggesting Stuart Kettlewell?

He got a team with a massive budget promoted (as co-manager), then the next season County were two points above the relegation places when the season was stopped - again as co-manager. He then got sacked after half a season as the sole manager. There’s absolutely nothing there to say he’d be any less of a punt than Kerr was.

[Thumper]

kettlewell is also another one who seems to think that the A9 is eleven million miles long. the bare minimum you'd look for if going for anything except the narrowest of short-term change  is someone prepared to relocate locally.

[ryanayr1987]

I still think we should have taken Darren Young when we appointed Kerr. After the mark Roberts disaster I’ve not been keen on player role.
 

I was never keen on yogi coming in after what happened at raith. I do think though he would have done a better job than Kerr is at this stage. 
 

Mark Kerr I’d say has 3 games max left before we need to make a change. That is if we don’t get at least 5 points from them 

[North British]

11 minutes ago, eez-eh said:

Surely no one here is seriously suggesting Stuart Kettlewell?

He got a team with a massive budget promoted (as co-manager), then the next season County were two points above the relegation places when the season was stopped - again as co-manager. He then got sacked after half a season as the sole manager. There’s absolutely nothing there to say he’d be any less of a punt than Kerr was.

 But like you say he won the Championship, kept County in the Premiership (total prize money £2.5 million) . Oh and also bounced Celtic out the Betfred at Parkhead . Yes there will be other candidates , but the guys last three years would surely be of interest to us . Or we could just offer it to the Moff , why change the habits of a lifetime ... ?

[HMIP]

2 minutes ago, Thumper said:

kettlewell is also another one who seems to think that the A9 is eleven million miles long. the bare minimum you'd look for if going for anything except the narrowest of short-term change  is someone prepared to relocate locally.

Kettlewell was on off the ball last week and confirmed he has already moved back to the central belt to pursue job opportunities.  Still don’t think he’s a good option for us mind.

[AyrExile]

12 minutes ago, HMIP said:

You think Hughes “applied” for the Ross County job?  Or Tommy Wright “applied”  for the Kilmarnock job?  It’s not how football necessarily works.  

Our recruitment process was built on sitting back and waiting for candidates to come to us.  The upshot was a frankly dismal short list.  That Kerr got the job is a reflection of how poor the alternatives were.  I’m not going to get hung up on whether Hughes was necessarily the right choice.  More making the point that sometimes you have to be proactive, dare I say even a little ambitious.  I think the point Hughes was making that there are guys out there who would be interested in discussing a job opportunity who won’t necessarily respond to an advert in the local paper.  It’s now how headhunting or senior recruitment gets done in any industry.

 

The Hughes situation seems to be like the Anderson one in accepting the club line. The recruitment process isn’t identical across all sectors and industries, particularly in a small world like football where everyone is known. Asking the question like Hughes did often saves a lot of effort and being left in limbo whilst an inevitable result concludes 

[eez-eh]

9 minutes ago, North British said:

 But like you say he won the Championship, kept County in the Premiership (total prize money £2.5 million) . Oh and also bounced Celtic out the Betfred at Parkhead . Yes there will be other candidates , but the guys last three years would surely be of interest to us . Or we could just offer it to the Moff , why change the habits of a lifetime ... ?

How is that really relevant when the budget he had at County will dwarf anything he’ll get at Ayr? There’s nothing to suggest he’d be any good at trying to get the best out of this squad.