The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[Trogdor]

9 minutes ago, No_Problemo said:

Personally, I don’t think physical presence in midfield is an issue tbh - Dempsey and Murdoch are both happy doing the dirty work. I think it all comes back to a lack of control over games and it seems like that’s more of a tactical issue. Boateng won the midfield battle, but all he had to do was sit in front of their defenders and wait for the long ball to pick up the scraps.

ETA, not that I’m saying I don’t miss Jamie Adams hugely, and we wouldn’t be better off with a player like him. 

It definitely comes down to control. I've never seen a player at this level be quite as adept at that as Boateng. He was excellent and seemed to be picking up the ball across the pitch. I'm not sure Murdoch playing would have changed that tbh. He would have hopefully made it more difficult for QP attacking us.

7 minutes ago, Iain said:

If you're going to go route 1 you need to win the second balls. Weren't even competing for them last night. It would be reassuring also if there seemed to be a strategy behind it - trying to take advantage is an identified weakness in the opponent - but it didn't look like that either.

I would agree with this. Its been a crutch all season as we have Dipo. It comes back to control as No_Problemo was saying. We don't seem to exert much control over the game even when winning games. I'm not sure what the solution is. We've tried 4-5-1 which in principle should give us more control but we end up with Dipo isolated and lose the midfield battle anyway.

[eez-eh]

The days are gone when every team needs a shithouse in midfield.

The problem last night was a lack of composure, we really struggled against a high pressing team. I doubt the game plan was to launch long balls all night but that’s what transpired because we struggled to string more than two passes together.

[AuAl]

3 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

It definitely comes down to control. I've never seen a player at this level be quite as adept at that as Boateng. He was excellent and seemed to be picking up the ball across the pitch. I'm not sure Murdoch playing would have changed that tbh. He would have hopefully made it more difficult for QP attacking us.

Aye, he was immense last night, broke up everything through the middle. Knew when to stick the foot in, knew when to not rush things and launched quite a few of QP's dangerous attacks. I think it was a lot more than just sitting in the right place, he seems a very intelligent footballer.

Edited February 4 by AuAl

[No_Problemo]

36 minutes ago, AuAl said:

Aye, he was immense last night, broke up everything through the middle. Knew when to stick the foot in, knew when to not rush things and launched quite a few of QP's dangerous attacks. I think it was a lot more than just sitting in the right place, he seems a very intelligent footballer.

Yeah, my post wasn’t worded very well. In terms of stopping our attacks all he had to do was drop deep and wait to pick the ball up as we were so predictable. Within the game he obviously offered a lot more than that. 

[Sortmeout]

I thought Boateng had a great game last night. I enjoyed the game (not because of the score) and I thought both teams tried do play well. Think Ayr have better players than QP however I think QP are a better team overall.

[D'Jaffo]

It was testament to Boateng that after he got booked so early on, that he never even looked like getting sent off and still managed to dominate the game. Given his position and role I’d say it was very impressive. Fully expect to see him in League One down South next season. I don’t think QP will maintain their push for the title but if they did he could be in the top flight with them next season. 

[Ayrmail]

Watching the game back so different from watching from behind the goals. QP playing similar to CR last week but with better movement up front but our midfield aren’t playing well, Kirk and McAlister more effective than them when they came forward, we’ve had a goal chalked off with nothing in it and 2 that on another day would have gone in. 
Silly foul for McAlister to give away and McGinty should have seen the player out the park. 
Cup game next week for us to get back to winning before Partick and Raith games 4pts from 2 should keep us in the hunt. 

[No_Problemo]

46 minutes ago, Bring Your Own Socks said:

My take was that on the first one QP made a sweeping series of passes down the pitch before Shields excellent delivery. The Ayr defenders were caught out and on the wrong side of McPake. Even at that the penalty still had to be converted, and was, with an excellent strike.

For the second, Davidson made a bold run into the box, again after some slick passing down that wing, and feinted a cross which put the LB off balance. Once past him, good composure and a well paced and accurate ball into the centre of the goal eliminated the keeper. All MacAllister did was deny McPake a tap in. 

Both teams were better matched in the second half but I was surprised at how much route-one was played in the first.

From a QP point of view they were both good moves, particularly the build up. However the first goal doesn’t happen bar a ridiculous challenge, and the second is genuinely pathetic defending from McGinty. 

[itzdrk]

2 hours ago, Thereisalight.. said:

The Ayr FB pages are always wild after defeats. Two of the strangest takes I've saw are the Zambian guy saying the better team lost, and a woman saying McAllister banged his head and must have had concussion when he gave away the pen and scored the OG

Passion merchants like McCalister can do no wrong. 

[WATTOO]

Definitely a bad night at the office and no doubt that Queens Park deserved to win. I thought we looked a yard off it from the start and the punting long balls just ensured that Mullin couldn't in the game and left Dipo chasing shadows. McGinty was ripped to shreds on a couple of occasions but in his defence didn't get much cover from Reading or JML and was left totally exposed when having to come over and cover as a full back.

Ayr created many of their own problems and Queens Park were pretty good and made it very difficult for us but Steven McLean also didn't help with his usual mystery decisions all going against us as always.

Dipo had a thankless task but I did think he looked a bit off it last night and not as sharp as usual, Hewitt also looked a bit short of this level and of course missed a sitter and McAlear was also nowhere near match fit / sharp and never really got involved enough and of course McAllister had a bit of a nightmare !!

The bottom line was that the penalty was soft but it WAS a penalty, the Dipo "goal" wasn't over the line and we basically didn't create anywhere near enough or take the game by the scruff of the neck so ultimately we got our just desserts.

That said, we haven't become a bad side due to last nights poor performance and it's still been an excellent season so far and looking around at the current results then it could be MUCH MUCH worse (Yes, I'm looking at you Uncle Ian)........

 

 

[AuAl]

Results going okay for us just now I think. Next couple league game is against an out of sorts Partick and an inconsistent Raith side. Good chance to consolidate the spot in the top 3/4.

[Trogdor]

12 minutes ago, WATTOO said:

(Yes, I'm looking at you Uncle Ian)........

[Nelson]

McCall must be close to the bullet.  

[Trogdor]

1 minute ago, AuAl said:

Results going okay for us just now I think. Next couple league game is against an out of sorts Partick and an inconsistent Raith side. Good chance to consolidate the spot in the top 3/4.

Aye with only Cove and Raith winning, that's about as well as we could have expected. 

I'm amazed Cove actually won a game tbf.

[ryanayr1987]

Not the worst set of results for us. Also Brian Graham will be missing from particks team as he’s been sent off. Unless the bbc has mixed him and megginson up…

[WATTOO]

2 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

Aye with only Cove and Raith winning, that's about as well as we could have expected. 

I'm amazed Cove actually won a game tbf.

It's done me out of about 300 quid but I can live with that !!

[Ayrmail]

Next Sat morton v QP then dundee v cove on Sunday home and away win would be nice 

[Thereisalight..]

Results today were favourable to us, just underlines how predictable the championship is, and what a missed opportunity last night was

[itzdrk]

4 hours ago, D'Jaffo said:

Aye we really lack a physical presence in midfield. You look at all the teams that have won this league in the past and they’ve always got a big player in midfield that does a lot of the dirty work. 

I thought Hewitt could provide it tbh but doubting that now. 

Results went our way today so we've got away with that last night, need to be back on it for the Partick game.  Day off needed for Dipo against Elgin IMO. 

[ryanayr1987]

I would play Bryden and mckenzie for Elgin and I’d leave dipo on the bench