Alloa Athletic vs Ayr United

[weetoonlad]

It is certainly shoogly but probably not unsafe. When I  suggested to your safety manager that it was awkward to access (no ladder) he told me to climb up the inside and walked away. Being on wheels doesn't help it. Similar towers with flat feet are much more stable for video. Biggest gripe is how far away from the halfway line it is but this obviously cannot be helped. The stewards gave me the choice today and I'll probably go back to the middle of the away stand for the next game.

Poor all over the park big boy Deas got found out today . let's get back to back four of Taggs Andy robbo and Dick . but we never turned up today simple

[Redwedge77]

Absolutely rag dolled by Moffat

[weetoonlad]

Absolutely rag dolled by Moffat

100% lost the shape over a 30 min period in first half

[printer]

Moffat was excellent. Terrific footballer.

Absolutely rag dolled by Moffat

 

[Trogdor]

4 minutes ago, printer said:

Moffat was excellent. Terrific footballer.

The Moff is pleased.

[THEHonestman1910]

Can't deny after that first half i was checking my pants at half time, that was unreal football. 

[wuffster]

[LeodhasXD]

 

[Iain]

Seeing highlights from Alloa makes me wish someone with the requisite skills would splice together Harvie's goal against Dundee Utd with the crowd audio from when Allia's left back scored against us the season before last.

[LeodhasXD]

On 21/09/2019 at 19:16, wuffster said:

It is certainly shoogly but probably not unsafe. When I  suggested to your safety manager that it was awkward to access (no ladder) he told me to climb up the inside and walked away. Being on wheels doesn't help it. Similar towers with flat feet are much more stable for video. Biggest gripe is how far away from the halfway line it is but this obviously cannot be helped. The stewards gave me the choice today and I'll probably go back to the middle of the away stand for the next game.

I was campaigning for a big one behind the away stand like bbc alba had but it seems it will take too much effort/money.

Edited September 23, 2019 by LeodhasXD

[Meathead]

The first half yesterday was the best 45 minutes I've seen any Ayr team produce, and it's unfortunate that the hysteria surrounding McCall's future has taken the spotlight away from the performance. It was the sort of afternoon that makes trekking to Dingwall on a Tuesday night to get beat, to Fife for a dull 0-0, or to Stranraer to get pumped 4-0 all seem worth it. It was a genuine privilege to be in attendance and I can only offer my sympathies to anyone who toughed out the darkest days of the Mark Roberts era but couldn't make it along yesterday.

Peter Grant is in no small part responsible for facilitating that Ayr performance though. His tactics were naive in the extreme. Ayr have lined up with virtually the same starting eleven (give or take some rotation at centre half, and Kerr coming in for the now-injured Murdoch) in the same 4-5-1 since the league season began; it was exactly the same team, playing exactly the same way, who beat Dundee United last week. Unless Alloa do no scouting of their opposition, there is no excuse for being taken by surprise by Ayr's setup. How Grant thought a 4-3-3, with three strikers and virtually no width, was going to lead to anything other than total annihilation is beyond me.

It wouldn't have mattered how well Alloa had played individually; their midfield was vastly outnumbered, their full backs were being doubled up on, and their centre halves had no protection. They were lambs to the slaughter. I felt a bit bad for Scott Taggart because Harvie and Forrest murdered him in the first half and there was nothing he could do about it.

I remember watching one of Grant's first post-match interviews after getting the job (kudos to the always excellent Alloa highlights package for that - my favourite in the lower leagues alongside those of Ayr and East Fife) and he said something to the effect of wanting Alloa to be like Atletico Madrid without the ball, and Barcelona with it. I thought at the time he seemed totally oblivious to the realities of managing a team whose aim is to avoid relegation, and yesterday did nothing to sway me in the other direction. I hope all comes good for Alloa but, from the outside, Grant looks out of his depth.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Meathead

[BFTD]

I've not seen us take a pumping that hard since Allan Maitland was in charge. Genuinely considered leaving at half-time, which is something I haven't done since those days.

Glad I didn't, as the second-half was worth watching, but under no illusions that Ayr had the cigars out by that point. Greatly pains me to say it, but we've played all of the big teams in Scotland in recent seasons, and Ayr's performance was better than any of them yesterday. No doubt you'll be unbearable if it happens, but best of luck with title bid.

[Waspie]

6 hours ago, Meathead said:

The first half yesterday was the best 45 minutes I've seen any Ayr team produce, and it's unfortunate that the hysteria surrounding McCall's future has taken the spotlight away from the performance. It was the sort of afternoon that makes trekking to Dingwall on a Tuesday night to get beat, to Fife for a dull 0-0, or to Stranraer to get pumped 4-0 all seem worth it. It was a genuine privilege to be in attendance and I can only offer my sympathies to anyone who toughed out the darkest days of the Mark Roberts era but couldn't make it along yesterday.

Peter Grant is in no small part responsible for facilitating that Ayr performance though. His tactics were naive in the extreme. Ayr have lined up with virtually the same starting eleven (give or take some rotation at centre half, and Kerr coming in for the now-injured Murdoch) in the same 4-5-1 since the league season began; it was exactly the same team, playing exactly the same way, who beat Dundee United last week. Unless Alloa do no scouting of their opposition, there is no excuse for being taken by surprise by Ayr's setup. How Grant thought a 4-3-3, with three strikers and virtually no width, was going to lead to anything other than total annihilation is beyond me.

It wouldn't have mattered how well Alloa had played individually; their midfield was vastly outnumbered, their full backs were being doubled up on, and their centre halves had no protection. They were lambs to the slaughter. I felt a bit bad for Scott Taggart because Harvie and Forrest murdered him in the first half and there was nothing he could do about it.

This is a certainly a concern. Could be wrong, but from memory the only games in which we were really outplayed last season were Ayr away (and even though we lost 3-0 we were still in touch, on the scoreboard at least, going into the closing stages), and Inverness away (where we somehow almost got a point after being lucky to only be 3-0 down). Both midweek games.

Here we are 6 games into this season and we have lost 4-1 at Cappielow, been 4-0 down at ht against Ayr, and been thoroughly outplayed by Arbroath. Early days yet for a new manager and it must be said that there have been positives too, but a little worrying nonetheless. 

Edited September 22, 2019 by Waspie

[D'Jaffo]

It’s a shame that the news about McCall is taking the headlines as yesterday’s first half performance really was brilliant. It was as if the players were trying everything to convince him not to leave.

Forrest has really stepped up another level this season and with Moffat and McCowan up front with him there aren’t any better attacking forces in the league. IMO anyway.

[Jazzar]

Got there 3mins before kick off after a night in the capital and a big sleep lol. Glad I didn't miss that performance in the first half. In all honesty, we could have scored six or seven but I'll take that all day long. Did make we wonder how we'd have done last season if wee Forrest hadn't got injured. 

[printer]

Early days yet for a new manager and it must be said that there have been positives too, but a little worrying nonetheless. 

Yeah, that pretty much sums up where we are at the moment.

There are three main areas of concern for me.
1 - Formation. Grant has changed what has worked for us the last two seasons (4-2-3-1) and what suits our players. We've played very well in his midfield diamond two or three times, but the jury is still out on the change, in particular what effect it has on our defensive robustness. Certainly don't have a problem with him trying it.
2- Strikers. We have three different and very good part-time forwards (O'Hara still has to prove that in his career) but they haven't shown so far that they can be as effective as Dario, Jake and Connor were last season. It's ironic we have increased the pitch width now those three are away.
3- Defence. I can see why Robbie Deas has been brought in and he's done OK overall. I must admit though I really like Taggs at centre back and he complements big Andy . His pace and reading of the game are even more important on the bigger pitch. Also, Robbo (while not a natural defender) is just too good a player not to start in some position IMO.

As Waspie says, it's early days and we'll just need to keep supporting the team and manager who will hopefully come good.

[Trogdor]

12 hours ago, Jazzar said:

Did make we wonder how we'd have done last season if wee Forrest hadn't got injured. 

100%, he is ace.

I remember debating one of our fans on here who insisted McDaid was a better player. They clearly hadn't been paying attention.

[Kevchenko]

Yeah, that pretty much sums up where we are at the moment.

There are three main areas of concern for me.
1 - Formation. Grant has changed what has worked for us the last two seasons (4-2-3-1) and what suits our players. We've played very well in his midfield diamond two or three times, but the jury is still out on the change, in particular what effect it has on our defensive robustness. Certainly don't have a problem with him trying it.
2- Strikers. We have three different and very good part-time forwards (O'Hara still has to prove that in his career) but they haven't shown so far that they can be as effective as Dario, Jake and Connor were last season. It's ironic we have increased the pitch width now those three are away.
3- Defence. I can see why Robbie Deas has been brought in and he's done OK overall. I must admit though I really like Taggs at centre back and he complements big Andy . His pace and reading of the game are even more important on the bigger pitch. Also, Robbo (while not a natural defender) is just too good a player not to start in some position IMO.

As Waspie says, it's early days and we'll just need to keep supporting the team and manager who will hopefully come good.

Grant’s 4-3-3 seems a bit of a mess/unbalanced at the moment, the midfield seem to be completely overrun when we don’t have the ball, especially out wide, and results in the full backs being overloaded (definitely evident in the 1st half’s vs Ayr and Arbroath, who both exploited it especially in our RB area).

It also comes across that he wants certain players involved, despite them not fitting in with that formation - Thomson pretty much played as a left winger in the 1st half on Saturday which was never going to work out. 2nd half looked more like 2 up top which suited Thomson a lot better.

I would quite like to see Grant try 3 at the back, Graham and Deas with Taggs sweeping behind them, and then play a couple of wing backs (Dicko and Robbo) so that there is at least a bit of width being offered going forward.

3 centre half’s might allow the midfield to sit slightly higher (he has Flannigan playing so deep at the moment he might as well have him at CB!) and could see Flannigan and Hetherington there with someone like Cawley higher up in front of them (also, what’s the script with Trouten not being in the squad on Saturday? Did I miss something?).

2 up top for me, probably Thomson and O’Hara/Buchanan - big man to target with the other one getting in behind.

Will put Saturday down as an off day for MacDonald, but he did have an absolute shocker, at fault for 3 of the goals.


Regardless of how bad Alloa were, I thought Ayr were really impressive. Definitely the best football that’s been played against us this year. 6 or 7 wouldn’t have flattered them in that 1st half and as much as it was a slight positive that Alloa ‘won’ the 2nd half, was pretty obvious Ayr had stepped off the gas! Good travelling support as well and will be interesting to see who they get to replace McCall.

[whereismillar]

left at half time ,gimme pelters if you want but i was not convinced by grant when given the job and more so now , couldn't stand the shouting from some alloa fans 

when will they learn it does no good , Shout at PG its his fault , and deas is out of his depth at this level at this point we are stick on for relegation and a manager sacking .

[BFTD]

left at half time ,gimme pelters if you want

Shocking. You ought to be ashamed.

Could easily have had a pint in by then if you'd left after the fourth goal, Slowpoke Rodriguez.