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Ayr United - 17-18 rumblings and mumblings


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7 minutes ago, ayrunitedfw said:

Harkins is a difficult one. A fit and determined Harkins would tear this league to shreads but the chances of getting him in shape is highly unlikely. If he does indeed move on then that frees up wages to bring in 2/3 really solid league 1 signings. 

I'm thinking it's already a done deal as I did wonder where we were getting the cash to pay for Higgins, Geggan & Moffat...........

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The funny thing about seeing the Harkins chat on here is that he could have genuinely still been an effective player in the top flight for us over the last season. His link up play with Wighton (who has had a lot more game time this season) was absolutely sensational and the both of them were wired to a different footballing level and I think we've really suffered from not having that sort of footballer in the squad. He never looked particularly unfit last summer and he'd actually been training better and was in a better state than when he arrived.

He's just so unadaptable and a bit of a fud. Requires to be played in such a particular way and needs to be the main man (at the expense of the rest of the team) or he takes a strop.

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Ach, this is a strange one, I would be interested to see how he performs in League 1 with a team attacking more, however McCall has made no mention of him in any of his interviews.

Bit of class against Dunfermline, great free kick against Raith Rovers to equalise, apart from that, I thought we were a better team with him dropped.

Onwards we go

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This may sound a bit strange but I'd really love us to sign an unknown quantity as opposed to someone from the Scottish game that everyone already knows inside out including their limitations.

Maybe an Alain Horace (Please God) or even a Brian Kristenson or Wully Mainge, surely there must be someone out there within our wage structure that could do a job ??

I just believe that it's worth the gamble going for a wow factor signing as opposed to the journeyman League 1 / Lower end Championship type of player.

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He only seems to turn it on at Dundee, he wasn't the worst player at Ayr last year but it is hard to see how he was player of the year for a mid table premier league team a few months before
Like Cairney, he played well in 10 min spells here and there but wasn't consistent during matches that you would have expected them to be, part time may have had something to do with it

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It still baffles me how Harkins gets abuse for lack of effort etc whilst Cairney gets off scott free despite being just as out of shape. At least Harkins still had demonstrable quality in patches and wasn't liable to get sent off.
Given a straight choice between the two as a "luxury" player I'd take Harkins over Cairney.

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Harkins while obviously having ability has been and will be, held back by the fitness issue.

He can thread a pass through the eye of a needle no doubting that, but it's his mobility (or lack of more accurately) that's the issue.

Has he ever been 'fit' or is he not just one of those players that isn't but it's been accepted wherever he's been?

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It still baffles me how Harkins gets abuse for lack of effort etc whilst Cairney gets off scott free despite being just as out of shape. At least Harkins still had demonstrable quality in patches and wasn't liable to get sent off.
Given a straight choice between the two as a "luxury" player I'd take Harkins over Cairney.

I'd have said that Cairney was our best midfielder last season and 9/10 put in a good shift for the team. With Harkins if we were losing or not playing well he just looked like he couldn't be bothered.

It's not a case of fitness with Harkins because he's always been out of shape wherever he's been. It's more to do with he was shit because we were shit. Had he been in a top 4 team he would've been fine.

Hopefully with more emphasis on attack this season he'll be better.
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Don't think Harkins could change much in getting fitter. Last season he was one of the few who could hold the ball up and buy us a bit of time upfront. A lot of the time we were still camped in defending and had no runners to link in with him and make more of it.  Still think Cairney has ability far above our level and even last seasons. If he could get fit and more mobile we probably would struggle to keep him. 

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It still baffles me how Harkins gets abuse for lack of effort etc whilst Cairney gets off scott free despite being just as out of shape. At least Harkins still had demonstrable quality in patches and wasn't liable to get sent off.
Given a straight choice between the two as a "luxury" player I'd take Harkins over Cairney.


What even is this. Cairney isn't remotely like Harkins other than their shape. Other than being far better than him last season Cairney actually works on the pitch.
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What even is this. Cairney isn't remotely like Harkins other than their shape. Other than being far better than him last season Cairney actually works on the pitch.


Yeah that's my take on it too.

Cairney got on the ball and tried to tick things over in the midfield. Harkins got the ball and invariably beat a man before losing it.
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2 hours ago, somerset_lad00 said:


I'd have said that Cairney was our best midfielder last season and 9/10 put in a good shift for the team. With Harkins if we were losing or not playing well he just looked like he couldn't be bothered.

It's not a case of fitness with Harkins because he's always been out of shape wherever he's been. It's more to do with he was shit because we were shit. Had he been in a top 4 team he would've been fine.

Hopefully with more emphasis on attack this season he'll be better.

Cairney always put in a shift for us despite being generally played out of position.  He wasn't mobile enough and there did seem to be persistent questions about his fitness (medical condition?) but you couldn't question his effort.  Harkins on the other hand has a stinking attitude that seems to infect the rest of the team.  Doubly worse when you consider he is also first team coach and should be leading by example on the pitch.  If there's a remote possibility of binning him, we shouldn't have to be asked twice.

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Even the way he talks about youth and brining something to training. Would suggest Harkins has/is going. I would say Harkins at this level should tear the league up but I'm not too upset if he does leave. Means we can fit the best players in the best position and not trying to shoehorn one player into a side he doesn't suit.

 

I say this now but bet he will be player of the season next year if he goes to Morton.

 

 

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Confirmed from a number of sources that he's signed for us apparently. Had a few tweets from himself and family members which have all now been deleted suggesting he's on his way to Morton too. Duffy better know what he's doing :lol: 

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Confirmed from a number of sources that he's signed for us apparently. Had a few tweets from himself and family members which have all now been deleted suggesting he's on his way to Morton too. Duffy better know what he's doing :lol: 


Despite what the majority of Ayr fans think he is a class player and with better forward thinking players will flourish with Morton. Best of luck we had a jewel but didn't know how to utilise him properly.
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1 minute ago, North Terrace Gazza said:

 


Despite what the majority of Ayr fans think he is a class player and with better forward thinking players will flourish with Morton. Best of luck we had a jewel but didn't know how to utilise him properly.

 

Neither have most of the teams hes played for over the years, Apart from Partick and Dundee every club has cut their losses with him after a year

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Anyone could tell that in some games, his heart just wasn't in it.  Showed signs of what he can do but, over the season, just wasn't good enough and wasn't consistent. Luxury player we can ill afford both on and off the pitch.

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