UpInTheAyr Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 20 minutes ago, wuffster said: I was going to be much less charitable. I suppose we'll have a few years in the Championship (hopefully) to find out. It is hard to square the club's rhetoric with its actions. Some of the recruitment has been excellent and some has been rubbish - business as usual at this level. I am surprised at how much good faith there still is with the current management team. Mark Kerr would be a good assistant coach for him next season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ayrunitedfw Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 10 minutes ago, UpInTheAyr said: The only way he's leaving is of his own volition. On the face of it, punting him is a mad decision. If we miss out on the playoffs and given we were knocked out the cup by lower league opposition after being handed a pretty easy route then I'd argue he should be sacked. Regardless of how this season pans out. If we do decide to keep him on next season he must be given an experienced assistant. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Jaffo Posted March 23, 2023 Author Share Posted March 23, 2023 He’s definitely had more game time as a striker this season but I’m still not sure if he’s been given a consistent enough run of games. Young had him out the team for a bit then we went 4–3-3 and he didn’t play. His posted numbers won’t be great reading but his general involvement is quite good tbh. For a while he was a bit of a battering ram and allowed Dipo, Mullin and Chalmers to link up quite nicely. I don’t think he’ll ever be a double figures striker for us but I think he’s done enough for a contract. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diegomarahenry Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 11 minutes ago, ayrunitedfw said: Obviously this thread isn't the Ayr fan base as a whole but from comments on here most people are ranging from being indifferent towards to Bullen to wanting him out. I think the balance of the squad is poor and some players have regressed in the last 18 months. We re-signed most of the ones who have got worse over the last year, most notably Houston and Reading. So that's not down to bad recruitment. He has went through two periods of playing honking football, persisted with it and it hasn't worked either time. We are transparent to play against and have very little in terms of plan B, That's also on Bullen. Young players like Smith and Hewitt, who showed promise last season have been poor this season. We have shat ourselves in every big game this season. The only positives are Akinyemi and still (at time of writing) in a play-off place. If there is a belief that he can put most of this right in the next 6 months, then I don't have a problem with keeping him on, but going beyond that, he'll have proven himself not to be capable. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UpInTheAyr Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 5 minutes ago, ayrunitedfw said: If we miss out on the playoffs and given we were knocked out the cup by lower league opposition after being handed a pretty easy route then I'd argue he should be sacked. Regardless of how this season pans out. If we do decide to keep him on next season he must be given an experienced assistant. Smith and Mathie will be looking at it in terms of their "long term project" though. A quarter final and even if we end up finishing 5th or 6th, is still an improvement on last season, and they will see it as something to improve on next season. Coupled with a years managerial experience under his belt. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack1910 Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 2 hours ago, Thereisalight.. said: As for McKenzie, the lad brings others into play but for an attacking player his goals/games ratio is piss poor Interesting way of saying he’s rubbish. The boy has 1 more goal than ashford who hates a lot of hate on here but mark gets all the praises?? If ashford was given a new contract there would be uproar. I’m not saying ashford is good but resigning someone who 3 goals this season shows no ambition. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diegomarahenry Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 1 minute ago, UpInTheAyr said: Smith and Mathie will be looking at it in terms of their "long term project" though. A quarter final and even if we end up finishing 5th or 6th, is still an improvement on last season, and they will see it as something to improve on next season. Coupled with a years managerial experience under his belt. If we lose Dipo in the summer, the rebuilding job next season will be even more difficult because we are very much a one trick pony now. To build on a 3rd-6th place finish next season will be a bigger challenge. We would need a big clear out in the summer and it doesn't look like it is happening. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AYRSHIRE_ANGUS Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Listen, my main gripe with Bullen these days is that I now find it hard not to speak like him. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AyrAtlanta Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 On one hand I think it would be really harsh to not give McKenzie a contract right now. But on the other I think if you’re looking at building for better things and not just stagnating then we need a small core kept on. Not just resigning everyone which seems to be the plan. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muZZa__44 Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 (edited) just for comparision McKenize's current season stats are 4 Goals and 4 Assists in all competitions in 36 Apperances (21 as a sub) and a total of 1,703 minutes on the pitch Edited March 23, 2023 by muZZa__44 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 No harm to McKenzie, but if we are serious about moving forward as a club then we’ll have to look for a better standard of player. With Dipo surely leaving in the Summer, we’ll likely need strikers who can share out the goals a bit rather than being a foil for one striker who could yet hit 30 goals for the season. No doubting McKenzie’s attitude and work rate, but he simply doesn’t return enough in terms of goals or assists. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eez-eh Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 1 hour ago, diegomarahenry said: I think the balance of the squad is poor and some players have regressed in the last 18 months. We re-signed most of the ones who have got worse over the last year, most notably Houston and Reading. So that's not down to bad recruitment. He has went through two periods of playing honking football, persisted with it and it hasn't worked either time. We are transparent to play against and have very little in terms of plan B, That's also on Bullen. Young players like Smith and Hewitt, who showed promise last season have been poor this season. We have shat ourselves in every big game this season. The only positives are Akinyemi and still (at time of writing) in a play-off place. If there is a belief that he can put most of this right in the next 6 months, then I don't have a problem with keeping him on, but going beyond that, he'll have proven himself not to be capable. Both of them started one whole league game last season. Implying that they’ve regressed is nonsense on the face of it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No_Problemo Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 McKenzie is 22 years old, and has improved hugely over the last season or two, and I’m sure he will continue to do so. He is probably one of our most improved players so it would be utterly wild to get rid of a 22 year old with 100 career appearances, who has continuously improved. And I’m not remotely his biggest fan, but you need to be able to see the bigger picture at times. People need to get away from getting rid of an entire squad and starting again. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
North British 2 Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 8 hours ago, Nelson said: No harm to McKenzie, but if we are serious about moving forward as a club then we’ll have to look for a better standard of player. With Dipo surely leaving in the Summer, we’ll likely need strikers who can share out the goals a bit rather than being a foil for one striker who could yet hit 30 goals for the season. No doubting McKenzie’s attitude and work rate, but he simply doesn’t return enough in terms of goals or assists. I would agree with this . Hopefully the boy can add goals to his game in the next season or two . However if we are losing Dipo in the summer we need to find two starting strikers that can both get well into double figures . Mark and Frazer would slip to 3rd and 4rth in the pecking order . As said before the money we pull in for Dipo should finance three decent players for our level on two year contracts . That's before we even start on our seasons budget . 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richey Edwards Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 59 minutes ago, No_Problemo said: People need to get away from getting rid of an entire squad and starting again. I remember we used to do that every season in the mid-2000's. It was some laugh. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 If my counting is right (and it may not be as I ran out of fingers), if we win tonight and Arbroath don't then we'll be officially safe from relegation. While there's plenty to complain about, I certainly won't miss the frayed nerves that come with a last day scrap for survival. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diegomarahenry Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 9 hours ago, eez-eh said: Both of them started one whole league game last season. Implying that they’ve regressed is nonsense on the face of it. Hewitt was a standout in the league cup games at the start of the season and then got injured, Smith was man of the match in the game against Thistle we won 3-1. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hursty Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 1 hour ago, No_Problemo said: McKenzie is 22 years old, and has improved hugely over the last season or two, and I’m sure he will continue to do so. He is probably one of our most improved players so it would be utterly wild to get rid of a 22 year old with 100 career appearances, who has continuously improved. And I’m not remotely his biggest fan, but you need to be able to see the bigger picture at times. People need to get away from getting rid of an entire squad and starting again. Agreed. Plus it seems reasonably likely that both Dipo and i'd assume Maguire will leave in the summer so we will be looking at bringing in at least 2 other strikers, absolute no brainer to keep McKenzie as another option IMO and I'm happy we have. Happy to be quoted on this come Christmas but I'd be astonished if McKenzie is the first choice #9 who we are relying on to be our main striker next season. I think we've actually been a but spoiled having had both Shankland and Dipo on or about 30 goals a season as this level and therefore folk get a bit obsessed with numbers. Dundee looked pretty impressive midweek and are still right in with a title shout and yet as far as I can see don't have anyone in double figures for league goals yet. I think people would definitely be a lot less harsh on him if he had never been used out wide and was only seen as a CF in fairness. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUFC 1910 Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 35 minutes ago, Iain said: If my counting is right (and it may not be as I ran out of fingers), if we win tonight and Arbroath don't then we'll be officially safe from relegation. While there's plenty to complain about, I certainly won't miss the frayed nerves that come with a last day scrap for survival. Totally agree - win safety, followed by a joyous celebration, followed by the sad realisation that you are celebrating just being slightly less shit than the rest of the complete dug meat around you #happyfriday 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trogdor Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 4 minutes ago, AUFC 1910 said: Totally agree - win safety, followed by a joyous celebration, followed by the sad realisation that you are celebrating just being slightly less shit than the rest of the complete dug meat around you #happyfriday 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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