The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[Thereisalight..]

31 minutes ago, Tigerland said:

Another blow to us for next season , what a player Stephen Kelly will turn out to be ,  Just got to suck it up ,he is a Rangers player . The silver lining is Rangers are pretty impressed with how we treated him , 33 Championship games at 19 ain’t bad going . Let’s hope they have another couple of gems we can have for a season or so ...

We lucked out last season when Rangers let us have Kelly and then Houston. Both were two of of our best performers. Would take a couple of their players on loan next season if we’re struggling for numbers. Kennedy, Young-Combes seem good attacking options 

[rb123!]

Not sure if he's ready to make the step up yet to the premiership but time will tell.

 

His case for returning to us would have been weakened by the fact our league isn't starting until October. Two months later than the premiership.

 

Hopefully this doesn't effect us on pursuit of other premiership players possibly on loan. Whole new midfield required for next season.

[No_Problemo]

9 minutes ago, rb123! said:

Not sure if he's ready to make the step up yet to the premiership but time will tell.

 

His case for returning to us would have been weakened by the fact our league isn't starting until October. Two months later than the premiership.

 

Hopefully this doesn't effect us on pursuit of other premiership players possibly on loan. Whole new midfield required for next season.

I think he’ll make the step us with ease to be honest. 

Excellent on the ball, creative and can score a goal. Not shy of a tackle or putting himself about either. 
 

[AUFC 1910]

Feels a bit of a blow, but can understand the top league thing. Hope he does well.

[itzdrk]

2 hours ago, UpInTheAyr said:

That'll be two creative midfielders we'll be needing to replace. Difficult enough replacing one.

I guess we will be on a reduced budget so needing so many players might be a challenge, might be a case of making best from what we have and replacing what we can improve. 

E.g. move Houston into midfield because he can't defend, a more defensive minded wide player on the left to allow for Harvie rampaging and McCowan/Moffat playing off the striker. 

[D'Jaffo]

Aye this might force Kerr to change the set up for this season. Could perhaps see the likes of Mark McKenzie, Leon Murphy and Michael Hewitt play a bigger part as well.

[Trogdor]

10 hours ago, AUFC 1910 said:

Right folks, I’ve ordered the prints so should be in early next week - offering it in colour, b & w, without mount, with white mount or with black mount.

£5 from every sale will go towards the AUFC 500 fund

Here is the link:

https://etsy.me/37YyCLt[\URL]

Feel free to share

Purchased. 

[Trogdor]

I'll miss Kelly, he is a fantastic talent and will be a great player. I think he can make the step to Premiership level fairly easily.

The rebuild for us is getting a bit daunting tbh. This coming season is going to be a strange one.

[HMIP]

I’d be surprised if anyone at the club thought re-signing Kelly was a realistic option for next season.  As things stand we’re in serious bother, the only comfort being that pretty much every other club is in the same boat.  With only 27 games to play, next season could be extraordinarily cutthroat with the difference between promotion playoffs and relegation wafer thin.

[Finlay21]

28 minutes ago, HMIP said:

I’d be surprised if anyone at the club thought re-signing Kelly was a realistic option for next season.  As things stand we’re in serious bother, the only comfort being that pretty much every other club is in the same boat.  With only 27 games to play, next season could be extraordinarily cutthroat with the difference between promotion playoffs and relegation wafer thin.

I would not say we are in “serious bother” if anyone thinks we are not preparing or have not talked to potential  signings I think they are way off the mark , in this close season there are more available players than there has been for a number of years and Ayr have a good reputation of developing other teams loanees 

[HMIP]

10 minutes ago, Robbo63 said:

I would not say we are in “serious bother” if anyone thinks we are not preparing or have not talked to potential  signings I think they are way off the mark , in this close season there are more available players than there has been for a number of years and Ayr have a good reputation of developing other teams loanees 

As of right now, we are in serious bother.
Obviously there is time to fix that, but the bottom line is that we need at least 6 proven championship standard players to replace Forrest, Kelly, Docherty, Doohan, Kerr and probably Harvie.  History tells you that’s a big ask for a club like Ayr given our financial constraints.  
That’s before we start to ask questions about some of our more experience players who are all at various stages of needing replaced. For me, Gillespie and Geggan are done at this level, though Bell, Muirhead and Moffat are worth another season.  
 We’ve spun the roulette wheel on loan signings over the last couple of seasons and done pretty well, but again, history tells you that our luck will run out with most loan deals being a bit of a pig in a poke In terms of attitude, fitness and ability.  Kelly, Doohan and Houston have been a success, but the flip side is Jack Ruddy, Calvin Miller, Frank Ross and Connor Malley.  I’d probably have Drinan back - I think he was suffering from a lack of support after Christmas due to our more defensive tactics but he at least looked willing to put in a shift.

Can only hope Murdoch re-signs, though it’s probably unfair to expect too much too quick given he’ll have been out for over a year by the time the season re-starts.

 

[AUFC 1910]

I have trust in the management team and the board.

We have been perennial rebuilders for a long time, but our success of late has brought its disadvantages with so many players of quality moving onwards and upwards (Doc aside).

To a degree we have carried our luck but also it has been earned, by those that have filled the voids left.

However, my ‘worry’ and its only slight, is that our luck might run out.

Where my ‘confidence’ comes from is a belief that the management team will be looking everywhere to put the pieces of the jigsaw together.

Don’t know about anyone else, but I’d be delighted if we are mulling around that top 4 again this season.

I’d be happy with mid-table considering the squad position / age at present.

[rb123!]

I'm worried for Kerrs ability to sign decent players on permanent deals.

He got a couple of decent loans in Drinan and Malley but his only permanent signing was Gillespie who was hopeless

[HMIP]

33 minutes ago, AUFC 1910 said:

I have trust in the management team and the board.

We have been perennial rebuilders for a long time, but our success of late has brought its disadvantages with so many players of quality moving onwards and upwards (Doc aside).

To a degree we have carried our luck but also it has been earned, by those that have filled the voids left.

However, my ‘worry’ and its only slight, is that our luck might run out.

Where my ‘confidence’ comes from is a belief that the management team will be looking everywhere to put the pieces of the jigsaw together.

Don’t know about anyone else, but I’d be delighted if we are mulling around that top 4 again this season.

I’d be happy with mid-table considering the squad position / age at present.

Isn’t that the problem though?  Being perennial rebuilders was a strategy we pursued for years and it was largely a failed strategy that turned us into a perennial yo yo club.  The last 3 seasons since we went full time have seen a sea change at the club that hasn’t existed since Barr was around with us actually building and evolving a team, as well as developing young talent.  The missing piece of the puzzle Is that we haven’t been able to cash in on the young talent with £1m worth of players walking away from the club for free (not an easy thing to fix If we can’t secure players on multi year deals).  

[callum-ayr]

34 minutes ago, rb123! said:

I'm worried for Kerrs ability to sign decent players on permanent deals.

He got a couple of decent loans in Drinan and Malley but his only permanent signing was Gillespie who was hopeless

January is a hard time to find permanent deals. On the face of it, Gillespie was a real solid signing, good experience, played at a good level etc. Just didn’t work out (probably just missing a pre season). Can argue Houston was a permanent signing of his. I think with McArdle, we’ll have a better vision in signing players and probably have a more thought out shortlist of players. Time will tell, hopefully we’re able to get to the stage of signing players etc, but every club in the division is in the same boat here. 

[D'Jaffo]

We’ll only be in serious bother if we get to October with the squad in the same shape as it is now.

I wouldn’t be too shocked if Doohan didn’t come back now either. Celtic might be wanting him to be play a full season which he won’t get with us or alternatively they might want him to stay depending what happens with Forster and Gordon.

[AUFC 1910]

Isn’t that the problem though?  Being perennial rebuilders was a strategy we pursued for years and it was largely a failed strategy that turned us into a perennial yo yo club.  The last 3 seasons since we went full time have seen a sea change at the club that hasn’t existed since Barr was around with us actually building and evolving a team, as well as developing young talent.  The missing piece of the puzzle Is that we haven’t been able to cash in on the young talent with £1m worth of players walking away from the club for free (not an easy thing to fix If we can’t secure players on multi year deals).  

This is a brilliant point, and indeed points to where we should be aiming for.

For too long we ended up with scraps, but improving, evolving and growing the club was never going to be quick.

I think we’ve come a long way in a short period of time (hats off to McCall for his part).

We are beginning to get the reputation as somewhere there is:

- A good dressing room
- A good style of play for all the ballers out there
- A better and growing ‘back office’ ‘back room’
- A better off field with sponsorship, shop, ticketing and communication from the club.

There will always be the money issue for paying players, which will always be a large percentage of any players decision at this level.

But, we are heading in the right direction, to attract the better players, to be able to get players to commit to longer contracts etc.

We need to be an established Championship team to keep building, and that takes time.

We are going forward though, still not easy, but as long as we keep improving off the park, we will improve on it.

[AUFC 1910]

8 prints sold so far (£40 for the AU500 fund so far)

Preference definitely leaning towards colour print with black mount!

[D'Jaffo]

Isn’t that the problem though?  Being perennial rebuilders was a strategy we pursued for years and it was largely a failed strategy that turned us into a perennial yo yo club.  The last 3 seasons since we went full time have seen a sea change at the club that hasn’t existed since Barr was around with us actually building and evolving a team, as well as developing young talent.  The missing piece of the puzzle Is that we haven’t been able to cash in on the young talent with £1m worth of players walking away from the club for free (not an easy thing to fix If we can’t secure players on multi year deals).  

We didn’t actively pursue being a team that had to rebuild each season. It was a consequence of being a part time team in League 1. There was nothing we could do about Kelly going to Ross County.

In terms of cashing in on young players you’ve got get them on longer contracts which is more unlikely when they know themselves they’re in demand.

[No_Problemo]

2 hours ago, HMIP said:

As of right now, we are in serious bother.
Obviously there is time to fix that, but the bottom line is that we need at least 6 proven championship standard players to replace Forrest, Kelly, Docherty, Doohan, Kerr and probably Harvie.  History tells you that’s a big ask for a club like Ayr given our financial constraints.  
That’s before we start to ask questions about some of our more experience players who are all at various stages of needing replaced. For me, Gillespie and Geggan are done at this level, though Bell, Muirhead and Moffat are worth another season.  
 We’ve spun the roulette wheel on loan signings over the last couple of seasons and done pretty well, but again, history tells you that our luck will run out with most loan deals being a bit of a pig in a poke In terms of attitude, fitness and ability.  Kelly, Doohan and Houston have been a success, but the flip side is Jack Ruddy, Calvin Miller, Frank Ross and Connor Malley.  I’d probably have Drinan back - I think he was suffering from a lack of support after Christmas due to our more defensive tactics but he at least looked willing to put in a shift.

Can only hope Murdoch re-signs, though it’s probably unfair to expect too much too quick given he’ll have been out for over a year by the time the season re-starts.

 

No idea why Malley is in with the rest of them. Only played a few games with a brand new team, scored and got an assist from what I remember. Drifted out of games but plenty of potential there for him to kick on. 
 

Its even harsh on Miller putting him alongside Ruddy and Ross.