The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[Superhursty7]

If we were to get Jack Hamilton and I'd seriously doubt it as Martindale has said he's part of his first team plans it would likely be in the dying days of the transfer window we can't afford to wait that long.

[BukyOHare]

9 hours ago, WATTOO said:

My biggest issue with some of this stuff is that Hopkin and this Ayr team have already been condemned as failures before a bloody ball has even been kicked !!!

Why ?

Despite never meeting the guy but apparently wanting him to fail and having it in for him, both not true, I should probably have a decent go at trying to answer this.

For me, above all else its perhaps, rightly or wrongly, that he has brought with him a reputation for putting together lopsided squads, that lack attacking flair, balance, potential and overall general ability. Perspiration over inspiration seems to be the mantra. For me the following two attributes are crucial to the success of a lower league club:

Off the park, we were warned over and over again that above average recruitment wasn't his strength.

On the park, we were warned his style of play was ineffective, pretty basic / industrial but more importantly didn't lend itself to winning enough games. 

And based on what we've seen so far from his time in charge, the leopard isn't for changing his spots. We're seeing for ourselves through our own eyes that history is repeating itself.

Stepping back would you agree with those two points in isolation?

Regardless, anyone failing to have serious reservations about the one direction we seem to be heading in is kidding themselves on. We've seen this movie in various guises over the years. It rarely ends well.

What's going to happen to change the current trajectory? 

So forgive the growing majority for actually stating the obvious while the let's give him time patter continues to annoyingly get regurgitated in various forms.

A lack of goals, creativity and quality that was sorely missing last season, from a squad that had McCowan in it, has patently failed to be addressed. It gives me no pleasure in stating that. 

If we ain't creating or scoring how can you expect to win matches? It rarely ends up well. The season coming appears to be one of the most competitive Championships for a number of seasons. One we all should be eagerly waiting to start. 

This in no way means I hope he fails because if it does then it means the club fails. If it fails this season then it'll likely end up in a trip back to League 1 I'm afraid. Nobody wants that. 

At the outset there wasn't an unlimited pool of players for us to sign on permanent deals or on loan anyway.

But as the list of possibles dwindle and go elsewhere, we're looking more and more likely to be ending up with the usual below average ragtag bunch of rejects, loanees and rough diamonds. It rarely ends well. 

Above average recruitment and getting the best value you can for your budget can go a long way to overachieving in this league. We look miles off even reaching average. 

I hope I'm wrong. 

 

[RandomGuy.]

7 hours ago, rb123! said:

Sounds as if we might be after a striker still currently contracted to a club and an agreement is going to be reached for him to be released from his contract within the next couple of weeks when it becomes apparant game time is going to be limited for them, either that we're waiting on premiership loans. Could possible get likes of Kai Fotheringham, Chris Mochrie (both dundee united), matthew wright (ross county) who's highly rated or Lewis Jamieson (st mirren) who impressed at Clyde last season. Standout target would be Jack Hamilton from Livi, if it was to happen though i think it would give Hopkins support a boost if he could pull it off.

In other news it won't be Aaron Drinan, he has signed for Leyton Orient today

There's absolutely zero chance any of those players are getting released by their clubs.

[Superhursty7]

There's absolutely zero chance any of those players are getting released by their clubs.

Pretty certain the players mentioned would be loan options not to sign permanently

[Fae_the_'briggs]

2 hours ago, Superhursy7 said:

If we were to get Jack Hamilton and I'd seriously doubt it as Martindale has said he's part of his first team plans it would likely be in the dying days of the transfer window we can't afford to wait that long.

Was Hamilton not part of the Livi plans at the start of last season and ended up going out on loan,  not implausible that the same could happen again. 

[AUFC 1910]

I don’t think we have had a manager that has split the support as much as Hopkin.

I really hope for his sake, but more so for the position that the team will be in, that we get off to a blinding start.

That would probably include a result at Rugby Park.

I’m somewhere in the middle - optimistic and patient, but with the sound of fear lingering in the background!

 

[Roxanne's man]

A lot of names are said on here, though I can't help but find myself escaping the thought of Bob Mchugh in Ayr colours. He probably won't come anywhere near Ayr

There aren't that many names left, it's actually quite scary as I didn't think that Hopkin's recruitment would be as bad as what it has been. 

I'd actually like to know what other managers were in the running before he was given the job. 

[Hawk89]

Just now, Roxanne's man said:

A lot of names are said on here, though I can't help but find myself escaping the thought of Bob Mchugh in Ayr colours. He probably won't come anywhere near Ayr

There aren't that many names left, it's actually quite scary as I didn't think that Hopkin's recruitment would be as bad as what it has been. 

I'd actually like to know what other managers were in the running before he was given the job. 

Plays for Queen's Park, probably couldn't afford him with the money they are chucking about. 

[Roxanne's man]

Just now, Hawk89 said:

Plays for Queen's Park, probably couldn't afford him with the money they are chucking about. 

Yeah, doubted he'd come to Ayr, Queens Park seem to be on the up. The fear is seeping in now

[Mod1967]

We can't compete with QP now, time everybody calmed down this is turning into a childish nonsense meltdown, no wonder other fans are popping in for a laugh, the absolute state of this. 

[diegomarahenry]

Let’s hope over the summer that McGinty has turned in to Baresi and McKenzie has turned in to Vialli 

there are cliches banded about in football about pre-season that teams need time to gel, players need a good pre-season and players having to catch up that missed pre-season.

like all cliches there is a bit of truth in them. Our only hope at the moment is that Hopkin has made the team fitter than ever, watertight in defence and McKenzie has matured in to a 25 goals a season forward. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, BukyOHare said:

Despite never meeting the guy but apparently wanting him to fail and having it in for him, both not true, I should probably have a decent go at trying to answer this.

For me, above all else its perhaps, rightly or wrongly, that he has brought with him a reputation for putting together lopsided squads, that lack attacking flair, balance, potential and overall general ability. Perspiration over inspiration seems to be the mantra. For me the following two attributes are crucial to the success of a lower league club:

Off the park, we were warned over and over again that above average recruitment wasn't his strength.

On the park, we were warned his style of play was ineffective, pretty basic / industrial but more importantly didn't lend itself to winning enough games. 

And based on what we've seen so far from his time in charge, the leopard isn't for changing his spots. We're seeing for ourselves through our own eyes that history is repeating itself.

Stepping back would you agree with those two points in isolation?

Regardless, anyone failing to have serious reservations about the one direction we seem to be heading in is kidding themselves on. We've seen this movie in various guises over the years. It rarely ends well.

What's going to happen to change the current trajectory? 

So forgive the growing majority for actually stating the obvious while the let's give him time patter continues to annoyingly get regurgitated in various forms.

A lack of goals, creativity and quality that was sorely missing last season, from a squad that had McCowan in it, has patently failed to be addressed. It gives me no pleasure in stating that. 

If we ain't creating or scoring how can you expect to win matches? It rarely ends up well. The season coming appears to be one of the most competitive Championships for a number of seasons. One we all should be eagerly waiting to start. 

This in no way means I hope he fails because if it does then it means the club fails. If it fails this season then it'll likely end up in a trip back to League 1 I'm afraid. Nobody wants that. 

At the outset there wasn't an unlimited pool of players for us to sign on permanent deals or on loan anyway.

But as the list of possibles dwindle and go elsewhere, we're looking more and more likely to be ending up with the usual below average ragtag bunch of rejects, loanees and rough diamonds. It rarely ends well. 

Above average recruitment and getting the best value you can for your budget can go a long way to overachieving in this league. We look miles off even reaching average. 

I hope I'm wrong. 

 

"We were warned" 

Ok, my problem with this is that "we" are punters on a football forum chatboard who have no say in the running of the club, secondly, the ones doing the "warning" are also internet no mark supporters from opposition football clubs, so basically this is all pretty pointless stuff as only David Smith and the board had any control over the appointment of Hopkin.

I do agree that our squad at the moment is far from complete, however it's still only June 29th and we DO still have a budget to spend.

Personally I'm going to wait until the season starts before bemoaning the state of our team as condemning them all as useless before a ball has even been kicked just seems beyond crazy to me, however I'll leave you and others to it if that's how you all feel.......

 

[eez-eh]

If the height of our ambition is a striker who last season managed a goal every three games in League Two then just send the bulldozers in.

[Hawk89]

30 minutes ago, Mod1967 said:

We can't compete with QP now, time everybody calmed down this is turning into a childish nonsense meltdown, no wonder other fans are popping in for a laugh, the absolute state of this. 

Making a mountain out of a molehill for something that wasn't anything more, QP are a special case. They are basically the new Gretna paying over the odds for meh players. I'd be more concerned if we were being beaten to players by part time sides or Cove. Maybe go calm down. 

[AyrExile]

Perhaps Jim Duffy can use his previous experience in the lower leagues to identify a couple ready to step up. Unless of course that type of player has already signed up elsewhere 

[Thereisalight..]

I guess we'll probably end up with a youth or two from the Old Firm on loan. The likes of Kelly, Houston, Doohan turned out to be decent... Calvin Miller not so much

[Finlay21]

1 hour ago, eez-eh said:

If the height of our ambition is a striker who last season managed a goal every three games in League Two then just send the bulldozers in.

That’s not the ambition of the club,  just some  people panicking, all we are getting mentioned  on here is Scottish players who have been beating about this league going from club to club  or just been released as there club don’t think they are good enough for them ( apart from a very few ) again is that our real ambition ? Surely Hopkin is looking at players who are better than that , I would think clubs even in the 4/5th tier of English leagues have better players available than kicking about lower Scottish leagues 

Edited June 29, 2021 by Finlay21

[Hawk89]

1 minute ago, Thereisalight.. said:

I guess we'll probably end up with a youth or two from the Old Firm on loan. The likes of Kelly, Houston, Doohan turned out to be decent... Calvin Miller not so much

Guess Kelly wouldn't be a realistic target unless it was last orders in the window given he had a decent run at County last season. Would love to have him back as he looked a cut above at this level, but would fully expect him to go on loan to another premiership team this year. Always risks with loans, on balance we have done pretty well in recent years with more hits than misses.

The Burnley tie up is a nice unknown quantity to factor in with the potential to make a real difference to our season, do we also get access to the scouting networks of the clubs involved in their feeder system? Someone mentioned earlier that this rebuild will take more than one window, I'd genuinely be happy just now with a midtable finish this season if it was the foundation of something better next year. It is fully down to Hopkin now to show us his vision to buy into and show us the green shoots of progress. Off the field things are looking better than they have for a long time, that needs to start translating onto the park now. 

[D'Jaffo]

That’s not the ambition of the club,  just some  people panicking, all we are getting mentioned  on here is Scottish players who have been beating about this league going from club to club  or just been released as there club don’t think they are good enough for them ( apart from a very few ) again is that our real ambition ? Surely Hopkin is looking at players who are better than that 

The issue that is causing people to panic is that there isn’t exactly a whole lot of potentially good signings out there in Scottish football. And given that so far Hopkin has only signed one player that wasn’t at Morton, there isn’t a whole lot to suggest he knows the English market. I’m still confident we’ll get bodies in the door but this is absolutely the most uncertainty we’ve had prior to a season starting.

[GaryMc93]

I'm guessing on of the reasons McHugh was previously mentioned is because transfermarkt has him down as being out of contract.

However this suggests otherwise https://queensparkfc.co.uk/squad-update-news/ so neither him or Simon Murray will be playing for Ayr anytime soon.