The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[AyrExile]

26 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

On a similar theme, have we as a club somehow failed academy players like Ecrepont? 

He came onto the scene with high hopes held for him and a couple of fairly unspectacular loan spells later sadly he isn't close to being a first team player. 

Is it down to the individual, is it a weak crop generally or are there bigger problems within the club that are placing barriers to progression? As a club we should be doing everything we can to develop our own players, I've always said that and will continue to do so. 

Perhaps those on here with more knowledge of the Academy can shed some light. 

If we had been in league one i think McCall would have played him as first choice. He would also have integrated him more in the championship knowing Harvie would move on at some point. The chance of managers certainly hasn't helped him with Hopkins loyalty and Reading being the laptop mans working project. Coming through the performance school Ecrepont should have been more ready than most to make the transition. Really needs to get game time and kick on asap   

[Superhursty7]

If we had been in league one i think McCall would have played him as first choice. He would also have integrated him more in the championship knowing Harvie would move on at some point. The chance of managers certainly hasn't helped him with Hopkins loyalty and Reading being the laptop mans working project. Coming through the performance school Ecrepont should have been more ready than most to make the transition. Really needs to get game time and kick on asap   

I don't think McCall would have made any difference he did not develop one young player from the academy in his time at Ayr (Forrest and Crawford had already broke through when he joined) and apparently took very little interest in the youth teams

[Hawk89]

49 minutes ago, ayrunitedfw said:

I don’t think it’s divided the fans at all. There’s not a single person I know who is a fan of Hopkin. 

I disagree, there are still a number of people defending him on a weekly basis on SRE. It has led to some pretty bitter and abusive arguments on there in recent times. 

[No_Problemo]

48 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

The fact that Muirhead, a 30 year old, solid, hardworking player is seen as a major part of our squad shows us all just how far the standards of the playing squad have fallen. 

Its been getting dismantled in front of our very eyes over 4 or 5 seasons. 

Teams should miss game winning individuals, those capable of a last minute winner or piece of individual brilliance, not a defensive midfielder with clear limitations. 

It does show that, but at the same time we need to try and develop a core of a side and Muirhead would be part of that - but not as a midfielder. It is to Hopkin and the clubs shame that he is still playing there. 

43 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

On a similar theme, have we as a club somehow failed academy players like Ecrepont? 

He came onto the scene with high hopes held for him and a couple of fairly unspectacular loan spells later sadly he isn't close to being a first team player. 

Is it down to the individual, is it a weak crop generally or are there bigger problems within the club that are placing barriers to progression? As a club we should be doing everything we can to develop our own players, I've always said that and will continue to do so. 

Perhaps those on here with more knowledge of the Academy can shed some light. 

I think it’s easy to forget that Ecrepont has only very recently turned nineteen, so he is still very young. Another loan move for him hopefully. 

[HMIP]

McCall admitted he had no idea how good McCowan was because he’d basically never looked at him play.  Other than that he had no track record at all of bringing through academy players.  Don’t think Ecrepont helped his case by flopping at Albion Rovers.  

[AyrExile]

23 minutes ago, Superhursy7 said:

37 minutes ago, AyrExile said:

If we had been in league one i think McCall would have played him as first choice. He would also have integrated him more in the championship knowing Harvie would move on at some point. The chance of managers certainly hasn't helped him with Hopkins loyalty and Reading being the laptop mans working project. Coming through the performance school Ecrepont should have been more ready than most to make the transition. Really needs to get game time and kick on asap   

I don't think McCall would have made any difference he did not develop one young player from the academy in his time at Ayr (Forrest and Crawford had already broke through when he joined) and apparently took very little interest in the youth teams

Where did he sign McCowan from? McCall had a good few faults but one thing he was good at was spotting players and getting their career moving. Considering Ecrepont was playing for Scotland youth teams at the time i'm sure he knew all about him. Who knows whether it would have worked or not but he would have gave him a try

[Finlay21]

17 minutes ago, HMIP said:

McCall admitted he had no idea how good McCowan was because he’d basically never looked at him play.  Other than that he had no track record at all of bringing through academy players.  Don’t think Ecrepont helped his case by flopping at Albion Rovers.  

The only manager in about the last 10 years who attended any academy games and some training sessions was Kerr as it’s was part of his contract 

[Finlay21]

1 minute ago, AyrExile said:

Where did he sign McCowan from? McCall had a good few faults but one thing he was good at was spotting players and getting their career moving. Considering Ecrepont was playing for Scotland youth teams at the time i'm sure he knew all about him. Who knows whether it would have worked or not but he would have gave him a try

McCowan came from the academy , Davie White pushed him through into the squad with constant nipping at McCall to at least give him a shot 

[Superhursty7]

Where did he sign McCowan from? McCall had a good few faults but one thing he was good at was spotting players and getting their career moving. Considering Ecrepont was playing for Scotland youth teams at the time i'm sure he knew all about him. Who knows whether it would have worked or not but he would have gave him a try

Forgot about McCowan, one of my friends grandsons played for the u18 a few years back and said McCall had no interest in them what's so ever, he's great at developing talent from other clubs that have lost their way and need confidence back not so much bring on his own.

[1nickydevlin]

54 minutes ago, HMIP said:

McCall admitted he had no idea how good McCowan was because he’d basically never looked at him play.  Other than that he had no track record at all of bringing through academy players.  Don’t think Ecrepont helped his case by flopping at Albion Rovers.  

How did he flop at albion rovers. He played 22 games for them ?

[Lochwood]

The Ecrepont situation is simple he is part of a squad that train EVERY week under the eye of Hopkin and the coaching staff and that is where he must do more to get in the team, Reading has the jersey and if he’s not playing Maxwell will be left back, it’s a big ask for him to be ahead of that two at this time. Saturday would have been a big kick in the private’s for the boy as he would have thought this is my chance but Hopkin chose to go with experience in Mcginty which we all know did not work. Hopkin will have a hard job lifting the boy after that and taking into account how poor Mcginty was it does not bode well for the boy who I think has a chance if he gives him it.

[eez-eh]

Playing a slow, easily turned, haddy of a centre back at full back instead of a young natural full back, purely because you value the “experience” of the former, must be one of the biggest cliches from the Scottish football managerial dinosaur playbook.

Edited August 27, 2021 by eez-eh

[vikingTON]

55 minutes ago, eez-eh said:

Playing a slow, easily turned, haddy of a centre back at full back instead of a young natural full back, purely because you value the “experience” of the former, must be one of the biggest cliches from the Scottish football managerial dinosaur playbook.

That 'experience' also led him to get sent off for an idiotic studs showing lunge in the final game up at Arbroath last season, which frittered away any chance of his side winning that game and avoiding the play-offs entirely. 

So you've got that to look forward to as well. 

[ayrunitedfw]

5 minutes ago, virginton said:

That 'experience' also led him to get sent off for an idiotic studs showing lunge in the final game up at Arbroath last season, which frittered away any chance of his side winning that game and avoiding the play-offs entirely. 

So you've got that to look forward to as well. 

We don’t need to worry about the playoffs. We’re going straight down. 

[HMIP]

3 hours ago, 1nickydevlin said:

How did he flop at albion rovers. He played 22 games for them ?

Because he doesn’t seem to have done enough to persuade anyone at Ayr that he is ready for a shot at the Championship.  If a young player goes out on loan to a lower level, he really has to be a standout performer e.g. Ross Doohan, Stephen Kelly, Corrie Ndaba.  Kerr didn’t fancy him and neither it seems does Hopkin.

[diegomarahenry]

Forrest and Crawford came through in a period of adversity. 
Crawford stood out in a midfield of Sinclair (Hi Forzaayr) and McStay. Forrest scored on his debut in a cup game and was barely out the team from 16 years old, in a horrific Roberts team.

Throwing Ecripont in during a miserable spell at the club, when expectations are so low might not be a bad thing and may give him a chance to learn.

We have had one league game at Somerset in 18 months yet most folk are quite pleased we have no game tomorrow. That’s how low the expectations are. If Ecripont or Hewitt or McKenzie have a bad game, they are guaranteed not to be the ones making the mistakes that cost us goals. 

[Guest]

8 hours ago, HMIP said:

How many times have we heard this over the last couple of years?  Crawford, Doc, Bell, McCowan.  Time and again we say it doesn’t matter if so and so leaves, they’re easily replaceable.  Except they’re not - we get weaker while others get stronger.  It might not be this season, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if McCall gets Partick to the premier league.  If he does it with Doc and Muirhead in the team, we can no doubt scratch out heads and wonder how he did it with players that were never that good anyway.  

Total heads gone from some here when in reality we're likely to finish between 6th and 9th which is what most would expect / even hope for.

The amazing Partick with the amazing McCall are just off a humping from Arbroath who we ourselves just managed a 2-2 draw after being 2-0 down and had McKenzie taken his chance we would have actually won. However Hopkin is branded a charlatan / tosser / clueless etc but McCall is being painted as some sort of messiah . This is the same McCall and pretty much same Partick side who were relegated from this league two seasons back, so what happened then ???

Yes, our recent tactics and play haven't been great but there's quite a few on here who seem to believe that our team / squad / Manager are all miles behind Morton, Queens, Dunfermline, Arbroath, Raith, Partick etc etc when in reality that's just complete and utter nonsense, still, if you moan about something often enough, perhaps it will come true.......

[AUFC 1910]

1 hour ago, WATTOO said:

Total heads gone from some here when in reality we're likely to finish between 6th and 9th which is what most would expect / even hope for.

The amazing Partick with the amazing McCall are just off a humping from Arbroath who we ourselves just managed a 2-2 draw after being 2-0 down and had McKenzie taken his chance we would have actually won. However Hopkin is branded a charlatan / tosser / clueless etc but McCall is being painted as some sort of messiah . This is the same McCall and pretty much same Partick side who were relegated from this league two seasons back, so what happened then ???

Yes, our recent tactics and play haven't been great but there's quite a few on here who seem to believe that our team / squad / Manager are all miles behind Morton, Queens, Dunfermline, Arbroath, Raith, Partick etc etc when in reality that's just complete and utter nonsense, still, if you moan about something often enough, perhaps it will come true.......

Or, if you watch results long enough, there will be a gap.

Only kidding*
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*hopefully

[BukyOHare]

1 hour ago, WATTOO said:

Total heads gone from some here when in reality we're likely to finish between 6th and 9th which is what most would expect / even hope for.

The amazing Partick with the amazing McCall are just off a humping from Arbroath who we ourselves just managed a 2-2 draw after being 2-0 down and had McKenzie taken his chance we would have actually won. However Hopkin is branded a charlatan / tosser / clueless etc but McCall is being painted as some sort of messiah . This is the same McCall and pretty much same Partick side who were relegated from this league two seasons back, so what happened then ???

Yes, our recent tactics and play haven't been great but there's quite a few on here who seem to believe that our team / squad / Manager are all miles behind Morton, Queens, Dunfermline, Arbroath, Raith, Partick etc etc when in reality that's just complete and utter nonsense, still, if you moan about something often enough, perhaps it will come true.......

I think your uppers are finally kicking back in. Welcome.

[HMIP]

2 hours ago, WATTOO said:

Total heads gone from some here when in reality we're likely to finish between 6th and 9th which is what most would expect / even hope for.

The amazing Partick with the amazing McCall are just off a humping from Arbroath who we ourselves just managed a 2-2 draw after being 2-0 down and had McKenzie taken his chance we would have actually won. However Hopkin is branded a charlatan / tosser / clueless etc but McCall is being painted as some sort of messiah . This is the same McCall and pretty much same Partick side who were relegated from this league two seasons back, so what happened then ???

Yes, our recent tactics and play haven't been great but there's quite a few on here who seem to believe that our team / squad / Manager are all miles behind Morton, Queens, Dunfermline, Arbroath, Raith, Partick etc etc when in reality that's just complete and utter nonsense, still, if you moan about something often enough, perhaps it will come true.......

I’m honestly not sure at times if you are genuinely offering optimism or are simply setting your expectations so low that you won’t have to experience disappointment!  If that’s optimism, then it’s a pretty hollow version of it.

 I don’t think McCall is a messiah, but he is certainly the first manager since the 70s to have us punching above our weight at league level.  I don’t really count Dalziel as he was a moron who was just standing on Bill Barr’s cheque book.  Ally gave us great entertainment in the 80s, but that was mainly at the equivalent of League 1 level and he made little to no impression on the sharp end of the league above, despite the introduction of full time football. (heretic!).

 It says something about our generally awful choice of managers that McCall is the first Ayr manager to be actively poached by another club in over 40 years.  He built championship winning sides at Falkirk and Partick and had us at a level most Ayr fans alive today have never seen.  The only season I can think of in the last 4 decades that compares was the year we had Walker and Hurst up front.  All that being the case I definitely see him succeeding at Partick - you’ve lost the plot if you think their current team is essentially the same as the one that got relegated 2 years ago.