The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[Nelson]

5 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

I think the bigger issue is that there isn’t anyone available and affordable to us that is hugely experienced. It’s all well and good fans saying we need experience but if the player isn’t available then we can’t do a huge amount about it. 
 

The player may well have been looked at for a while. I’d have reason to believe that Glendinning will have reports on quite a large amount of players rather than just the ones we have signed. 

Today is a bit of a free hit as losing to Dundee Utd isn’t going to define our season.  With the challenge cup game to come, we did/do have some breathing space to look at our options.  I get signing the likes of Stephen Kelly or Kerr McInroy on loan because you are getting a level of quality that outweighs the lack of experience, but it’s honestly hard to believe that’s what we’re getting here.  

[No_Problemo]

3 minutes ago, Nelson said:

Today is a bit of a free hit as losing to Dundee Utd isn’t going to define our season.  With the challenge cup game to come, we did/do have some breathing space to look at our options.  I get signing the likes of Stephen Kelly or Kerr McInroy on loan because you are getting a level of quality that outweighs the lack of experience, but it’s honestly hard to believe that’s what we’re getting here.  

Stephen Kelly hadn’t played a single game before signing for us

[BukyOHare]

32 minutes ago, Nelson said:

Dalziel tended to sign players with a proven track record at our level because he had Uncle Bill's open chequebook.

FTFY. Surely you can see why the "proven players" came to us in the Dalziel days. It's a different market for us now, times have changed. Financially, they had to.

When you look at squads throughout the Championship very few are full of the "type" of players you seem to obsess over.

Risks have to be made signing players who you are looking to kick on in their careers, develop and eventually sell on.

Mix that with quality additions like Murphy, McGeady and Chalmers, along with the nucleus of a decent Championship squad and we're actually doing better than a lot of our peers.

 

 

[Nelson]

9 minutes ago, GaryMc93 said:

Who fits that criteria though? At the end of the day the club can only sign players who are available, interested in joining and are affordable.

Also above suggests you've written Young off without seeing him since he's "another youth player", at least give him the usual 45 minutes before condemning him.

We have the most bloated back room team in the history of the club.  Recruitment is their responsibility.  It’s not up to people on a fans forum to come up with names.  I don’t think anyone is writing Young off, but adding him to an already seriously inexperienced midfield just seems like yet another major risk of which there have been too many in recent times.  It’s going to bite us eventually.

[Nelson]

1 minute ago, No_Problemo said:

Stephen Kelly hadn’t played a single game before signing for us

That’s the point I made.  Quality outweighing inexperience makes the gamble worth it.  It should also be noted that Kelly was added to a midfield that included Mark Kerr and Ross Docherty, so he had some leadership and experience around him.  We go to the shops looking for some experience and we come back with more of what we already have.

[No_Problemo]

2 minutes ago, Nelson said:

That’s the point I made.  Quality outweighing inexperience makes the gamble worth it.  It should also be noted that Kelly was added to a midfield that included Mark Kerr and Ross Docherty, so he had some leadership and experience around him.  We go to the shops looking for some experience and we come back with more of what we already have.

Yeah, but we had no idea Stephen Kelly was quality when we signed him. 

You could also argue that Young is joining a midfield with the experience of McGeady and Murphy… 

ETA, I do agree we need a more experienced player as one of our CM signings - might not be possible though. 

Edited August 26, 2023 by No_Problemo

[Sortmeout]

On 22/08/2023 at 18:25, 1nickydevlin said:

He done an interview with the record I think that he was thinking of quitting altogether but went and bought a ball from sports direct and had went down his local park himself for a kick about .5-6 years later he's arguably the best striker in Scotland. 

Arguably better than Kyogo? 

[Nelson]

3 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

FTFY. Surely you can see why the "proven players" came to us in the Dalziel days. It's a different market for us now, times have changed. Financially, they had to.

When you look at squads throughout the Championship very few are full of the "type" of players you seem to obsess over.

Risks have to be made signing players who you are looking to kick on in their careers, develop and eventually sell on.

Mix that with quality additions like Murphy, McGeady and Chalmers, along with the nucleus of a decent Championship squad and we're actually doing better than a lot of our peers.

 

 

Our own manager has previously stated the need for more experience and leadership in the team.  And he said that before he knew Murdoch would miss the entire season.  I don’t believe Ian McCall had any more money to spend than is the case now, and yet he managed to find plenty of experienced players who did a job for us - Moffat, Kerr, Adams, Bell, Geggan etc.  it’s only 2 weeks ago that we crashed and burned against a Morton side with Grant Gillespie in midfield, so not sure what level of player you think we’re looking for that just isn’t available.

[AyrExile]

16 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

I think the bigger issue is that there isn’t anyone available and affordable to us that is hugely experienced. It’s all well and good fans saying we need experience but if the player isn’t available then we can’t do a huge amount about it. 
 

The player may well have been looked at for a while. I’d have reason to believe that Glendinning will have reports on quite a large amount of players rather than just the ones we have signed. 

Perhaps the bigger issue though is that to date our team/squad this season has regressed to nearer the levels of relegation than promotion. Signing someone of his experience might work in a team which is already quite stable and they have a clear role. We still seem to be a bit patchwork and shuffling players into different places which won't really help some of the younger players

 

[D'Jaffo]

4 minutes ago, Sortmeout said:

Arguably better than Kyogo? 

Best striker outside of Celtic at the minute. I’m not convinced of the quality of any of the forwards Rangers have signed and I think they could look a bit stupid if Shankland goes and outscores them all. 

[Sortmeout]

Just now, D'Jaffo said:

Best striker outside of Celtic at the minute. I’m not convinced of the quality of any of the forwards Rangers have signed and I think they could look a bit stupid if Shankland goes and outscores them all. 

I would agree with that. Although Duk and Miovski good strikers too.

[Hazbart]

12 minutes ago, Nelson said:

We have the most bloated back room team in the history of the club.  

Why is it bloated?

 

 

[Nelson]

5 minutes ago, No_Problemo said:

Yeah, but we had no idea Stephen Kelly was quality when we signed him. 

You could also argue that Young is joining a midfield with the experience of McGeady and Murphy… 

ETA, I do agree we need a more experienced player as one of our CM signings - might not be possible though. 

I don’t think that’s true.  McCall had strong contacts at Rangers at the time who seemed to give him a heads up on Kelly’s quality and availability.  It was still a gamble I accept, but he was being blended into a significantly better team than the one we have just now.  The concern now is that we’re just signing complete randoms like Ahui and Young and throwing them into a team where they’re expected to deliver and perform from day one.  

[D'Jaffo]

4 minutes ago, Nelson said:

Our own manager has previously stated the need for more experience and leadership in the team.  And he said that before he knew Murdoch would miss the entire season.  I don’t believe Ian McCall had any more money to spend than is the case now, and yet he managed to find plenty of experienced players who did a job for us - Moffat, Kerr, Adams, Bell, Geggan etc.  it’s only 2 weeks ago that we crashed and burned against a Morton side with Grant Gillespie in midfield, so not sure what level of player you think we’re looking for that just isn’t available.

He signed those players over a three year period and got them out of contract. There aren’t any players jumping out that we can just go and sign than would meet our requirements. We’re at the tail end of the window having spent the majority of our budget presumably so it’s going to be loans that make up what’s missing. 

[BukyOHare]

3 minutes ago, Nelson said:

Our own manager has previously stated the need for more experience and leadership in the team.  And he said that before he knew Murdoch would miss the entire season.  I don’t believe Ian McCall had any more money to spend than is the case now, and yet he managed to find plenty of experienced players who did a job for us - Moffat, Kerr, Adams, Bell, Geggan etc.  it’s only 2 weeks ago that we crashed and burned against a Morton side with Grant Gillespie in midfield, so not sure what level of player you think we’re looking for that just isn’t available.

All great examples but I just don't think those types of old heads are as readily available as you think.

Happy for you to identify any that you think are still available and / or affordable. 

Leadership and controlled aggression isnt something that only experience players can provide, someone like Connor Smith would literally kick his granny to win a game of football. He's only 21.

 

[Richey Edwards]

8 minutes ago, Nelson said:

Our own manager has previously stated the need for more experience and leadership in the team.  And he said that before he knew Murdoch would miss the entire season.  I don’t believe Ian McCall had any more money to spend than is the case now, and yet he managed to find plenty of experienced players who did a job for us - Moffat, Kerr, Adams, Bell, Geggan etc.  it’s only 2 weeks ago that we crashed and burned against a Morton side with Grant Gillespie in midfield, so not sure what level of player you think we’re looking for that just isn’t available.

But all of our players are adults who have been in football for a few years now. How much more experience and leadership do they need?

 

[D'Jaffo]

2 minutes ago, Hazbart said:

Why is it bloated?

 

 

It isn’t but there has to be some straws available to clutch at. 

[Nelson]

Just now, Hazbart said:

Why is it bloated?

 

 

Because for all the back room wage bill has ballooned, I see little evidence on the park that it’s making us a better team, either in terms of recruitment or coaching.

[Nelson]

3 minutes ago, BukyOHare said:

All great examples but I just don't think those types of old heads are as readily available as you think.

Happy for you to identify any that you think are still available and / or affordable. 

Leadership and controlled aggression isnt something that only experience players can provide, someone like Connor Smith would literally kick his granny to win a game of football. He's only 21.

 

A truly tiresome attitude.  We have very well paid staff who’s actual job it is to improve us as a football team.  There’s something not right though when our own manager says explicitly we need to put more leadership and experience into the spine of the team, we sign 8/9 players over the Summer and we’re still saying the exactly same thing.  

[GaryMc93]

19 minutes ago, Nelson said:

We have the most bloated back room team in the history of the club.  Recruitment is their responsibility.  It’s not up to people on a fans forum to come up with names.  I don’t think anyone is writing Young off, but adding him to an already seriously inexperienced midfield just seems like yet another major risk of which there have been too many in recent times.  It’s going to bite us eventually.

Not bloated it's simply a sign of progression and some level of ambition from the club to be more professional off it. I don't really get it as a stick to beat the club with.

It’s not up to fans on a forum but you say we need experience I was simply emphasising the fact that it is a very high possibility that no one is available and given you can't name anyone then it's probably true.