The Ultimate Super Ayr Thread

[rgreig]

9 hours ago, D'Jaffo said:

People can criticise but also have to acknowledge improvement. I think a better barometer to base it from is the Arbroath game. We had just signed our new midfielders and the personal is exactly the same (batting Dowds) as to what we have now. There has been a clear improvement from then in terms of the likes of Syla, Young and Senga bedding in. 

We have two very talented players in Murphy and Chalmers who allow us to create chances going forward. I don't think anybody can dispute that (and it's great to have players who can actually take decent corners at long last).

However, we are just nowhere when out of possession. Our formation could be described as 4-WTF-2. As you rightly pointed out later in your post, the midfield is culpable in the first-half shambles. To me, this is a coaching issue since it's not something that has just been an issue since Dempsey and Murdoch were injured - it's a hallmark of Bullen's teams.

Although you could say we were unlucky not to score one of the other chances we created, I also felt that Raith could easily have gone in 3-0 up at half time and they had one very good chance in the second half as well. It is very clear to me that Raith have better coaching staff than we do.

Dowds looked good I thought and I think he's likely to start every week if he remains fit.

[diegomarahenry]

42 minutes ago, rgreig said:

it's not something that has just been an issue since Dempsey and Murdoch were injured - it's a hallmark of Bullen's teams

It's been an issue since Docherty left. Kerrs team right through to yesterday has had that problem. 

[AyrExile]

2 hours ago, Trogdor said:

As I said earlier, a result like yesterday wouldn't be so bad if we weren't in the position we're in and we had more than 4 league wins at Somerset in 2023. As it is, it's taking Bullen far too long to get a tune out of these players.

As someone else highlighted, Raith played a central midfielder at centre half and you wouldn't have known. That's on us, we should have been targeting him.

My real fear is that a manager change won't necessarily turn this around. Its going to be a tough season either way. I can understand why a number of fans aren't going. I've stopped going to away games and midweek home games. It's pretty soul destroying.

You simply can't give teams a two goal lead and expect to win association football matches.

I noticed yesterday the streams were back up and running for all games instead of a select few. That won't help either in the weeks ahead 

[Rb123]

Wasn't at the game but going by the highlights it looks like the same old shite of midfield getting constantly overrun and exposing our poor defence.

1st goal is criminal as you end up with our two central midfielders over at the left hand side of the box leaving East all the time and space in the world at the edge of the box to shoot.

2nd goal Reading should have just let it go out but after that Murphy misses the ball and McGinty has a brainfart moment of just standing there instead of dropping off to go with the runner and then McAllister is just McAllister when it gets to the other side. 

Same old defensive issues from last season which everyone knew about apart from our recruitment team apparently  

[Rb123]

2 hours ago, AUFC 1910 said:

2nd worst points total and 2nd worst goal difference.

No matter what is better, improving, not quite as bad, unlucky, nearly this, what if that….that’s relegation material right there folks.

We either sleep walk into a position where we will not recover from, or we replace Bullen now and give the new person a fighting chance and a transfer window in January.

There's a split beginning to form already too which is concerning.

If Inverness and Morton win next weekend and we lose heavily to Airdrie we'll be bottom of the league and Bullen will need to go.

[AllySloan]

That's McAllister with 5 yellows, is he suspended for the Airdrie game?

[D'Jaffo]

11 minutes ago, AllySloan said:

That's McAllister with 5 yellows, is he suspended for the Airdrie game?

Think after five bookings it takes another week to take effect so he’ll miss the Dunfermline game maybe? 

[callum-ayr]

McAllister and Reading need punted yesterday. It’s beyond a joke now they are both selling a goal a game. However they had a good game club Alloa so Bullen and Mathie won’t do anything about it. 

[D'Jaffo]

Just now, callum-ayr said:

McAllister and Reading need punted yesterday. It’s beyond a joke now they are both selling a goal a game. However they had a good game club Alloa so Bullen and Mathie won’t do anything about it. 

Reading was fine yesterday. 

[Shibuya]

31 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

Reading was fine yesterday. 

Agreed. He's been fine all season, generally. 

[Trogdor]

1 hour ago, Rb123 said:

Same old defensive issues from last season which everyone knew about apart from our recruitment team apparently  

Let's be fair about this. They played well in the league cup. 

[Trogdor]

The Reading experiment is over, hopefully he is punted into the sea at seasons end. He's just not good enough.

He's been better compared to last season but he still can't stop a cross, track a runner or get forward. I also think teams are targeting the opposite flank because McAllister is even worse which is making Reading look better as well. Murphy in front of Reading helps too tbf.

[AUFC 1910]

New manager for November and new fullbacks for January

[D'Jaffo]

7 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

The Reading experiment is over, hopefully he is punted into the sea at seasons end. He's just not good enough.

He's been better compared to last season but he still can't stop a cross, track a runner or get forward. I also think teams are targeting the opposite flank because McAllister is even worse which is making Reading look better as well. Murphy in front of Reading helps too tbf.

I don’t think any of this has been evidenced much this season tbh. His biggest weakness last season was being caught under the ball but I can think of plenty times this season where he’s improved that part of his game. He got forward yesterday as well. The second Raith goal happens in part due to Reading trying to keep the ball in the pitch at the Raith byline but slips as he’s stretching for it. Murphy undoubtedly helps him but that’s not a slight on Reading. Full backs need support from a winger just as a centre back needs support from the central midfielders in front of them. Reading linked up quite well with Murphy in all the games I’ve seen them play together. 
 

There’s no doubt that he was poor last season but I think people are being harsh on him this season because of that. Out of the defenders we fielded yesterday he was probably the best which isn’t saying much but I’m not seeing much criticism for Musonda who seems incapable of playing the ball quickly and even when he does it was slow, floaty balls up to Dowds which were easily read. 

[Trogdor]

I find it incredible that anyone thinks Reading is part of the solution. He's better than last season but then so was a traffic cone.

Edit - he's not the worst. Other than Chalmers, Murphy, Albinson & Dowds the rest of the team resembles relegation fodder.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Trogdor

[AUFC 1910]

We need to start comparing players and performances against the opposition.  The league position, points total and goal difference doesn’t lie.

 

[D'Jaffo]

30 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

I find it incredible that anyone thinks Reading is part of the solution. He's better than last season but then so was a traffic cone.

Edit - he's not the worst. Other than Chalmers, Murphy, Albinson & Dowds the rest of the team resembles relegation fodder.

I’m not sure what you mean by part of the solution? 
 

There’s probably two or three other issues in the team right now before you look at left back. I’d be clearing out McAllister, Ahui, McGinty from the defence before Reading right now. Midfield is also an issue that needs looked at first. I think a big part of it is still Bullen. We set up to press a Raith side that have shown they are extremely good at their passing game and play a formation that will see them have a spare man in midfield at all times. A lot of it is down to the inexperience of Syla and Young but I’m not sure what Bullen was expecting them to do against yesterday. 

[D'Jaffo]

4 minutes ago, AUFC 1910 said:

We need to start comparing players and performances against the opposition.  The league position, points total and goal difference doesn’t lie.

 

Tell that to the people who still maintain we fluked our way to second last season. 

[Trogdor]

1 hour ago, D'Jaffo said:

I’m not sure what you mean by part of the solution? 
 

There’s probably two or three other issues in the team right now before you look at left back. I’d be clearing out McAllister, Ahui, McGinty from the defence before Reading right now. Midfield is also an issue that needs looked at first. I think a big part of it is still Bullen. We set up to press a Raith side that have shown they are extremely good at their passing game and play a formation that will see them have a spare man in midfield at all times. A lot of it is down to the inexperience of Syla and Young but I’m not sure what Bullen was expecting them to do against yesterday. 

I talked about emptying Reading at the end of the season and you talked about how he hasn't been that bad this season. This season is now a write off.

My broad point is that he's not good enough for a top four Championship team. If that's where we aspire to be we need to sign better players.

Edited October 1, 2023 by Trogdor

[D'Jaffo]

25 minutes ago, Trogdor said:

I talked about emptying Reading at the end of the season and you talked about how he hasn't been that bad this season. This season is now a write off.

My broad point is that he's not good enough for a top four Championship team. If that's where we aspire to be we need to sign better players.

The season being a write off shouldn’t take away from a player improving and potentially becoming an important player for us. If he continues to improve and becomes consistent at what point do we concede that he might be due a new contract? Of course this might be short lived and he reverts back to last seasons form but he deserves a chance.