Ayr United season 2015/2016

[David Castilla]

Well thank god that's all over!  Right, from yesterday, it's clear to me we have some good players who we will/should keep.  The most noticeable thing yesterday was when we went 1-0 down, the heads stayed up and we kept on fighting.  We got there in the end and that's all that matters.

On to next season, we need to keep as many as the committed/decent players we've got.  I would:

Keep:
Crawford - no need to explain why
Forrest - hopefully gets an extended contract
Preston - looks like he will be back
Murphy - best defender we have
Devlin - player of the year
JP - took on the captains role well, would like to see him stay

Possible:

Blakeman - with a good pre season under his belt he could be a useful player
Donald  - under contract so not sure what will happen
McKenna - possibly back on loan, could be a good partnership with Murphy
Murray - out of contract with Aberdeen by the looks of it

Out:

Hutton - shame it's ended the way it has, all the best
Robertson - not really happened for him
Gilmour - just seems to be a luxury player, not enough about him
Neil - not worked out under McCall
Beattie - if fit he could maybe be useful, to be fair to him he looked like he really cared, just hasn't worked out as well as we would have hoped

So from the list of what we have and who I would keep, we're probably looking at needing to bring in:

Goalie - possibly Tuffey
Centre half
Left back
Winger
Centre mid
Striker

Hopefully we can get deals done early and get the squad together for a proper pre season and push on for the league next season, so far the league is Albion, Airdrie, Ayr, Cowden, Dunfermline, Peterhead and 3 of Alloa, Stranraer, Forfar Brechin and one of Stenny, Arbroath, East Fife or Queens Park.  Feel the league will be a lot weaker than this season and can see Stranraer losing Aitken if they don't go up.

Anyway, glad to see the back of this season now, feeling a lot more positive about Ayr United now!

[GoRdY_b]

Winger: I have visions that St Mirren will be relegated, Gary Teale sacked and subsequently without a club.

Just saying 

[DavidKennedys_Hand]

Agree with the players being kept there.

I can see Beattie being invited back for pre season to see if he can get any fitter with a pre season under his belt. I wouldn't offer him a deal until we know for sure though. I didn't see enough of them to know either way.

[ayrG]

Wouldn't keep Murphy - been injured half the season and another year older will only get worse.

Wouldn't keep JP either, sure he's played well the last 5 games. But for the previous 31 he was one of the main reasons we weren't competing in the middle of the park.


Would agree with letting Gilmour,  Robertson, Hutton and Campbell go.

The rest i'd take, think McCall can take players like Devlin, Blakeman + Donald and take them up a gear or two. For example Preston, i think he is a much better player than when we first signed him.

If Beattie got fit i think he'd be an asset but the likelihood of him being fit is slim to none so i'd unfortunately let him go.

[TonyH]

In McCall's post-match interview he says he wants Preston, McKenna and Blakeman back for next season.
I 'm sure Forrest,Crawford,Donald and Gilmour are already signed and I'd get Devlin signed as soon as possible.

[ghostofjimmysmith]

Because we won two games I think some rose tinted specs are on. We have had a misfiring attack, powder puff midfield and porous defence all season and benefited massively from an even moreinept Stenhousemuir team. How many games did we say "can't believe we didn't score more", "how did we lose that etc" etc etc

One of the worst Ayr United teams of all time especially as they largely were full time.

I hate resigning a new team each season but justified in this case.

Big thing is to decide if full or part time and if full time doing it properly.

Keep

Crawford
Devlin
Blakeman
Nisbet, Newman, Muir, Mackenzie etc

Back to parent clubs (thanks but no thanks)

Preston
McKenna
Neill
Fraser

Release

Hutton
Murphy (most overrated player we have signed in some time - goals conceded don't lie)
Campbell
Gilmour
McGovern
Robertson
Beattie

Transfer list

Donald

On the fence with Forrest as I don't think he has kicked on this season- will probably move on and float around league 1 clubs in England on trial until he ends up somewhere like Raith or Dumbarton. Seems to be keeping his options open by waiting until now.

Haven't really got a scooby who we should sign but the big baldy centre half from Brechin would be a good start.

[David Castilla]

Because we won two games I think some rose tinted specs are on. We have had a misfiring attack, powder puff midfield and porous defence all season and benefited massively from an even moreinept Stenhousemuir team. How many games did we say "can't believe we didn't score more", "how did we lose that etc" etc etc

One of the worst Ayr United teams of all time especially as they largely were full time.

I hate resigning a new team each season but justified in this case.

Big thing is to decide if full or part time and if full time doing it properly.

Keep

Crawford
Devlin
Blakeman
Nisbet, Newman, Muir, Mackenzie etc

Back to parent clubs (thanks but no thanks)

Preston
McKenna
Neill
Fraser

Release

Hutton
Murphy (most overrated player we have signed in some time - goals conceded don't lie)
Campbell
Gilmour
McGovern
Robertson
Beattie

Transfer list

Donald

On the fence with Forrest as I don't think he has kicked on this season- will probably move on and float around league 1 clubs in England on trial until he ends up somewhere like Raith or Dumbarton. Seems to be keeping his options open by waiting until now.

Haven't really got a scooby who we should sign but the big baldy centre half from Brechin would be a good start.

The bits I've highlighted made me laugh.  You want to punt Peter Murphy for Gerry McLaughlan and get rid of Forrest, one of our best players and one of the best prospects in the lower leagues.

Wow.

[Ken]

The Gaffer will obviously have his plans, just hope he has his finger firmly on the exit button. Such as the 2nd half of the Peterhead game showed the need for a clean out. I would keep half dozen first team players max and good luck in finding a decent goalie and CH.

[Youth Reporter]

Thought no8 in the Youth Cup tie at Ibrox today did his chances of getting into McCalls plans for next season no harm at all. Is it McGill ? been at Glenafton last 2 years ? Played well today.

[Saltire]

Early season ticket sales will show what can be done. Putting everything else aside about the running of the club and the varying views of the fan base we need to get as many lapsed fans back on side as we can. A bigger support spending more money and roaring on the team is what's needed.

Bizarrely, we have some momentum from the last two games and avoiding the disaster of relegation. I hope we build on it immediately and get this club back to the second tier after next season.

[Try6Place]

Time to get those season tickets advertised, and get the monies rolling in. McCall needs cash to improve upon what we have, asap.

[Try6Place]

 ???What're we all going to do until our fixture list/friendlies are announced?! Post your news here, some of us are starving for news.

[sT JuDe]

I think we've got to remember we have just finished our worst season on record here so on paper you would think we need a complete overhaul.

For me these are the only players I would entertain next season:

Devlin
Murphy
Donald
Forrest
Crawford
Preston

maybe McGovern and Blakeman.

Obviously you would have the likes of McGill and Nisbet ect staying on aswell with best of the rest of the youth.

[ghostofjimmysmith]

If the aim is not to go up next season then lets keep a core from this season and moan about why we scrape into the promotion play offs at best and then get horsed.

Forrest has not been as effective as last season despite starting more games and despite McCall claiming his real position is through the middle and being given the opportunity there. Injuries etc are fair enough but anonymous in too many games so either is being played out of position which McCall needs to address or hasn't kicked on since last year. As stated I am sitting on the fence, happy if he resigns but not irreplaceable if he doesn't.

I find the love in for Murphy "laughable". For a guy with international caps and over 300 games in the English football league to not have the standard of striker we face in his pocket and not be able to organise a defence to at least try and keep a clean sheet is massively disappointing. Not exclusively his fault, we were terrible at the back this season but not blameless. He is a good footballer but not the commanding and vocal centre half that we need at this level.

[itzdrk]

Basically we should be looking at


Keeper


Devlin CB CB LB


RM Crawford JP Donald


Striker Striker


But more will stay than that. Hopefully Preston gets another loan with us

[CoLE]

Forrest has not been as effective as last season despite starting more games and despite McCall claiming his real position is through the middle and being given the opportunity there. Injuries etc are fair enough but anonymous in too many games so either is being played out of position which McCall needs to address or hasn't kicked on since last year. As stated I am sitting on the fence, happy if he resigns but not irreplaceable if he doesn't.

Hardly much difference between this season and last in terms of production.

Forrest this season - 36 games, 9 goals.
Forrest last season - 33 games, 9 goals.

Ideally we'd like him to be scoring a few more but bear in mind the team has been absolutely woeful and he's our top scorer! I'd be EXTREMELY worried if the management shared your opinion as I am sure Forrest will go on to play in the Premier in the next few years.

[diege]

I think most forget that Murphy is in fact a center midfielder that has shifted back into the heart of the defense in his twilight years. Would love to have had him 5 years ago, I wouldn't be disappointed if he was given another year, but I wont be losing sleep if he doesn't

Grammy posted a twitter screen shot to us earlier, Tuffey won't be signing for us, just signed a 2 year deal with Glenavon

[Stay Free]

Johnny Tuffey that someone mentioned as a possible goalie just signed 2 years with Glenavon.

[HonestJohn]

Basically we should be looking at


Keeper


Devlin CB CB LB


RM Crawford JP Donald


Striker Striker


But more will stay than that. Hopefully Preston gets another loan with us

Andy Stirling good be a great signing at RM. He was unplayable at Stranraer, obviously has not worked out at Dunfermline.

[Stan the Man]

No news yet of players being released etc.No doubt we will get some info later today in the AUFC official 'organ' the Ayrshire Post!