Next Saturday is a big game for our defence - the problem will be Shankland. Ayr have started as though they fancy winning the Championship - 5 straight wins and just one goal conceded, 13 scored, Shankland on fire, already with potential goal of the season.  This is a start we can only dream about - can we match them, can we snuff out Shankland (and Moffatt etc), can we squeeze three points?

 

I don't expect Shankland to be still with Ayr at the weekend. I can only see Dundee lifting their offer. That would be a bonus but we then will have to deal with Crawford, Murdoch and Kerr. Ayr are apparently playing with freedom at the moment, new boys with confidence and in a bit of a "no lose" situation.

Apparently turned down an offer of 150k today so I think we might see Mr Shankland on Sat? 

Not with the transfer deadline and Ayr cant ignore the spondoolachs on offer.

24 minutes ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Not with the transfer deadline and Ayr cant ignore the spondoolachs on offer.

Window in Scotland is open till 31st Aug

Ayr are looking for a fee of 250k according to their fans on pie and bovril no one in scotland will pay that for him. So their only hope of that is an English club whose window shuts in 48 hours.

ICT will hammer AYR trust me get it on your coupon home win

We deal with it by the defence doing their job correctly and the defensive midfielders providing support when required. We have no need to fear Ayr and need to put them under pressure to see how they cope with us.

3 hours ago, MorayJaggie said:

Ayr are looking for a fee of 250k according to their fans on pie and bovril no one in scotland will pay that for him. So their only hope of that is an English club whose window shuts in 48 hours.

Teams outside the Premier League can sign unregistered players and loans until the end of August.  He's not going to be an EPL target, and if any other club wants him then all Ayr have to do is come to a private agreement with the player to terminate his contract...he's then free to sign south of the border and use his signing bonus to pay whatever it cost to get out of his Ayr contract ?

Ayr by their own admission only know how to attack and that is how they got through last season. They continually put pressure on their opposition defence until they make a mistake. We should do the same in return and see how they cope. We have the players and skill to to do this. It should be a good game both teams are on a good run of form. Hoping for some entertaining football on Saturday.

Edited August 8, 20187 yr by MorayJaggie
Spelling

38 minutes ago, MorayJaggie said:

Ayr by their own admission only know how to attack and that is how they got through last season. They continually put pressure on their opposition defence until they make a mistake. We should do the same in return and see how they cope. We have the players and skill to to do this. It should be a good game both teams are on a good run of form. Hoping for some entertaining football on Saturday.

You sound like a neutral with that comments.

3 points is the priority!!

You don't win anything with entertaining football alone. Just ask a Liverpool fan. 

Hack em!

3 hours ago, Caman said:

You sound like a neutral with that comments.

3 points is the priority!!

You don't win anything with entertaining football alone. Just ask a Liverpool fan. 

So we can't wish for entertaining football? It's not the Sunday league we pay to watch and forgive me if I'd like to be entertained once and a while when attending TCS.

 

29 minutes ago, MorayJaggie said:

So we can't wish for entertaining football? It's not the Sunday league we pay to watch and forgive me if I'd like to be entertained once and a while when attending TCS.

 

You're forgiven. But go and watch Ross County if you want entertainment of the comedy type. ?????

14 minutes ago, Caman said:

You're forgiven. But go and watch Ross County if you want entertainment of the comedy type. ?????

I'll only be watching that comedy twice this season when we visit dingewall.

Tell big Col to go through him in the first 3 minutes, pick up a yellow then he’ll be scared to take him on again. 

1 hour ago, mcdonnell761 said:

Tell big Col to go through him in the first 3 minutes, pick up a yellow then he’ll be scared to take him on again. 

If that happens then big Col will be scared to tackle anyone again. The way to stop any good striker is to starve them of the ball. 

If Shankland keeps up this form I think Ayr will struggle to keep him post Jan transfer window. Maybe Aberdeen will see what a bad mistake they made letting him go and tempt him back.

Why is everyone worried about Shankland?  All his goals came at a lower level and there's nothing in his career to date to show he is prolific at any higher level!

I'm not one for reputations. But a striker full of confidence who has been beasting them in thus far this season causes me concern. 

38 minutes ago, Stirling Observer said:

I'm not one for reputations. But a striker full of confidence who has been beasting them in thus far this season causes me concern. 

I have to agree with caley D though, shankland may well be a great striker but he's still very much lower league quality. He's only as good as the team behind him, and as long as we contain them not just him then we stand every chance of not only competing with but beating Ayr. We are only going on the basis of ONE league game, granted this game was against Partick who as we a know are an ex SPL team... But they are an ex SPL team for a reason. We were there this time last year and we know how hard it was to adjust. Its easy to get carried away, but I believe if our boys do everything that's expected of them on the day, not only will we contain Shankland and the threat he poses but we will beat Ayr and anyone that thinks that's not possible may as well send back the season ticket and give up hope of promotion or progression now 

Edited August 8, 20187 yr by CableGuy

4 hours ago, MorayJaggie said:

I'll only be watching that comedy twice this season when we visit dingewall.

Not going to the home derbies then ?

24 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

Not going to the home derbies then ?

I will be at the home derbies. 

5 hours ago, CaleyD said:

Why is everyone worried about Shankland?  All his goals came at a lower level and there's nothing in his career to date to show he is prolific at any higher level!

Shankland v Morton - 3 goals

Shankland v Partick - 1 goal

Shankland v Partick round 2 - 2 goals

He’s clearly proving to be a bit of a goal machine.

And that's one reason why our defence must be solid. Then we concentrate on getting goals, goals, goals.

On 8/8/2018 at 10:35 AM, MorayJaggie said:

Ayr by their own admission only know how to attack and that is how they got through last season. They continually put pressure on their opposition defence until they make a mistake. We should do the same in return and see how they cope. We have the players and skill to to do this. It should be a good game both teams are on a good run of form. Hoping for some entertaining football on Saturday.

Would not be surprised if Ayr had the bulk of possession, we need to be tight at the back and quick on the counter. The first goal is vital and whomever gets it will, I think, win the match.