Is there no defence for defending?

Saturday 29th January - Scottish Communities League Cup Semi Final
Ayr United 0, Kilmarnock 0
Kilmarnock win 1-0 after extra time

Jose Mourinho brought the term 'parking the bus' to British football after his Chelsea side were unable to unlock a resolute defensive display from Tottenham in September 2004 and it has subsequently entered the lexicon of football clichés.  It carries entirely negative connotations, yet has contributed to some famous results: Scotland twice beating France in 2006 & 2007, Rangers' UEFA Cup run in 2007/08 and Mourinho's own Inter Milan at the Nou Camp as they beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate to reach to the 2010 Champions League. So some of the vitriol aimed at Brian Reid for employing the same approach against local rivals Kilmarnock in a Scottish Communities League Cup semi-final tie billed as the biggest ever Ayrshire derby has been surprise.

Ayr's semi-final tactics didn't please everyone...

A football game can be approached in two ways. You can go out to win, or you can go out not to lose. The best approach? Well, that depends primarily on the strengths and weaknesses of your side and of the opposition. Ayr's strengths during their run to the semi-final was being difficult to breakdown. Being well organised, and resolute and frustrating higher league opponents. There was no rational for changing the approach for the semi-final. Not the wide expanses of Hampden Park. Not the 25,000 crowd. Not the opposition. If first and foremost you set out not to get beat, the chances to win the game will come along. Possession, completed passes and creating goal scoring opportunities do not give a team the right to win a football match.

Ayr's only change to the starting XI that defeated St. Mirren in the quarter-final saw St. Mirren youngster Jamie McKernon come in for local lad Ross Robertson in midfield. That meant that Gareth Wardlaw came in for Mark Roberts up front with Michael Moffat withdrawn to a wide midfield spot as Ayr went 451. The formation worked against an atrocious on the night Inverness side in a gameAyr dominated. It was perhaps fortunate to work against Hearts in the next round of the League Cup as Ayr capitalised on a defensive error, questionable disallowed goal and some woeful penalty kicks from the Jambos. But it worked an absolute treat in the quarter-final at St. Mirren Park.

Back to the buses and Danny Lennon was irked by Ayr's tactics on the night: "What did they bring to the game?" asked the St. Mirren manager. "For all our dominance we couldn’t break down a parked bus and eleven traffic wardens". There was credit for sticking to the game plan, but definitely not the performance. Which grated a little. Brian Reid responded: “If parking the bus gets you the result then I’ll park the bus and take it. As the game wore on we were the better team". He was spot on. Urged on by a noisy travelling support in Paisley, Ayr finished the game strongly. Set piece after set piece was won and after 81 minutes Eddie Malone's perfect delivery into the box was met by the head of Chris Smith for the winner. It was the Honest Men's only attempt on target in a game in which they had given up 64% of possession yet it was a deserved win for a United side that grew in confidence in the face of a toothless St. Mirren attack.

This is what Ayr United tried to replicate at Hampden. They didn't come for penalties as suggested by the Telegraph's Ewing Grahame. Penalties were not Ayr's only hope as asserted by the Sunday Mail's Gordon Waddell. Brian Reid told Chick Young post-match his side had not come looking for penalties and his word should be enough. Penalties would have merely been the consolation for the game plan not quite working out. At least Waddell had the good grace to express admiration for Ayr sticking to their guns, recognising that if they had opened up Killie had the armoury to make them pay: "The Honest Men were well within their rights to play the game they needed to get the outcome they wanted". Grahame showed no understanding, to the extent that makes you wonder if he was in full possession of the facts. I certainly doubt he sees much of Ayr United. "Negative". "A staggering lack of ambition". A shoe-horned reference to Scotland's 4-6-0 experiment and even an opening gambit that Brian Reid had effectively failed his audition for a move to a bigger, full time club. Disappointing.

After the game Kenny Sheils, Killie's unorthodox manager, had a lot to say about the tactics of the Honest Men, perhaps where Grahame took his steer. The Ulsterman is after all an engaging and convincing character. Musing that Ayr had employed the same coach company used at St. Mirren, he said. "Football is about entertainment. People come and pay to be entertained and the easiest component in football, or any sport, is to defend. But anybody can do that". No, Kenny they can't. As pointed out by United's kid reporter Michael Lamont, if that were the case maybe Killie wouldn't have conceded nine goals in two games versus Inverness. And wouldn't have had to change both centre-backs for their Hampden appearance. Defending is every much as part of the game as attacking.

And Brian Reid's job wasn't to entertain. It was to win the game. In this of all games a victory was all that mattered. Had Ayr pulled off a repeat of their exploits at St Mirren Park – and they came very close at Hampden – to criticise the game plan would have entirely churlish. Describing United's approach as 'negative', 'anti-football' and lacking in ambition misses the point. It is disrespectful to Brian Reid and it is actually disrespectful to the quality possessed by Kilmarnock. Yes the game plan was to soak up pressure, to frustrate but importantly it was also to counter attack. To use Wardlaw’s ability to hold the ball up front and the pace and direct running of McGowan and Wardlaw on the flanks. The fact that Ayr were unable to implement this aspect of the strategy was not down to a negative approach. It’s not as if players were refusing to cross the half way line.

New centre-back partnership aside, a subtle alteration to Killie’s shape improved their capacity to dominate this game. Winger James Dayton supplemented the support given to loan front man Paul Heffernan by Gary Harkins and Dean Sheils, giving Killie more width than in recent weeks. With support from left-full back Ben Gordon this stretched the game and made it difficult for Ayr to break from their defensive third. When they did, too often there just weren’t enough numbers to make the ball stick – it’s difficult for the midfield to be in two places at once – when it did, well Kilmarnock were no strangers to a strategic foul to stop any momentum.

The game simply didn’t open up they way Ayr’s quarter-final against St. Mirren had. Maybe it was the big Hampden pitch. Maybe it was the occasion. Or just maybe it was because Kilmarnock have the better players. No one would argue Kilmarnock were the better side, or that they deserved to win the tie. But don’t tell me they deserved to win to because of Brian Reid’s tactics. They deserved to win because they were patient, persistent and because, eventually, they got the goal.

Kenny Sheils felt that Ayr have good players and that if they had ‘come out’ could have won the match. I can’t agree. It’s not Ayr’s strength and it would have simply left too much space for Killie’s front four to do serious damage. In a First Division campaign where Ayr have predominately been on the back foot, on the occasions where there has been an onus on the side to come out and attack they have been found wanting, notably at home to Annan Athletic in the Ramsden Cup and also versus Montrose. Indeed, United’s best attacking display of the season arguably came against Inverness, where the counter attacks became so frequent it looked like an onslaught. He may think that football is about two teams going out to win a game, and that only one side did that on Saturday butAyr did try to win the game. There should be no apologies or teeth gnashing because the approach to winning the game was not for the purists.

One thing Sheils did get right was that the Ayr players deserved enormous credit for their work rate and how much they put into the game. Ayr United fans should be immensely proud of what the side has achieved in the League Cup this season. After 45 minutes on Saturday it was ‘so far so good’. After 60 minutes ‘we’re still in it’. After 70 minutes even Kenny Sheils thought we were going to win it. The bottom line is that  Ayr's approach had them 11 minutes (and penalty kicks) away from the biggest result in the club’s history.

Golden opportunity goes up in smoke

Saturday 3rd December - Irn-Bru First Division
Queen of the South 4, Ayr United 1


Bang. 97 seconds of madness and Ayr United's four game winning streak on the road came to an end on a dismal day in Dumfries, a 4-1 defeat ending any hopes of some breathing space at the foot of the table going into Yuletide.  At the start of the week United fans were speculating that three points against Partick Thistle on Wednesday followed by a win against struggling Queen of the South would see Ayr go eight points ahead of tenth place. Instead, on the back of an insipid performance against the Jags at Somerset and a second-half collapse at Palmerston the Honest Men have slumped to 9th, one point ahead of Raith Rovers who now occupy bottom spot.

Despite promising to freshen things up Brian Reid made just one change to the starting line-up with Gareth Wardlaw replacing Mark Roberts in the lone role up front.  It's the tried and tested formula away from home for United and it meant that Tam McManus would have to wait for his first start in his second spell at the club.

The first half started with a conservative approach from both sides. The sides matched up with 3 men each  in the middle of the park meaning most of the constructive play came out wide, where the contest between the veteran Allan Johnston - 38 years old later this month - and Jonathan Tiffoney perhaps the most intriguing, particularly as the youngster seemed to be struggling with an injury.

The deadlock was broken just after the half hour mark and it was against the run of play. Just prior, Ayr had fashioned a great chance as great interplay at the edge of the box saw Alan Trouten send a dangerous low ball across the face of goal but there were no takers. Then a ball half-cleared by the Ayr defence found midfielder Stephen McKenna around 35 yards out in space in the middle of the park and he took no time in sending an unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner. While you might question why the former Airdrie man had so much space, Ayr seemed to be set-up well in defence and the strike, McKenna's second in the space of a week, has to go down as the sort of wonder goal you can do little about.

McKenna's strike left Cuthbert with no chance

Queens visibly took confidence from the goal and Ayr were sloppy in possession but the home side had conceded two equalisers at Cappielow seven days ago and did so again on the stroke of half-time. McGowan found space to strike the ball at goal and Lee Robinson could only parry the ball out to Wardlaw who rolled the ball home at the back post. Ayr would have had justification for feeling aggrieved if they had gone into the break behind and a decent argument could be made that the deserved to be in-front.

Ayr started the second-half much the stronger, dominating the early exchanges. Queens were unable to get out their own half but for all their possession United failed to create any clear cut chances. Micheal McGowan and Alan Trouten were both having another one of those all too common days, where flashes of neat and clever play ultimately end in losing possession through a poor cross or an attempt to pass one man too many.  Queens responded with a double substitution. A tiring Allan Johnston was replaced by Nicky Clark while the largely ineffective Tam Brighton made way for Kevin Smith, a thorn in Ayr during his time at Raith Rovers. Meanwhile, McManus, Roberts and co. continued to mill about in the background of the visitor's dugout.

The changes were like-for-like but had an immediate effect.  A previously composed United defence was tested for the first time in the game.  Under pressure, Tiffoney blundered on the ball in the box, sending a woefully short pass pack to Cuthbert which United's No. 1 did well to pluck from the feet of Smith.  Then the moment that was to change the game.  Eddie Malone got caught not only wrong side but also awkwardly under high ball played into the box and in the process of turning simply hacked Nicky Clark from behind. It was a clear penalty and one of the clearest red card's I've seen since Ludo Roy head butted that Forfar player at Somerset Park.  Former Ayr man Scott McLaughlin left footed the ball past Cuthbert.

It didn't have to be the killer blow but what followed effectively ended any chance Ayr had of getting back into the game.  Just 46 seconds later Ayr had lost possession from the kick-off, and with the defence at sixes and sevens, Danny Carmichael was presented with the simple task of netting after a ball from Smith found the Dumfries-born youngster in acres of space in the box.

Ayr's enforced defensive reshuffle, Geggan to right-back and Tiffoney across to left-back - along with the introduction of McManus up-front alongside Wardlaw - came too late and in truth Ayr were lucky a buoyant Queen of the South only added one more goal, another long-ranger this time from Simmons. Gareth Wardlaw was stretchered off with an ankle knock to compound the misery and the demeanour of his replacement Mark Roberts, who had declined to warm up at half time with the other subs, summed up the mood amongst the visiting support. 

Queens had benefited from a wonder strike to take the lead in the first half and made the most of a 97 second spell to forget for Eddie Malone and the United defence to win a game that, although Ayr were never ahead in, looked to be the Honest Men's for the taking around the hour mark.

So what next for Ayr? Brian Reid's men have conceded 19 goals in just seven league games on the road this season - shipping four on four separate occasions.  Changes are required, but with limited options in terms of defensive personnel the answer may lie further forward.  Playing Wardlaw along up front has proven effective in United's league cup encounters against SPL sides, when the onus is on the opposition to attack. But in the First Division Ayr are coming up against teams - home and away - where all out defence is never going to be the solution to earning three points. Geggan and McKernon provide a solid enough foundation but the four ahead of them simply isn't working.  At times, Trouten and McGowan are passengers the side can ill-afford. Their combined return rarely justifies Reid's persistence. The lone striker - Roberts or Wardlaw - is isolated while Moffat is persisting manfully in a role he clearly isn't suited.  Tam McManus adds to Reid's attacking options and not playing two up-front is becoming increasing perverse.  Whatever the approach, three points at home to Ross County looks to be a tall order before games at Livingston - only three points ahead - and Raith Rovers at home on Boxing Day, two games already shaping up to be season-defining.

The Opposition
Queens started the game like a team struggling at the bottom of the table. A lack of confidence was clear but credit to manager Gus McPherson who set up his side to match United, particularly in midfield where McLaughlin, McKenna and Simmons countered Geggan, McKernon and Trouten. They were no nonsense at the back - if in doubt put it out - and happy to play the long ball up the park to ease the pressure - effective tactics in the circumstances. 

The Doonhamers face a difficult game away to on form on Dundee on Saturday and seems unlikely they will go on a run of results that will see them move away from the relegation zone and unimaginable that they won't - along with Raith Rovers - be Ayr's main rivals in fight to avoid Second Division football next season.  Mark Campbell and Ryan McGuffie will strengthen and add experience to their defence when they return from injury, and they look solid in the middle of the park but despite a four-goal display today their goalscoring credentials are questionable. You would certainly take McManus, Wardlaw, Roberts, Moffat (supplemented by McGowan going forward) over the options available to Gus McPherson. Although  you sense the former St. Mirren manager would get more out that particular striking quartet...

McManus boosts United's striking options

Its been some time since the the last @albinoanaconda blog post, 65 days to be precise, but ahead of the Honest Men's trip to Palmerston Park I'm picking up almost where I left it. Since a late Mark Roberts goal earned United all three points against Queen of the South in September the Dumfries have picked up only six points from a possible 21 and have slumped to the bottom of the table.  Another defeat on Saturday and Brian Reid's men could extend their lead over the Doonhamers to six points.

That win at Somerset Park came on the back of the United's League Cup heroics against Hearts and superstitious boss Brian Reid stuck with the same formation, but with Mark Roberts replacing Gareth Wardlaw in the lone striking role.  That tactic simply didn't work for me - as discussed in the last blog entry - yet Ayr have persisted with Roberts up front on his own. The evidence is fairly damning.  Following on from the win against Queens, Ayr have struggled at home, scoring just once in four league games - a consolation against Dundee from the penalty spot in a 3-1 defeat.  Goalless draws against Livingston and Partick Thistle last Wednesday have all seen Roberts ploughing a loan furrow, as he also did when United made the long journey to Dingwall and were defeated 4-0.

Ayr's best results have come on the road and four consecutive wins began with another heroic cup display at St. Mirren Park.  As he did against Hearts, Gareth Wardlaw - with something to prove against his old side - lead the line superbly. The longer the game remained goalless, the more Ayr came into the game. Micheal McGowan in particular began to have a creative influence and after a serious of set-pieces it was Chris Smith who powered home the winning goal from a Eddie Malone free kick to set the biggest Ayrshire derby in history in January.

Four days later and 2-0 down at half-time against Hamilton at New Douglas Park all looked lost but an incredible second-half display - and another header from Chris Smith - earned Ayr an unlikely three points. The Honest Men also travelled to play Raith for an early season 'relegation six-pointer' and came away with what could prove to be a vital 1-0 win against a poor Rovers side devoid of confidence.  Like at Paisley, Gareth Wardlaw was the man entrusted to lead the line in Kirkcaldy and Hamilton, with Mark Roberts on the bench.  Three games away from home in which Wardlaw has played up front on his own and three impressive and important wins. Four games with Roberts up front on his own - three at home - and just one goal and two points.  It would be over-simplifying matters to state it should be Wardlaw and not Roberts who should play up front - things weren't too difference when Wardlaw fulfilled the role at home to a Morton side there for the taking at Somerset - but it is clear Reid cannot continue with Roberts in the loan role.  Against Partick Thistle on Wednesday, Marko cut a frustrated figure, his contribution mainly limited to kicking and barging the Thistle back three.  When he was substituted on 69 minutes the skipper slumped back in the dugout, clearly not happy. The veteran still has that compose on the ball, especially in the box, that can fashion a shooting chance from nowhere but he simply lacks the legs, stamina, pace and physicality make an impact on his own up front.

Wednesday also saw a second debut for Tam McManus. The former Hibs striker has penned a short-term deal to the first week in January having trained with the side for a number of weeks and turned out a couple of times for the Reserves. Although you can expect some shortness of match fitness having not played a first-team game since he left Falkirk in May it made Reid's decision to go with Roberts alone up front against Thistle all the more bewildering. With four strikers in the match-day 16 why put one on the wing (a matter for whole different blog post) and leave two on the bench, playing arguably the least effective in the lone role up front? More frustratingly, why wait until 74 minutes to make the switch to two up front? Like the Livingston and Morton games it felt that an overcautious approach from the United boss had scuppered any chance of earning three points.

Hopefully Reid will acknowledge a change is needed and in his pre-match comments Brian states: "Our midweek game against Partick took a lot out of the side due to the conditions it was played in and I will look to freshen things up as result", hinting at a start for McManus. Whether in place or alongside Roberts (or Wardlaw) we'll see but there is no doubting that Tam McManus is an exciting option.

Why McManus finds himself, again, in the situation where Ayr United seems to be his only option is baffling.  Especially on the evidence of these goals:



Tam's first spell at Somerset Park started with four goals in his first five games and sparked a mini-revival which gave United hope in their relegation battle (Ayr won four and drew four of his first nine league games at the club).  In the end, Ayr lost eight of their last nine games and were relegated.  Staying on at Somerset Park was never on the cards but it was not until September 2010 that Tam was fixed up with a club as he returned to Falkirk, initially to January but subsequently extended to the end of the 2010/11 season. Seven goals in 13 starts was a decent return at the Falkirk Stadium but at the start of this season McManus again found himself on the look out for a new club - a twelfth of his career at the age of 30.

McManus told the Daily Record in October that he was feeling as sharp as he ever has in his career and "playing for claps" represents a risk well worth taking - but will surely require a change in approach from Brian Reid. Somerset Park buzzed with excitement on Wednesday night, despite the wind and the rain, when McManus entered the fray and partnered Wardlaw upfront. At a stage of the season where a couple of wins could open up a significant gap between the Honest Men and the bottom of the table, a few goals from a proven goalscorer could prove very shrewd business indeed.

Very superstitious... but writing not yet on the wall

If you were to list Brian Reid's top managerial attributes its unlikely that 'tactical nous' would be top of the list. That's not to say he is a bad manager but like Mike Bassett, England Manager its a strict "four, four, f**king two" as far as Reid is concerned.

In an age where live football from across the globe is available 24/7, managers line up their 10 outfield players in all manner of formations and where a whole new generation of experts (no, not your Hansens, Lawrensons and Shearers on the Match of the Day sofa) are blogging about false No. 9s and dissecting the finest detail of the game, supporters now more than ever are armed with the knowledge (or think they are) to question the tactical status quo. Added to the minor idiosyncrasies of Ayr United under Reid; the endless goals conceded from crosses, an inability to retain possession at throw ins and the incessant quick free-kick routines that squander possession and territory endlessly and it suggests a manager unwilling - or unable - to adapt and, perhaps, tactically naive?

So, it was something of a departure, although not entirely alien, that Brian Reid lined his side up with just one up front for the League Cup visit of SPL side Hearts last Wednesday. That one, Gareth Wardlaw, led the line masterfully, harrying the Jambo's defence, winning the ball in the air, holding it up. Supported by Alan Trouten, as the forwardmost midfielder in a central three and, when they could, widemen Michael Moffat and Michael McGowan, it was an approach that succeeded ultimately. Ayr saw the best of Wardlaw, and perhaps also Trouten, with the former's perseverance leading to the Honest Men's equaliser, as he pounced on a mistake by Zaliukis.

The formation of 451 (or 4411) suited Ayr's game plan in a match where they were generally expected to lose. Hearts passing game in the middle of the park was disrupted, and their back four were often left without an easy short ball, leading to them increasingly having to look long and losing possession as Ayr's back line, in particular Chris Smith, dealt with the largely impotent John Sutton (Cuthburt's fingertip save down to his left in the first half apart).

Initially, things did look ominous. In the 30 minutes or so Ayr couldn't get out of their half. Pinned back by Hearts and the conditions, with their wide men Novikovas and Templeton threatening, there was no out ball and Wardlaw cut a distant figure. However, as United grew in confidence, spurred by a fine defensive performance from Jonathan Tiffoney in the right full back slot, the plan started to work. Wardlaw was holding the long(er) ball up to him, hassling and harrying - Moffat, McGowan and Trouten were providing support while McKernan and Geggan ensured Ayr remained solid in front of the back four.  That provided the platform for a performance full of effort and endeavour which more than matched their SPL opponents, a few of whom (Rudi Skacel) looked like they'd rather be anywhere than a rain lashed Somerset Park.  Add to that some good fortune in Hearts' disallowed goal and Zaliukis' slip and the Honest Men deserved their spot kick win, not least for the composure in which the penalties were dispatched.  When Marko stepped up for number four there was little doubt the old ground would be witnessing another famous 'shock'.

Fast forward to Saturday and the visit of Queen of the South. Two points adrift of four teams - including Queens - on seven points at the foot of the table there was a sense this was a 'must win' game. Or at least a 'must not lose'. Getting cut adrift at the foot of the table this early season would be ominous not to mention harsh given the player's endeavour and performances so far.  Gus McPherson's side came into the game having beaten the First Division league leaders in consecutive weeks at Palmerston, including a 4-1 thumping of Greenock Morton just seven days on from Morton inflicting the same result on United. However, Ayrshire rivals Kilmarnock had done Ayr a favour as they demolished Queens 5-0 at Rugby Park a day prior to Ayr's cup heroics. For 60 minutes the Dumfries side - down to 10 men following the sending-off of striker Kevin Smith for an elbow on Leon Panikvar - had been given the run-a-round on a moral sapping evening. Despite conceding 8 goals in two games and slumping to the bottom of the league it was Ayr that went into the game on a high.

Ayr United were without Wednesday's one man up front Gareth Wardlaw with a knee injury but despite lacking an obvious like-for-like replacement Brian Reid decided again to line up 451. Reid is known to be a superstitious manager.  From the combination of black or white shirts, shorts and socks, to his place in the Stand for the Ramsdens Cup run this season, if it worked in the previous game Reid will seek to keep everything the same the following week. But tactically? With a key component of the game plan unavailable?   Ultimately, Ayr earned three important points - but only after a struggle - and Roddy Paterson joining Wardlaw's replacement Mark Roberts up front and United reverting to 442.

This isn't a traditionalist 'you must play two up front at home' concern. Or based on a misunderstanding that one up front is necessarily defensive, but an observation that without Wardlaw, we simply don't have the personnel to go one up front. Sure, Mark Roberts has the clever feet and experience - but he doesn't have the physicality to plough the lone furrow on his own. Against a centre-half partnership of Mark Campbell and Ryan McGuffie it was always going to be a tough ask.

I've no doubt that a departure from 442 to more defensive formation - like we did against Hearts - can serve United well this season, especially on the road.  Indeed, at Dundee, it was notable that Mark Roberts was playing a deeper role, although again a lack of mobility saw him almost stranded between the midfield and Wardlaw up-front at times. But it has to be applied on the basis of the opposition and the players at Brian Reid's disposal - not what worked well last time out.  Another end of season collapse, with Brian Reid floundering for a formula that works, will see the writing on the wall for his managerial career.  Reid's tactics need to start convincing.

Meanwhile, here's Stevie Wonder...

Cream crackered with Scottish football?

"Listen, I like cream crackers. But if I ate them every day for a month I'd soon be sick of them.

"On the other hand, if I went a month without them and then ate just one I'd probably think it was the best cream cracker I'd ever tasted".

Brian Reid, Daily Record, 23/09/2011

A mid-week of cup shocks - with holders Rangers, Hearts and Aberdeen falling to SFL clubs - has seen Falkirk boss Steven Pressley renew his calls for an extended top flight. The former Rangers, Celtic and Hearts defender has been consistent, at least since Falkirk's financial woes began to really hit home, that the SPL should expand to 16, 18 or even 20 teams.  Brian Reid has also added his voice in favour, with a excellent analogy about square savoury biscuits.

Rarely in Scottish football, a lot of fans agree with Pressley. Supporters Direct Scotland's survey of fans at the end on 2010 showed a massive majority of supporters want bigger leagues. Almost 50% of the 5000 punters who responded plucked for 16 teams. 27% for 18. Only 13% said they wanted a top flight of 10 or 12 sides.  The message from Scottish football's 'customers' is clear. They want change, they don't want to play the same sides four times a season. And - although just one factor - its starting to show in attendances up and down the country.

But, the message from Neil Doncaster has been unequivocal.  It isn't a choice between 10 or 16 (or 14 or 18) teams because a larger league - crucially in which the Old Firm would only play twice - simply isn't an option as it's TV money that the SPL dances to the tune of, not the 10s of 1000s that go through the turnstyles every weekend (or, increasingly don't).


The arguments in many respects have been put on the back burner. There has been little debate until today  and with a lack of consensus the plans for a reduced SPL have been scrapped. But, the impetus for change remains.  A bigger SPL won't cure all Scotland's problems.  It won't make ticket prices cheaper and fans won't necessarily come flooding back.  Our youngsters won't suddenly become world-class and our club and national sides won't necessarily take Europe by storm.  But the results on Tuesday and Wednesday add increasing legitimacy to calls for a radical change.  Simply put, maybe its time the game at the top level stopped obsessing with 'bumper TV deals' and spending cash on foreign duds and instead listen to fans, cut gate prices and gave young Scottish talent a chance.  Like Falkirk have.

Also...

Keep an eye the excellent changingscottishfootball.net blog for intelligent and informed opinion on the campaign for supporters to have a greater say in the future of the Scottish game and on league reconstruction  Maybe, just maybe, one day the decision makers will listen...

[Archive] My favourite day at Firhill

Ayr United travel to Firhill on Saturday to take on the Great Glasgow Alternative, the Jags, the Harry Wraggs, everyone's favourite other team, Partick Thistle. Instead of picking through last Saturday's three minute debacle - or trying to second guess what might happen between between what should be two evenly matched sides in an entirely unpredictable league - a trip down memory lane seems like a perfect excuse to look back on one of my favourite ever games. 

Those of you who remember the early days of the internet might recall the Ayr United Yahoo group.  Set up by Kev McLelland, it was the the best place to virtually hurl abuse at the manager/defence/centre forward/Chairman of the day from the comfort of behind your keyboard.  From the venerable Kev came 'Ayr United - A Video History 1989 - 1999' a copy of which I found the other day.  Standing out from the grainy video clips and excellent match reports (well, maybe not as much as the 2-0 game against THEM) was my favourite day at Firhill, and a game probably up there in my top five Ayr games ever. 

Season 97/98 marked Ayr's return to the First Division as a side on the up.  But, after the relative stability of Ayr's Championship season - Henry Smith; John Traynor, Willie Jamieson, Ronnie Coyle; Tam Smith, Robert Connor, Paul Kinnaird and Alain Horace; Issac English and Stevie Kerrigan 10 of a fairly regular 11 - Ayr fans witnessed a conveyor belt of 'talent' from all across the world as United looked to find their feet.  Gordon Dalziel used 47 players that season, including some names never to be forgotten - Kristján Finnbogason, Jim Dick, Laurant D'Jaffo, Ian Ferguson - and some you'd like to forget or probably don't remember. Louie Donowa, Mark Duthie, Willie Mainge, French Internationalist Luc Sonar, David Morley, Jeff Peron and Richie Warholm anyone? And Mohamed Sylla, on as a substitute at Almondvale only to be subbed off shortly after. 

The last game of the season came about and Ayr travelled to Firhill on a sunny afternoon in May, the last of the league season, knowing a point would see them safe. And relegate Thistle.  Partick had kept their survival hopes alive, taking 10 points from their previous four games, while United blew their chance of survival the previous week, losing 3-1 to Falkirk at Somerset Park.  There was a nervous anticipation around the streets of Maryhill, especially in our car as we were lost.  We stopped to ask a Partick fan directions and he jumped in. He'd flown over from Barcelona especially for the game. The walk up to the ground having parked the car ('can I watch yer car mister?' i.e. gies a quid or its gettin bricked), seeing the long line of 2000 plus Ayr fans, most of whom had arrived on a fleet of free buses told you this was going to be a special game.

I'll let the video and Kev's match report from that CD tell the rest of the story:

And Kevin McLelland's match report:

Partick Thistle vs Ayr United
9th May 1998

Scottish League Division One

Partick Thistle 1 - 3 Ayr United

Firhill Park, Glasgow

The Scottish League's match computer served this fixture up way back in June and even then it was viewed with a certain amount of trepidation. Most Ayr fans believed that staying up was the main aim for the season and the final match at Firhill was always going to be important.

What we didn't bank on was that Thistle would be penniless, inept and going nowhere by the time we met. Nowhere except Division Two that is. The plight of the Glasgow club has been well-documented over the last few months and part of me is sad to see the demise of an alternative to the sectarian cancer which afflicts most of Glasgow, but their problems didn't occur overnight. To get into a state like Thistle are, where they sack the tea-lady and groundsman to cut bills, takes years of mismanagement and anyone with the merest hint of business acumen could probably have spotted the club haemorrhaging cash long ago. Sadly for them that didn't happen and they're now a shadow of the side that lost out in a playoff to stay in the Premier only 3 years ago, and are reduced to taking players on loan from Queen's Park to fill jerseys. Still, the chance to stuff the media darlings and according to Jim White, 'Everyones second favourite team' was just too good to miss.
 
And so the scene was set. A sunny day in Glasgow, over 2000 travelling Ayr fans and three times that number backing Thistle. Ayr required only a draw, Thistle needed all three points. The pitch resembled a bad haircut, but given that it was only cut twice in the previous few months, and the last time was in the rain with a garden lawnmower, it wasn't too bad. The organisation was however. The Jags shambolic state was mirrored by the turnstile operation and stewarding. 14 buses disgorged Ayr fans half a mile from the stadium and as we approached the ground, the queue to get in snaked 400 yards up the hill. The turnstiles weren't even open. It's hard to believe they didn't anticipate a big support, so why wasn't someone organising more turnstile operators ? Eventually the gates opened and the usual motley collection of stewards huffed and puffed out their chests, demanding we keep away from the centre stand area where Thistle dignitaries were to be housed.

At 2:30, the singing started. All the old favourites, and a few more mocking the home side's predicament. After all, would you expect Thistle fans to shed a tear for Ayr? The tension built as the ground filled up. Ayr took both sides of the main stand and Thistle followers crammed into the plush new stand opposite, a glaring reminder of where a lot of cash went. A tannoy announcement at 2:55 warned of a ten minute delay to kick-off to let fans in. As I looked around the faces of the support, there was a lot of anxiety masked by vocal bravado. The tension was unbearable.

The players took the field to rapturous applause from around the stadium. Thistle ran on with a strange mascot among their number. Looking like a cross between Gary Paterson and Bertie Bassett, the Ayr fans taunted the unfortunate soul with cries of 'Charnley, Charnley give us a wave' - a cruel reference to the absence of their 'flawed genius' (sic). Ayr's players responded to the huge travelling support and about that point I felt it was going to be our day. The players looked focused, purposeful and determined, all the things you would ask for.

The referee called the captains together and battle commenced about 3:15. Barely 2 minutes had elapsed when Ayr had their first attempt at goal. A quick throw sent Ferguson behind the defence on the right and he shot just wide of the far post from an acute angle.

Thistle rallied and Lawrence saw his shot from 10 yards blocked by Castilla's legs before Shepherd mopped up McDonald's follow-up.

Darren Henderson fell foul of the erratic referee when he was awarded a 15th minute caution for dissent, having chased the official to complain at not being awarded 2 fouls in the space of 30 seconds. Seconds later, Ian Ferguson laid the ball off to Henderson who set up Findlay and his shot from 25 yards was touched over by Hamilton.

Lyons was cautioned for the home side for barging Millen to the ground as the skipper broke from defence with the ball but within a minute Ayr had the lead. Just like Thistle's season, the goal was a farce. Castilla's long kick caught Donowa offside and the ball was stopped by Watson inside the centre-circle. He tried to play it quickly to Boyle but Ferguson reacted faster and intercepted the pass before running 50 yards, rounding the bemused Hamilton and placing the ball in the empty net. Mayhem broke out on the touchline as the Ayr bench celebrated and the Thistle bench chased the linesman to complain that Ferguson wasn't 10 yards away. TV replays showed that Ferguson was about 6 yards away when Watson played the ball toward Boyle, so they may have a case, but let's face it, Ayr have had no luck at all this season and we were due a break of some sort. The fans were deliriously happy and once more, outsang a dejected home support.
Billy McDonald, who, depending on your allegiances, is either a powerhouse midfielder or an annoying wee nyaff with all the footballing skills of a sheepdog, was next into the book as he snapped too often at the heels of Ayr's midfielders.

Castilla made an excellent stop in the 35th minute, diving low to stop an effort from Evans, but the alarm bells should have been ringing to waken Ayr from their customary first half slumbers. Yes, once again, they nodded off and had it not been for the outstanding figure of John Traynor, Thistle could have been on level terms. As it was, almost 48 minutes were on the clock when they did just that. A cross from the right was partially cleared by Traynor, but quickly returned by Lyons. It took a deflection off Millen and spun up for Evans to head beyond Castilla with the aid of the right hand post. A terrible time to lose a goal and it livened up the home support to the point where several were rugby tackled by police as they attempted to invade the pitch.
Things looked brighter for Ayr at the start of the second half. Shepherd robbed Stirling wide on the right and broke into the box, but his pass intended for Ferguson was cut out by the impressive Archibald.

With 52 minutes on the clock, the fans got their wish as Djaffo entered the fray in favour of Donowa. Anyone who doubted the Frenchman's credentials or appetite for the game had those thoughts dispelled very quickly as he proceeded to turn in a virtuoso performance. Four minutes after coming on, he scored perhaps the most important goal of his career. Collecting a neat pass from Shepherd at the edge of the box, he turned his marker and shot in one movement, sending a searing left-foot effort past the despairing lunge of Hamilton. Utter bedlam ensued. The whole contents of the Ayr bench emptied onto the pitch as the linesman struggled to cope and the fans reached new heights of delirium in the stand. Futile attempts by stewards and police to have the fans return to their seats ended when 3 or 4 people were ejected, guilty only of enjoying themselves.
A minute later, Billy Findlay embarked on a mazy dribble before shooting over the bar, but he was only finding his range for later on. Thistle threw everything they could into attack as they sought the two goals they required for safety. In truth, they had little to offer and Ayr's outstanding rearguard coped admirably with everything that came at them.

Around the hour mark, two more chances fell Ayr's way. They were turning on the style with some inch-perfect passing and one such pass from Djaffo released Shepherd down the right. He sent the ball into the box to Ferguson but Hamilton did well to hold the striker's effort.  Djaffo himself was next to try his luck and after dribbling past a couple and running clear, he shot wide of Hamilton's far post with a left-foot drive.  The same combination of Djaffo sending Shepherd down the right to cross for Ferguson almost brought a third goal as the striker laid it back to the loan star to shoot just over.

It was all Ayr now and as the minutes ticked away, the uneasy feeling that it was too late for Thistle descended on some of their fairweather fans. They began to drift off , starting as a trickle of ones and twos, quickly growing to a river of orange and yellow, they poured out of their seats, unable to watch as their team slipped into the oblivion of Division 2. In stark contrast, Ayr's followers were in full voice and some rather unkind songs suggesting that Partick weren't very good and hadn't any money were being belted out from the main stand.

With 20 minutes remaining Ferguson should have delivered the final nail in their coffin. Archibald was penalised for handball outside the box and with everyone expecting Henderson to have a shot, the ball was played to Shepherd, who squared it to Fergie 7 yards out. Sadly, his effort flew high over the bar, but I'm sure it bounced off the surface onto his shin at the vital moment.

The final 10 minutes belonged to Billy Findlay. Many people doubted his fitness when he arrived, but he has quickly settled into the defensive midfield role and links very well with John Davies. Saturday was his best game in an Ayr jersey. As legs tired and strength was sapped in the heat, he seemed to be getting faster. He chased, harried and chipped away at the Partick defence, never letting them settle on the ball, always on hand to play or receive a pass. Having sent Djaffo clear and Henderson in on goal, he decided to have a go himself. In injury time, he collected a loose ball in his own half and set off on a run which was to end in a contender for goal of the season. Striding forward from the halfway line, Partick backed off him and he faced no resistance until the edge of the box. He cut inside onto his right foot and lost Watson in the move. Next he mesmerised Nicky Henderson with a bit of trickery before making space and from 22 yards, he flashed a right foot shot high into Hamilton's top left corner. Once again, the fans were in raptures, only this time, we knew we were safe. Findlay milked the applause of the faithful whilst dotted around the turf were the crumpled figures of Thistle players. There was barely enough time to restart the game before the ref sounded the final whistle and the real celebrations began. Each and every player walked along the lines of fans, collecting scarves, flags and hats and it really makes you wonder what we would do if we actually won something worth celebrating. Several minutes after they had gone into the dressing room, some of the players reappeared after chants of 'We want Ayr'. Only 3 or 4 made it out this time as for some reason, the stewards wouldn't let the rest back on. However, I'm sure they would have acted the same had Thistle won....

So there it is, a bit of an epic, and I apologise if the actual match content is a little thin. At times my recording of the match became rambled and incoherent. Other times, it was drowned out by some damn fine singing. Ahh, who cares ? "We're staying up, we're staying up, we're staying, Ayr are staying up!"

Team: Castilla, Shepherd, Miller, Millen, Traynor, Anderson, Donowa (Djaffo 52), Davies, Ferguson, Findlay, Henderson Unused subs Duthie, McKeown

Ref: Graham Allison (6/10 - after a poor start, he did let the game flow more later on. Probably his best performance actually. (I'm feeling generous !)  


Att: 8424


(With thanks to Kevin McLelland. I haven't asking him to use his videos and match report but I'm sure he wouldn't mind!)

A welcome return as underdogs

Eagle-eyed observers, glass-half-empty miserablists and the negative moaning bastard types you often find at Somerset Park may suggest that, after a promising start, this blog has somewhat died on its arse (look, it doesn’t owe you anything, its just some ramblings about Ayr United on the internet). After Ayr United crashed out of the Ramsdens Cup to Third Division Annan on Sunday lets hope the side’s fortunes on the pitch don’t follow in a similar vein as we gear up for a trip up the coast to Cappielow.

A word first on the win against Raith Rovers which earned United their first win of the league campaign, following on from credible draws with Falkirk and Dundee and a decent performance on the opening day against Hamilton. Ayr went into the game on the back of a well deserved win over Inverness and with the knowledge they had put Raith Rovers out of the Ramsdens Cup. Rovers themselves had been lambasted by a 'livid' and 'raging' John McGlynn for their 3-0 Cup defeat at the hands of Airdrie United: "abysmal" and  "absolutely disgraceful" said last season's PFA Scotland Manager of the Year.

Of he was looking for a response, he didn't get one.  Not until Mat Northcroft sent of Rovers youngster Ross Callachan for a challenge on Mark Roberts that initially looked innocuous from the North Terracing but on review was a video nasty.  Callachan's mother asked me before the game if she would get in for free because her son was playing and if she could pay by card at the turnstyles. It seems that particular family have got a lot to learn.

Rovers were surprisingly rank rotten in the first half-an-hour of the game but in truth, Ayr didn’t quite reach their best. Raith did what Raith do, and when down to 10 men they were even more effective.  The long ball up to the busy Baird remained a threat and McGlynn stuck with two-up front, limiting the ability of Ayr's full-backs to be released forward, although Malone became increasingly influential as Ayr went in search of a goal.  Ayr's first goal came from that man Michael McGowan.  Michael Moffat's best work may not come at left wing, but he does add a goal threat and it was him that stole in to hit home a McGowan cross. 

Raith equalised shortly after going down to ten men, with a neat passing move you don't normally associate with McGlynn's 'kick and rush' merchants. The goalscorer was Joe Hamill, a player who impressed me at Livingston last season and a shrewd acquisition by Raith in the summer.  The remainder of the game was typified by long balls and time wasting from the visitors and tiredness and anxiety from the home team.  Eventually, though, the goal came and it was Ross Robertson with a perfect header past McGurn. This is exactly the cameo role Rosco can play for us this season - he night lack finesse but the lad is a danger and it was excellent to see Ayr get the win that their start to the season - if not their performance on the afternoon - deserved.

Then came Annan on weekend to forget from football fans with sympathies for both the national team and Ayr United.  Brain Reid has never taken this competition particularly seriously and maybe got a bit too complacent with his team selection for this one, influenced no doubt by the success his 'B' team had against Raith in the previous round.  Ayr lost it in the midfield and up front, where Reid changed all six.  Trouten - returning from injury was well off the pace; Ross Robertson showed a lack of composure and game intelligence; and Tiffoney? Oh dear. He had a shocker. There's is a blog piece in its own on alarming regression his performances have shown of late. Poor Ryan Connolly won't have known what hit him in a difficult game to judge the on loan Irishman. 

Upfront, only Brian Reid knows what he was hoping to achieve by playing Alex Burke off Roddy Paterson. Its hard to imagine the No. 10 jersey being filled by someone less mobile that Mark Roberts but Burke managed it and then some. The former Kilmarnock winger walked straight down the tunnel after being substituted on 54 minutes. We can only hope he kept on walking never to be seen again. It was unfair on Paterson, a natural born goalscorer if ever I've seen one. Yes, his numerous mistimed runs frustrated, but Roddy himself has cut a frustrated, scowling figure in recent weeks. One can only hope Reid knows what he is doing with his man management of this potential hitman.   

In the end Ayr - and Brian Reid - got what they deserved and we can only hope lessons are learned.       

With that forgotten - nobody seemed too upset at crashing out the Ramsdens Cup - it's along the Clyde coast tomorrow for a game that could see United stretch their unbeaten league run to four games. 

Ayr should have their strongest (on paper) defence of the season available, with Duff at right back – he’s been offered a contract so I’d expect him at least to feature as a trialist again – Malone at left back and Robertson and Campbell in the middle. This means no place for the vastly improved Chris Smith. He’s no longer the bombscare many opposition fans seem to remember him as but at the same time, MacDonald and Jackson could get the better of him. That would give us a solid, experienced back line that will be difficult to break down. If Di Giacomo is deployed on the right his head-to-head with Malone could be entertaining.

If we’re to get anything from the game it will on the counter attack, and down the flanks. McGowan is the danger man, bringing in Connolly allows him to play on the right where he has been most dangerous. Those two are going to have to do a job defensively, however, especially if Morton play narrow as the inexperienced Geggan and McKernan, although hardworking, could be swamped. Away from home there is no place for Roberts in the starting line-up, in my opinion. That was evidenced at Dundee, where he neither linked up with Wardlaw leading the line or contributed much to the midfield in a deeper role. Moffat is a much better option to play off Wardlaw. 

Morton are much fancied this season, and certainly carry a confident (if not down right delusional and arrogant) support, and with the attacking players they posses will be a tough, tough test tomorrow.  It should be an attractive, entertaining game but if Ayr's experienced back four can keep it tight there is no reason why we can't add to our points tally this season.  After the expectation of getting the win against 10 men Raith, and  a Ramsdens Cup semi-final at the hands of Third Division Annan, Ayr go into the game as underdogs (3/1 underdogs) - a position that has suited them so far this season.