Ayr United (H) 21st Dec

[JamesMcClean]

And so we hit halfway on Saturday. Before we played ICT at home on the first day of the season if someone had said we would be 13 points clear at the top we’d have said they were at it. After Palmerston if someone had said we’d be 13 clear you’d have been sending for the men in white coats. What a start and what a turnaround after the QOS debacle. Credit to all at the Club from the very top to the very bottom. Everyone is finally working in the same direction toward one common goal and only now is the nightmare of the 2015 January Transfer Window feeling like it’s starting to recede.

Things really obviously started in January and despite the obvious disappointment of the play offs, overall 2019 has been an excellent year, albeit a level below where we should/want/need to be. In hindsight (and I mentioned this at the time in May), not getting up may have proved a slight blessing in disguise as we are in such a better place now for making the step up and will undoubtedly be in a better position to consolidate and progress than had we been promoted back then. The fans are really onside now after the last few months with crowds well up and confidence is a lot higher than if we’d been taking serious doings off both Celtic and The Rangers. So long as it does indeed prove to be just one more year down then it may yet prove to be no bad thing. The Hibs cup tie will give us a good barometer under no particular pressure to gauge where we really are.

But, of course the job is not yet done but after the serious hard graft of atrocious weather and grounds in the last week, we have come away with maximum points again which will have properly pissed off our rivals as I have no doubts they would have been looking at these games as real opportunities to close the gap. Instead it’s now bigger than ever and the chat is already about who will be ‘best of the rest’. That’s up to them though as in contrast there has been no such chat down Tannadice way and it continues as it has been from match number one - take it one game at a time. A few months ago this was setting up to be a pivotal clash of the top two but of course Ayr have faltered latterly and fallen back somewhat. Maybe I’m getting greedy but I’m looking for a bit more of a performance on Saturday as well as three points and I’m certain we’ll get it. Once again our rivals have tricky, potentially points dropping ties, so another win may well really help to push on even more.

Then, and only then, can we look forward to Friday 27th December, a sold out carnage of all-day-on-it Arabs providing the McPake-baiting in what should be an absolute bear pit for the Funsters.

In the meantime, early Merry Christmas to all Arabs everywhere and let’s all hope that 2020 is finally, at last, a Happy New Year for us all!

[USArab]

Great post!

Let’s neither get ahead of ourselves nor complacent about our position.

We’ve had a shocking post Christmas season before now. I’m not suggesting that we will have a bad one, we just need keep focussed on the positives and keep the heid!

[Chick A Saw]

Now that is an opening post!

What do you do with the team though? Do you drop goal scoring Stanton to fit McMullan in, or drop the goal scoring Appere?

Worst thing about Saturday is i miss it!

[BlairBiker]

I think Stanton played well last couple of games , good to see him making runs from midfield like he used to do

[Arabdownsouth]

Am I right in thinking Butcher and Shanks are both one booking away from a suspension? If booked on Saturday would they miss the Derby? I'd rather have them available for that tbh, although one game at a time is what matters overall.

[JamesMcClean]

Am I right in thinking Butcher and Shanks are both one booking away from a suspension? If booked on Saturday would they miss the Derby? I'd rather have them available for that tbh, although one game at a time is what matters overall.

No, it’s six bookings for a suspension and they’re both two off that. Additionally suspension doesn’t kick in until fourteen days after suspension inducing offence has taken place. Barring red cards they’ll be fine.

[Arabdownsouth]

No, it’s six bookings for a suspension and they’re both two off that. Additionally suspension doesn’t kick in until fourteen days after suspension inducing offence has taken place. Barring red cards they’ll be fine.

Cheers for that 👍

[cybershed]

... Barring red cards they’ll be fine.

I wish you hadn't said that.

But, great op - agree with everything you said and was just thinking the other day about the defeat in the play-offs last year maybe not such a bad thing in the long-term. Time will tell. But with still got a lot of work to do yet. As you said, "one game at a time".

Things are great ATM, but it doesn't take much for things to go awry. I can't see that happening under RN to be fair. I think he's really got this covered now. But until it's actually done I ain't taking anything for granted.

[moicher]

I wish you hadn't said that.

But, great op - agree with everything you said and was just thinking the other day about the defeat in the play-offs last year maybe not such a bad thing in the long-term. Time will tell. But with still got a lot of work to do yet. As you said, "one game at a time".

Things are great ATM, but it doesn't take much for things to go awry. I can't see that happening under RN to be fair. I think he's really got this covered now. But until it's actually done I ain't taking anything for granted.

Been thinking this for a while. Better to go up on a roll and with a team riding high and together as unit than scraping through the playoffs with a substandard set up. We will be all the better for this year of consolidation if we can get over the line.

the player believe and we all believe now and that certainly would not have been the case had we went up on penalties last season. Still shyte at penalties though!

[shedka]

Excellent op James, I posted the evening of the playoff about how much we need to look ahead positively and got a little bit of stick but think you replied in agreement, I expected nothing less than us to add to the solid base created in January ready to hit the ground running this season, didn't want to shout it from the rooftops either as no guarantees but the signs were good, it's going better than I thought it could though and all the other things you'd want are there too, an identity, players committing, players improving, surprises like Appere, others who you can build around long term even if your sell one or two

As for Saturday, Ayr are a team that have won at some difficult venues this season but if we turn up then we will have too much I feel, can see both teams scoring and a win for us to make it 9/9 at the home so far