Airdrieonians Off Season Thread 2016

[Airdrie76 461]

47 minutes ago, waysider said:

I have asked but if they know they aren't telling. One said a possibility was the stadium company but I formed the view that this was a guess.

Thanks

[Diamond Oracle 724]

IF he does perform the miracle you cant really say no.  He's a young manager and he'd be showing signs he'd learned and improved.   

Last night's display highlighted to me 5 players that would need to be replaced if we do go up, and MW's staff would also need upgraded.

For championship level - Definitely out:   Boateng, Brown.  

Benched - McDonald, Russell, Mensing, Hutton, Leitch, Fitz.

Min required:  Goalie, centre half, ballwinner centre mid, left back, 2 wingers cum strikers.

Youd need a good goalie who can compete for a place at least or improve on rohan.    

We need a centre half of Gasparotto's quality.   Good in air, organiser and pace.    Mensing will be 35 and struggled with L1.   

Ballwinner would need to be at least Ross Docherty/Marvin Wilson level. 

Left back is a black hole.   McDonald is athletic but poor defensively and not making good use of the ball in attack.

2 wingers need to be able to take men on.   Russell is 35/36 next season he's already regressing and wont last the pace.  Brown is mid table L1 at best.   If we go up we need to scare teams with a counter threat.   Ryan is well suited to lone frontman role.

Theoretically we could find a better RB option and play Stewart higher up.
 

I generally agree with you here.

We definitely need another goalie. Whether that's an older coach/ back up like Jamie Langfield/ Craig Samson/ David McGurn or a straight first choice keeper like Alan Martin/ Ross Stewart. Not sure we'd be able to afford a first choice keeper though.

I would say we need another two centre halfs. While I would love a Gasparotto type player I doubt we would manage that. I'd be quite happy with Sean Crighton/ Gregor Buchanan/ Craig Barr/ Jonathan Page kind of quality after the season we've had.

I fear that we'll re-sign Hutton at the end of the season to play the holding midfield role, however I feel we can do better. Having both him and Fitzpatrick in the squad would be the best use of our budget either. I would like to see us sign Stuart Carswell, currently at Dumbarton. Stewart could even play there if required.

In terms of LB, we have McDonald and Gorman who can play there so unless we can get somebody far superior a la Calum Waters/ Liam Dick/ Joe Chalmers I can't see us being able to afford to improve left back.

I would keep Brown too. I reckon if he could learn to get stuck in, header a ball and bulk up a bit he could be Premiership quality. His utter shitebaggery has frustrated the hell out of me this season but I reckon he's done enough to justify keeping. Hopefully Murray Louden progresses next season too as he's looked superb in his cameos. In terms of signings though, Futardo at Stenny, Hilson just released by QoS and Bobby Barr at Raith are all players that would improve us.

At RB, I think McIntosh could develop into a good full back. I don't think he's physical enough just now to play CB (certainly not in a back 4.)

We'll have big isssues if we lose Andy Ryan. Don't even know who we could get to replace him. Maybe Eamonn Brophy? Lewis Vaughan? Who knows.

If you've made it to the end of my ramblings I salute you.

[Old Diamond 660]

Given the big improvement in performance on Wednesday evening, could there have been a large bonus offered by someone about to take charge?

[Mybitchunderprotest 679]

Just in case anyone has forgotten, we've won a game of football 1 nil and have a minimum of 1 further game to play. Given how up and down our season has been maybe we can leave the fantasy championship signings until we've actually achieved something.

[el Gringo 1,189]

[Mybitchunderprotest 679]

I was as pleased as the next man as I walked out the stadium on Wednesday night just prefer to not get ahead of myself. Pessimism isn't just my middle name, it's in my blood. Besides, seen enough of this type of premature celebratory shit coming back to bite folk on the arse over the years.

[el Gringo 1,189]

Ken whit yer saying. It's always glorious failure... or just failure. Before we scored last night, I kept thinking of the playoff against Ayr. We played them off the park at home, but just couldn't put the ball in the net. Went to Somerset thinking we'd probably blown our chance, and cuffed them 3-0.

[Diamond Oracle 724]

maybe we can leave the fantasy championship signings until we've actually achieved something.

Are we not allowed to enjoy these two days of bliss before we return to doom and gloom after another glorious failure on Saturday?

[Kennboy1978 1,005]

Looks like the rumours of Wotherspoon already walking may be off the mark ?

For now anyway.

[Diamond Oracle 724]

Looks like the rumours of Wotherspoon already walking may be off the mark ?

For now anyway.

Saw this

There's no chance that's got anything to do with the Whitecaps scarf. It's a "I'm still here" statement.

[Kennboy1978 1,005]

Saw this

There's no chance that's got anything to do with the Whitecaps scarf. It's a "I'm still here" statement.

I always thought gifts between clubs came in the form of a pennant. The world's gone mad.

[She who dares gins 370]

Saw this

There's no chance that's got anything to do with the Whitecaps scarf. It's a "I'm still here" statement.

It did seem a bit bizarre - probably reading something into nothing . Wouldn't be the first time.

[stuartcraig 629]

2 hours ago, Kennboy1978 said:

I always thought gifts between clubs came in the form of a pennant. The world's gone mad.

On an unrelated note, I bought this (badge no. 2) from a Vancouver shop back in '98.  I checked back last summer and they still have some in stock.

The woman who sold me it was from Broxburn.  She also sold Irn Bru.

 

[Evil Jim Fenner 241]

39 minutes ago, stuartcraig said:

On an unrelated note, I bought this (badge no. 2) from a Vancouver shop back in '98.  I checked back last summer and they still have some in stock.

The woman who sold me it was from Broxburn.  She also sold Irn Bru.

 

Also available from the Bon Bon and the Supporters Trust stall on matchdays.

[Tulloch Gorum 1,127]

Close-season Kremlinology is like Christmas decorations in shops - it starts earlier every year!

[DestroyedByMadness 1,375]

Wotherspoon posed for the foto to prove that the Ballantynes didn't eat him.

 

[Mybitchunderprotest 679]

Are we not allowed to enjoy these two days of bliss before we return to doom and gloom after another glorious failure on Saturday?

No. There can be no enjoyment. Enjoyment has been expressly forbidden.

[Diamond Oracle 724]

No. There can be no enjoyment. Enjoyment has been expressly forbidden.

That explains a lot

[Airdrie76 461]

Can't be arsed talking about the game but wanted to say that Rohan Ferguson was outstanding today. Some of the muppets on here need to have a word with themselves. Thrown in at the deep end with little support. If the club was run properly we'd have had a back up to come in and give him a rest. Instead we played a kid to the point his confidence was shattered almost beyond repair. By all means criticise his mistakes but to come out with he has no ability what so ever and some of the other sh1te was nothing short of ridiculous. 

[carlukediamond 51]

Can't be arsed talking about the game but wanted to say that Rohan Ferguson was outstanding today. Some of the muppets on here need to have a word with themselves. Thrown in at the deep end with little support. If the club was run properly we'd have had a back up to come in and give him a rest. Instead we played a kid to the point his confidence was shattered almost beyond repair. By all means criticise his mistakes but to come out with he has no ability what so ever and some of the other sh1te was nothing short of ridiculous. 

There is definitely a very talented keeper in there somewhere, the club should have had adequate cover for him.