The Official Airdrieonians Thread - 2019/20 and beyond

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

That's the kicker for me, a squad of 25 with about 8 of those who really don't have much of a chance (or won't get 1) at first team action.
I'd rather have used they 8 wages to upgrade 2 or 3 of the first 11 and run with a squad of 18-19

Missing out on Callum Smith was really disappointing but hard to argue with him choosing to play in the Premiership. Missing out on Andy Ryan didn't bother me too much at the time because he wasn't that great when he arrived in January and we still had time to get someone else in. A few months later and Gallagher and Roy are injured (although Gal's is probably minor) and the only new striker in is a young (decent but young) lad on loan from Killie. Given our current circumstances it seems criminal to have missed out on Ryan.

[Eric the half a b]

Long way to go and only my opinion unless the manager and Miller have a good plan b when it come to facing Cove Thistle or Falkirk  we will continue  with the hard to beat approach with too many centre half's in the team. With the cup games it may not matter that much but its the way not only do we never look like causing a shock we keep loosing to teams like Edinburgh. 

We dont have the big front man to play up front alone the type forward we have is best when there is link up from the midfield not long high 50 yard crosses. 

Still always hope in the heart

[Diamond72]

Not to bang on about this but we seem to have decent competition for places in most areas of the park but the forward line is the weak link. Take Gallagher out as we have just now and the main strike force consists of Roy, Carrick and an inexperienced 18 year old.. I am an admirer of Carrick for what he brings to the side but can you imagine any of the top teams in our division relying on them as their main strike force. Cup or league the situation remains the same.......wouldn't be so bad if our team of center halfs were scoring regularly.

[Diamonds are Forever]

I'm not that bothered about not progressing in the cup, but I think that misses the point. As an indicator of how this season will go it was not very encouraging. We had 2 sides in the league below us (probably mid-table standard League 2 sides), a lower end Championship side (of a standard that we would likely have to beat in the play-offs should we get there) and a Premiership side. Picking up 3 points from that is rubbish. A promotion seeking side should have been looking to get at least a draw at home to Alloa and beating the League 2 sides. If you add in the 4 league games we have won 3 and lost 5 of our competitive games, all against sides we should be looking to beat (Livingston excepted). Not saying we should have beaten them all by any means but losing that many is concerning.

It's not like we are in late July having completed these cup games like we usually would be, we 'only' have 23 league games left. It's also not as if we have a brand new squad like a lot of teams have where they need time to gel, the team that started the Dumbarton match had 10 players which played last season. And even the excuse that it might take the new guys time to bed in doesn't really wash when Sabatini and Robert have arguably been 2 of our best players.

Like last season, our issue is going to be that when we go behind we struggle to break teams down. In addition, we do have a very young team. When we take the lead and our tails are up I can see us handing out a few drubbings like the Clyde game. But equally, when we go behind early I can see us losing composure and not knowing how to break teams down. To me that is where Murray is going to have to prove himself this season, we must be able to get ourselves back into games when we go behind and teams sit-in. I'm not one to call for Murray to go and think it is pointless to do so at this stage anyway, but that is the main improvement we need to see this season.

[Passionate]

I see that our Director of Football has reprimanded young Thomas Robert in the press for daring to celebrate his first ever goal in senior football, his great strike to give us the lead against livvy, alright he took his top off and was booked,  surely we have to let players express themselves on the pitch and they have the right to celebrate ,

He is a maverick player and could be a pleasure to watch this season .(if only)

We have enough micro managing and control in our daily lives courtesy of the Scottish government,   I think it is unfair on football players to be controlled in this fashion....

Take the passion out the player and the the players performance suffers also......

 

 

[Eric the half a b]

41 minutes ago, Passionate said:

I see that our Director of Football has reprimanded young Thomas Robert in the press for daring to celebrate his first ever goal in senior football, his great strike to give us the lead against livvy, alright he took his top off and was booked,  surely we have to let players express themselves on the pitch and they have the right to celebrate ,

He is a maverick player and could be a pleasure to watch this season .(if only)

We have enough micro managing and control in our daily lives courtesy of the Scottish government,   I think it is unfair on football players to be controlled in this fashion....

Take the passion out the player and the the players performance suffers also......

 

 

Few words come to mind with the DOF wont say them after last season tried to take the fun out of moaning from the fans would fit him better to analyse his own underachieving performance imo

[Jack Reed]

1 hour ago, Eric the half a b said:

Few words come to mind with the DOF wont say them after last season tried to take the fun out of moaning from the fans would fit him better to analyse his own underachieving performance imo

Aye, hope Robert has to take his shirt off a good few times, if it means we have scored, 

[AJ77]

12 hours ago, Passionate said:

I see that our Director of Football has reprimanded young Thomas Robert in the press for daring to celebrate his first ever goal in senior football, his great strike to give us the lead against livvy, alright he took his top off and was booked,  surely we have to let players express themselves on the pitch and they have the right to celebrate ,

He is a maverick player and could be a pleasure to watch this season .(if only)

We have enough micro managing and control in our daily lives courtesy of the Scottish government,   I think it is unfair on football players to be controlled in this fashion....

Take the passion out the player and the the players performance suffers also......

 

 

I understand how excited the boy would be scoring his first goal, but to take his top of in a closed doors league cup match that means nothing is slightly embarrasing imo. Don't think there's a need for SM to come out to the press and slate the boy for doing it right enough.

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

I understand how excited the boy would be scoring his first goal, but to take his top of in a closed doors league cup match that means nothing is slightly embarrasing imo. Don't think there's a need for SM to come out to the press and slate the boy for doing it right enough.

The taking off his shirt doesn't bother me much and it made me chuckle when I seen him do it, but it's a very silly and easily avoidable booking for a player to get. Thomas would have been about 3 or 4 when they brought the booking rule in too so he's grown up with the rule and knew he'd get booked. Means if he's in a position where he should probably trip a player breaking away later in the game he can't do it without getting sent off. Happy to give him the benefit of the doubt this time and just let him enjoy his first senior goal but if he was to do it regularly I'd be a bit annoyed (although to do it regularly he'd need to score regularly, so maybe that would be quite good actually)

[ThroughtheTurnstiles]

Preview of this weekend's game in this weeks episode - (games are timestamped in the description). You can also find us on Spotify. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4UueTVft2s

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

Would like to see us go with this team for tomorrow

Currie

MacDonald Crighton Fordyce McCann
Kerr Sabatini
Robert Stokes Carrick
Gallagher

Just a couple of changes from the Clyde game. I don't see the point in playing McKay over MacDonald at right back since MacDonald offers a lot more going forward and I think Kerr and Sabatini is definitely our best midfield pairing so he misses out there too. I'd like to see Stokes come in and get a decent go in his favoured position and I think Connell could be the one to make way for him.

[G_H]

24 minutes ago, ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds said:

Would like to see us go with this team for tomorrow

Currie

MacDonald Crighton Fordyce McCann
Kerr Sabatini
Robert Stokes Carrick
Gallagher

Just a couple of changes from the Clyde game. I don't see the point in playing McKay over MacDonald at right back since MacDonald offers a lot more going forward and I think Kerr and Sabatini is definitely our best midfield pairing so he misses out there too. I'd like to see Stokes come in and get a decent go in his favoured position and I think Connell could be the one to make way for him.

You know McKay is going to play though

[++Ammo - Airdrie++]

1 hour ago, G_H said:

You know McKay is going to play though

That sadly looks as though it's set in stone.  It's a real bugbear as well, every one of us unqualified amateur football managers can see it, and you just wonder if there is something in place coming from up above that days he must play.

frustrating to say the least, but if he doesn't start producing and ultimately it's detrimental to the teams results, there's only one man's job it will cost.

[Chapelhall chap]

Signed on to Forfar TV so I expect Paul McKay will play where some folk have gone for Stokes. Whether that pleases me or not does not matter, it's Murrays choice to make, and I don't think he ever shows regret.  I have gone for a win but nerves are always there. In last seasons game we were terrible in the first half but were excellent in 2nd half when Big Nat got injured! 

[airdrieman]

9 minutes ago, Chapelhall chap said:

Signed on to Forfar TV so I expect Paul McKay will play where some folk have gone for Stokes. Whether that pleases me or not does not matter, it's Murrays choice to make, and I don't think he ever shows regret.  I have gone for a win but nerves are always there. In last seasons game we were terrible in the first half but were excellent in 2nd half when Big Nat got injured! 

That was also, whether deliberately or accidentally, after Wedderburn went off, Murray finally found upon our best team and our run of form started. Perhaps the same will happen tomorrow? 

Edited November 20, 2020 by airdrieman

[Chapelhall chap]

1 minute ago, airdrieman said:

That was also, whether deliberately or accidentally, Murray finally found upon our best team and our run of form started. Perhaps the same will happen tomorrow? 

It was almost certainly accidental as he sent him back out after a dreadful first half when he looked injured anyway. I agree it would be good if he can find a consistent team . Hope springs eternal. Cheers.

[Eric the half a b]

4 minutes ago, Chapelhall chap said:

Signed on to Forfar TV so I expect Paul McKay will play where some folk have gone for Stokes. Whether that pleases me or not does not matter, it's Murrays choice to make, and I don't think he ever shows regret.  I have gone for a win but nerves are always there. In last seasons game we were terrible in the first half but were excellent in 2nd half when Big Nat got injured! 

Pulled up in a sprint.  Like a trip to Forfar. Would like to see a more attacking minded selection though more realisticly be more hard to beat than ball to feet with a big long throw ....as we all know. 

2 0 the diamonds

[Jack Reed]

5 hours ago, G_H said:

You know McKay is going to play though

Think you are right, stokes will be  the bench, 

[Diamond10]

Feels like a must win for us imo - Very much like the Clyde game did. Hope we can put aside the two cup games. As has been mentioned the first goal is crucial. Hope we give stokes a go over one of the defensive midfielders. Is there any ideas when ally Roy will return to the fold ? 

[airdrieman]

6 minutes ago, Eric the half a b said:

Pulled up in a sprint.  Like a trip to Forfar. Would like to see a more attacking minded selection though more realisticly be more hard to beat than ball to feet with a big long throw ....as we all know. 

2 0 the diamonds

Steady on now.