The Official Airdrieonians Thread - 2019/20 and beyond

[Jack Reed]

1 hour ago, G_H said:

Was just looking at the squad list and, without naming names, as the list would be too long, I would happily punt about 12-14 players + manager at the moment if I could, and try to get something better.

Aye, and get back to being Airdrieee,, 

[Mr November]

2 hours ago, G_H said:

Was just looking at the squad list and, without naming names, as the list would be too long, I would happily punt about 12-14 players + manager at the moment if I could, and try to get something better.

Yeah there's definitely plenty of players that I'm not fussed about at all. I figured with a few weeks break this seems like a reasonable time to look at the new signings so far and how well they've done:

Max Currie - I think Currie's been pretty solid without ever being spectacular. Some good saves and he's rarely let us down so far, pretty happy with him and for me he's an upgrade on Hutton. 

Harlain Mbayo - He seems like a great guy off the park but what was the point in signing him when we had a settled defence and Kerr or even McKay can cover there when needed? Looked ok in pre-season but was very poor in his one competitive appearance. 

Euan O'Reilly - Hasn't really got going at all. He's quick and works hard but doesn't seem to have much end product. I always know Murray's ran out of ideas when he makes a double/triple sub with O'Reilly coming on. 

Dean Ritchie - Hasn't played too many games but I think he's done ok so far. I don't think he offers anything we didn't already have but he's a decent enough player. I find it a struggle to pick out players at the best of times on Pixellot but I think a player like Ritchie will be even harder to notice. 

Thomas Robert - By far our biggest success. When he's on form he's a joy to watch, though he still has plenty of days like Saturday where he struggles to make an impact on the game. I think that's to be expected in our team, especially for a player in his first season in professional football, but an undoubted success so far. 

Griffin Sabatini - Very hit and miss unfortunately. I mentioned him earlier but he's had a couple of games, particularly the 2-0 defeat to Alloa and the 5-0 win over Clyde, where he's been one of the best players on the park but too many other times he's completely anonymous. I think that's partially down to the way we play, he likes to drop deep and play through teams which doesn't really fit with our defence or team as a whole, but he's not really showed enough overall for me. 

Eoghan Stokes - Probably our worst signing so far for me. Still time for him to change things but he's been anonymous when played in a deeper role and hasn't really contributed anything when further forward. To be fair to him he hasn't had much playing time but when he has he certainly hasn't showed anything to prove he should be starting more often.

Kyle Connell - Still quite raw at times but he's popped up with a few goals and I'm really pleased he's here until the end of the season. Gallagher and Roy haven't really got going yet for different reasons so Connell's been our best forward so far. 

Overall that's not too great, is it? For me Robert, Currie and Connell have done well but the others have a lot to prove. I certainly don't think we're much, if at all, worse than last season but it's disappointing that so far we don't seem to have improved at all.

[Chapelhall chap]

35 minutes ago, Mr November said:

Yeah there's definitely plenty of players that I'm not fussed about at all. I figured with a few weeks break this seems like a reasonable time to look at the new signings so far and how well they've done:

Max Currie - I think Currie's been pretty solid without ever being spectacular. Some good saves and he's rarely let us down so far, pretty happy with him and for me he's an upgrade on Hutton. 

Harlain Mbayo - He seems like a great guy off the park but what was the point in signing him when we had a settled defence and Kerr or even McKay can cover there when needed? Looked ok in pre-season but was very poor in his one competitive appearance. 

Euan O'Reilly - Hasn't really got going at all. He's quick and works hard but doesn't seem to have much end product. I always know Murray's ran out of ideas when he makes a double/triple sub with O'Reilly coming on. 

Dean Ritchie - Hasn't played too many games but I think he's done ok so far. I don't think he offers anything we didn't already have but he's a decent enough player. I find it a struggle to pick out players at the best of times on Pixellot but I think a player like Ritchie will be even harder to notice. 

Thomas Robert - By far our biggest success. When he's on form he's a joy to watch, though he still has plenty of days like Saturday where he struggles to make an impact on the game. I think that's to be expected in our team, especially for a player in his first season in professional football, but an undoubted success so far. 

Griffin Sabatini - Very hit and miss unfortunately. I mentioned him earlier but he's had a couple of games, particularly the 2-0 defeat to Alloa and the 5-0 win over Clyde, where he's been one of the best players on the park but too many other times he's completely anonymous. I think that's partially down to the way we play, he likes to drop deep and play through teams which doesn't really fit with our defence or team as a whole, but he's not really showed enough overall for me. 

Eoghan Stokes - Probably our worst signing so far for me. Still time for him to change things but he's been anonymous when played in a deeper role and hasn't really contributed anything when further forward. To be fair to him he hasn't had much playing time but when he has he certainly hasn't showed anything to prove he should be starting more often.

Kyle Connell - Still quite raw at times but he's popped up with a few goals and I'm really pleased he's here until the end of the season. Gallagher and Roy haven't really got going yet for different reasons so Connell's been our best forward so far. 

Overall that's not too great, is it? For me Robert, Currie and Connell have done well but the others have a lot to prove. I certainly don't think we're much, if at all, worse than last season but it's disappointing that so far we don't seem to have improved at all.

Agree on your final summing up sentence, and general player analysis- and the other one I would not have kept  kept on- Thomson- runs but no end product. It is however the midfield which still lacks the edge needed. As to being a young team I think Edinburgh City might well have been just as young on Saturday. Will just need to rest for the next three weeks ( and maybe longer)

[Diamond10]

For what is worth, and without going into much detail again, I still feel the playing squad has regressed this season from last and we were in a much better position to get promoted when the season was called to now. 
 

I can’t see football returning in 3/4 weeks. Sadly. And to the relevant authorities to let clubs at our level build squads and set up streaming equipment and protocols for a farce of a season this year shows their utter contempt.

 

As for the playing squad I wouldn’t be overly disappointed to lose any of them to be honest. And if offers were to come in from higher levels for Robert or the likes of Leon McCann etc with the prospect of not playing in the near future we should take the money and run imo.

[airdrieman]

I'm still raging about Saturday. I'm no football expert but my rudimentary knowledge and my years of watching the sport have told me that you win games in the middle of the park. If you have a balanced midfield of players who know what their role is and can perform it to a decent standard consistently, you'll win more games than not. For any manager, especially one who spent a large portion of a decent playing career in centre mid, to effectively throw a game away by not playing one recognised centre mid (Josh Kerr doesn't count) is so comically incompetent. Even the youngest of the Airdrie Aces could tell you that. 

I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I agree with @Mr November that Paul McKay is our best central midfielder - and even he's a converted defender. But at least he can carry the ball forward and offer something of a threat and a link between our defence and attack. What made Saturday's defeat all the more galling is that we had two perfectly fine central midfielders sitting on the bench. One who didn't even come on in Ritchie who, while we haven't seen fully what he can offer yet, hasn't put a foot wrong when he's played and is at the very least an actual central midfielder. And Sabatini who, while he has his quiet games. is still probably our most composed midfielder on the ball and is definitely our best midfielder at winning second balls which we so explicitly lacked on Saturday. If Murray had any guts or brains he'd have been on before half-time when it was already more than obvious where the game was going and certainly before the game was already lost. He would still start every week for me TBH. And if you were Sabatini or his parent club you'd be absolutely bealing that Murray is chucking a game away by not playing any centre mids while you're sat twiddling your thumbs on the bench. 

I like Kerr a lot and actually feel a bit sorry for him. I don't think he's playing  badly within himself or his capabilities in that position. He's just playing so obviously out of position and he's doing his best to make the most of it. But he's a centre-half all day long. If we're playing him there to get the most of his ability on the ball it's pointless as he's sitting so deep he's miles away from any attacking player. Which he's either being told to or he's uncomfortable going further forward. In either case you'd be as well just playing him at centre-half. I would rather the club spent time converting him into the Maldini-esque ball-playing centre-half they thought he was last season than the Pirlo-esque midfielder they think he is this season. Having a Kerr comfortable on the ball at centre-half, passing to a deep Sabatini who plays it forward to any of McKay/Ritchie/Robert/Carrick could actually be an effective spine to the team and way of playing. A shame that Murray still hasn't worked that out or indeed what his best team or system is at all. 

I do appreciate that it's a young team and with that can come a certain amount of inconsistency. But the inconsistency, and the nature of practically every defeat, especially at home, are the only things that are consistent about Murray's tenure at Airdrie. It's all well and good for him to point that out. But what are you going to do about it? It's the same turgid, pitiful and inept displays every defeat and they're characterised by a changing team selection, formation and bizarre and/or desperate substitutions. You could write the script for it. In fact. they'd have been as well scratching the game on Saturday and just replaying the League Cup game and saving us all the bother. 

And besides, how are players like MacDonald, McKay, Kerr, Sabatini and Ritchie ever going to get consistent if one week they're out the team, the next week they're back in, the next week they're playing out of position and then they're out the team again?  I was harsh on my assessment of Stokes and, while I still stand by that, I had no idea what position he was meant to be playing on Saturday or what his best position actually is. And the worst thing is neither does Murray. Including the friendlies I think he's played in a different position every game and even then it seems to be loosely defined as anywhere between midfield or attack. What a waste of time for everyone. Carrick and Robert too I'm never entirely sure what position they are meant to be playing and while they're both good enough for a bit of a free role, you need players behind you who know their position and their role which there almost never is. It's always unclear, at least to me, who's meant to be doing what in the midfield. Who's a #6? Who's playing deep and what's their role? Who's meant to be going box-box? Who's linking the defence with attack? Which generally means whichever combination of Kerr/McKay/Sabatini/Ritchie you have, they're all vaguely doing the same thing in and around the same part of the pitch. It's no wonder Gallagher has struggled for form this season and the team as a whole struggles for any sort of consistency. 

Despite all that I am gutted about the suspension of the season and it's a shame that our lasting memory for at least three weeks will be of that defeat on Saturday. Here's hoping everyone stays safe and we'll get some football again soon. 

[airdrieman]

On 10/01/2021 at 14:59, Mr November said:

I make that the 10th time we’ve lost a home game 1-0 under Ian Murray (Stenhousemuir x2, Forfar, Arbroath, Brechin, Raith Rovers x2, Montrose, Edinburgh City x2), as well as four other games we’ve lost at home without scoring (Forfar, Elgin, Alloa, Dumbarton). It’s really frustrating that the same issues keeping happening over and over again and Murray seems unable to fix it.

I was actually going to look that up myself so thanks for doing that. New Broomfield must be one of the easiest grounds for away teams to win at. You could have a swally on the bus before the game and as long as everyone remembered what position they're playing you'd still comfortably beat us. In fact, even thee 'Swally would beat Airdrie at New Broomfield. 

I make it that we've won 2/8 home games this season (Peterhead and Clyde). That is dismal and definitely sacking form. God knows how low the crowds would be this season with that sort of form or indeed how low the number of buys/streams have been. 

16 hours ago, Mr November said:

Yeah there's definitely plenty of players that I'm not fussed about at all. I figured with a few weeks break this seems like a reasonable time to look at the new signings so far and how well they've done:

Max Currie - I think Currie's been pretty solid without ever being spectacular. Some good saves and he's rarely let us down so far, pretty happy with him and for me he's an upgrade on Hutton. 

Harlain Mbayo - He seems like a great guy off the park but what was the point in signing him when we had a settled defence and Kerr or even McKay can cover there when needed? Looked ok in pre-season but was very poor in his one competitive appearance. 

Euan O'Reilly - Hasn't really got going at all. He's quick and works hard but doesn't seem to have much end product. I always know Murray's ran out of ideas when he makes a double/triple sub with O'Reilly coming on. 

Dean Ritchie - Hasn't played too many games but I think he's done ok so far. I don't think he offers anything we didn't already have but he's a decent enough player. I find it a struggle to pick out players at the best of times on Pixellot but I think a player like Ritchie will be even harder to notice. 

Thomas Robert - By far our biggest success. When he's on form he's a joy to watch, though he still has plenty of days like Saturday where he struggles to make an impact on the game. I think that's to be expected in our team, especially for a player in his first season in professional football, but an undoubted success so far. 

Griffin Sabatini - Very hit and miss unfortunately. I mentioned him earlier but he's had a couple of games, particularly the 2-0 defeat to Alloa and the 5-0 win over Clyde, where he's been one of the best players on the park but too many other times he's completely anonymous. I think that's partially down to the way we play, he likes to drop deep and play through teams which doesn't really fit with our defence or team as a whole, but he's not really showed enough overall for me. 

Eoghan Stokes - Probably our worst signing so far for me. Still time for him to change things but he's been anonymous when played in a deeper role and hasn't really contributed anything when further forward. To be fair to him he hasn't had much playing time but when he has he certainly hasn't showed anything to prove he should be starting more often.

Kyle Connell - Still quite raw at times but he's popped up with a few goals and I'm really pleased he's here until the end of the season. Gallagher and Roy haven't really got going yet for different reasons so Connell's been our best forward so far. 

Overall that's not too great, is it? For me Robert, Currie and Connell have done well but the others have a lot to prove. I certainly don't think we're much, if at all, worse than last season but it's disappointing that so far we don't seem to have improved at all.

I was going to do something similar myself and I agree with your assessment of the players. Mbayo is there purely to allow for the Josh Kerr in midfield vanity project. Given that Crighton and Fordyce are virtual ever presents and Kerr is a better centre-half than him (and possibly even a better one than Crighton) it's another signing that has been a waste of time for everyone involved. 

O'Reilly and Thomson are practically the same player. Pacey and tricky but with no end-product. They even came through the same youth system. Pacey and tricky is fine up to a point in League 1 but if you're aiming for promotion you really need better. You could maybe carry one player like that in your squad but two? TBH their signings scream laziness to me. Thomson was already on the books and O'Reilly was here last season so it would have been straightforward to offer them both a deal. I've no idea why Thomson is spoken of so highly by coaching staff. Sure, maybe he's a good trainer but at some point you need to put it together on the park where it matters which Thomson never has. Roy is potentially another re-signing that could have been money better spent elsewhere unless he starts to produce the goods if/when the season resumes.

[Stevo1968]

4 hours ago, airdrieman said:

I'm still raging about Saturday. I'm no football expert but my rudimentary knowledge and my years of watching the sport have told me that you win games in the middle of the park. If you have a balanced midfield of players who know what their role is and can perform it to a decent standard consistently, you'll win more games than not. For any manager, especially one who spent a large portion of a decent playing career in centre mid, to effectively throw a game away by not playing one recognised centre mid (Josh Kerr doesn't count) is so comically incompetent. Even the youngest of the Airdrie Aces could tell you that. 

I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I agree with @Mr November that Paul McKay is our best central midfielder - and even he's a converted defender. But at least he can carry the ball forward and offer something of a threat and a link between our defence and attack. What made Saturday's defeat all the more galling is that we had two perfectly fine central midfielders sitting on the bench. One who didn't even come on in Ritchie who, while we haven't seen fully what he can offer yet, hasn't put a foot wrong when he's played and is at the very least an actual central midfielder. And Sabatini who, while he has his quiet games. is still probably our most composed midfielder on the ball and is definitely our best midfielder at winning second balls which we so explicitly lacked on Saturday. If Murray had any guts or brains he'd have been on before half-time when it was already more than obvious where the game was going and certainly before the game was already lost. He would still start every week for me TBH. And if you were Sabatini or his parent club you'd be absolutely bealing that Murray is chucking a game away by not playing any centre mids while you're sat twiddling your thumbs on the bench. 

I like Kerr a lot and actually feel a bit sorry for him. I don't think he's playing  badly within himself or his capabilities in that position. He's just playing so obviously out of position and he's doing his best to make the most of it. But he's a centre-half all day long. If we're playing him there to get the most of his ability on the ball it's pointless as he's sitting so deep he's miles away from any attacking player. Which he's either being told to or he's uncomfortable going further forward. In either case you'd be as well just playing him at centre-half. I would rather the club spent time converting him into the Maldini-esque ball-playing centre-half they thought he was last season than the Pirlo-esque midfielder they think he is this season. Having a Kerr comfortable on the ball at centre-half, passing to a deep Sabatini who plays it forward to any of McKay/Ritchie/Robert/Carrick could actually be an effective spine to the team and way of playing. A shame that Murray still hasn't worked that out or indeed what his best team or system is at all. 

I do appreciate that it's a young team and with that can come a certain amount of inconsistency. But the inconsistency, and the nature of practically every defeat, especially at home, are the only things that are consistent about Murray's tenure at Airdrie. It's all well and good for him to point that out. But what are you going to do about it? It's the same turgid, pitiful and inept displays every defeat and they're characterised by a changing team selection, formation and bizarre and/or desperate substitutions. You could write the script for it. In fact. they'd have been as well scratching the game on Saturday and just replaying the League Cup game and saving us all the bother. 

And besides, how are players like MacDonald, McKay, Kerr, Sabatini and Ritchie ever going to get consistent if one week they're out the team, the next week they're back in, the next week they're playing out of position and then they're out the team again?  I was harsh on my assessment of Stokes and, while I still stand by that, I had no idea what position he was meant to be playing on Saturday or what his best position actually is. And the worst thing is neither does Murray. Including the friendlies I think he's played in a different position every game and even then it seems to be loosely defined as anywhere between midfield or attack. What a waste of time for everyone. Carrick and Robert too I'm never entirely sure what position they are meant to be playing and while they're both good enough for a bit of a free role, you need players behind you who know their position and their role which there almost never is. It's always unclear, at least to me, who's meant to be doing what in the midfield. Who's a #6? Who's playing deep and what's their role? Who's meant to be going box-box? Who's linking the defence with attack? Which generally means whichever combination of Kerr/McKay/Sabatini/Ritchie you have, they're all vaguely doing the same thing in and around the same part of the pitch. It's no wonder Gallagher has struggled for form this season and the team as a whole struggles for any sort of consistency. 

Despite all that I am gutted about the suspension of the season and it's a shame that our lasting memory for at least three weeks will be of that defeat on Saturday. Here's hoping everyone stays safe and we'll get some football again soon. 

Agree with pretty much all of this here! Crighton is un-droppable but he should be dropped to move Kerr back in there as that’s his position. Apparently Kerr’s been playing through a heavy injury so credit to him but says a lot of what the manager thinks of the rest...

[Jack Reed]

3 hours ago, Stevo1968 said:

Agree with pretty much all of this here! Crighton is un-droppable but he should be dropped to move Kerr back in there as that’s his position. Apparently Kerr’s been playing through a heavy injury so credit to him but says a lot of what the manager thinks of the rest...

Would agree give Crighton a rest play Kerr , you will see the difference right  away, the big punt then the move forward seems to be the order of the day , 

[Spanish Armada]

On 11/01/2021 at 18:20, G_H said:

Was just looking at the squad list and, without naming names, as the list would be too long, I would happily punt about 12-14 players + manager at the moment if I could, and try to get something better.

Get them named!

[Diamond10]

On 11/01/2021 at 09:43, Jack Reed said:

Start clear out, Murray, Millar, Crighton  first, 

Think the criticism of crighton isn’t totally fair can think of one glaring error at east fife that cost us a goal. I think he’s had a couple of nightmares so far this year but he’s an asset to have and the partnership with Fordyce has been pretty solid over the last season and a bit. All in all, a good captain and leader On and off the park. The coaching thing is a strange one you forget he’s only 30 so has plenty of years in him playing yet. I think he still has a lot to offer airdrie as a player. McDonald and McCann haven’t hit the heights of last year so far so maybe dropping Kerr to centre half and playing a back 3 could be a shout freeing up another attacker. 

 

For me our main problem lies in going forward so many times this season we’ve barely created a chance or even mustered a couple of shots. Dumbarton , east fife, Montrose & Edinburgh city all spring to mind we could’ve played those games all day and still not scored. Think people are getting too caught up in wanting to blame the defence. When In so many games our attackers have offered up nothing. 

[G_H]

11 hours ago, Spanish Armada said:

Get them named!

Right, here's my assessment of the squad then. A lot of the problems are due to our style of play. Italics are players who I would be comfortable with moving on if some sort of offer came in:
 

Max Currie: - Average "safe" goalkeeper. Keep

Reece Murdoch: Keep on the basis of needing a 2nd keeper.

Joshua Burke: Was a bit all over the place pre-season when he got a chance, ended up being loaned out, move him on.

Sean Crighton: When he plays badly we get thumped. If we got an offer I'd let him go in all honesty, but at the moment would drop him for 3 weeks (irrelvant at the moment I suppose as we cant play any games) and see if he can sort out his form.

Callum Fordyce: Keep

Josh Kerr: Keep until the end of the season then review options. Would like to see him back in centre defence for a few games instead of Crighton.

Kyle MacDonald: Not sure if he is handling the big games as well as I would like, but would prefer to hold onto him.

Harlain Mbayo: I think he has conceded a penalty in most games he has been involved in? Not sure what he brings to the squad, so would let him go.

Leon McCann: Regressed since last season, but keep for now.

Scott Walker: Isn't really going to get a game, release

Paul McKay: The mysterious, undroppable Paul McKay. He's not going to get better, hes not going to be the difference in winning points. I think a few games without him in the team would show that he isn't really bringing anything to the table.

Joseph Moore: Another one of these guys who were kept on and won't get to play, therefore what's the point in having them signed?

Euan O'Reilly: Enthusiastic, but doesn't actually create any goals. The sort of player we should be loaning out to see if he can work out how to produce end product. Release in current climate.

Dean Ritchie: Keep due to utility. 

Thomas Robert: I like the guy, but compared to former forwards like Alan Gow/Wullie McLaren/Alan Lawrence? Has to go if we get an offer.

Griffin Sabatini: If he wasn't a loan player I would build my team around his style of play, as it is he is wasted as we don't play in a way that gets the most out of him.

Eoghan Stokes: Tries when he gets the chance, and seems a bit more streetwise than a lot of the squad. But the style of play render him non functional more often than not.

Craig Thomson: Liked him at the start of last season, hasn't impressed this season. Doesn't seem to be able to get past a man and put the ball at a teammates feet. If a wide midfielder/winger cant do that, there's no point playing them.

Dale Carrick: Generally happy with Dale, would hold onto him.

Kyle Connell: Keep as long as we can. Will suffer from lack of service though.

Callum Gallacher: Hasn't really had the chances this season compared to last season. A player who will score goals if they get the chances to though. Would move him on if someone was available that would go into the first team.

James Hughes: Won't get a game, therefore can go.

Patrick Pyott: As above.

Ally Roy: Wouldn't have re-signed him, and although he had a good pre-season isnt really doing it now (although he is just back from injury). Like Gal, surplus to requirements if not getting a game.

 

[Jack Reed]

17 minutes ago, G_H said:

Right, here's my assessment of the squad then. A lot of the problems are due to our style of play. Italics are players who I would be comfortable with moving on if some sort of offer came in:
 

Max Currie: - Average "safe" goalkeeper. Keep

Reece Murdoch: Keep on the basis of needing a 2nd keeper.

Joshua Burke: Was a bit all over the place pre-season when he got a chance, ended up being loaned out, move him on.

Sean Crighton: When he plays badly we get thumped. If we got an offer I'd let him go in all honesty, but at the moment would drop him for 3 weeks (irrelvant at the moment I suppose as we cant play any games) and see if he can sort out his form.

Callum Fordyce: Keep

Josh Kerr: Keep until the end of the season then review options. Would like to see him back in centre defence for a few games instead of Crighton.

Kyle MacDonald: Not sure if he is handling the big games as well as I would like, but would prefer to hold onto him.

Harlain Mbayo: I think he has conceded a penalty in most games he has been involved in? Not sure what he brings to the squad, so would let him go.

Leon McCann: Regressed since last season, but keep for now.

Scott Walker: Isn't really going to get a game, release

Paul McKay: The mysterious, undroppable Paul McKay. He's not going to get better, hes not going to be the difference in winning points. I think a few games without him in the team would show that he isn't really bringing anything to the table.

Joseph Moore: Another one of these guys who were kept on and won't get to play, therefore what's the point in having them signed?

Euan O'Reilly: Enthusiastic, but doesn't actually create any goals. The sort of player we should be loaning out to see if he can work out how to produce end product. Release in current climate.

Dean Ritchie: Keep due to utility. 

Thomas Robert: I like the guy, but compared to former forwards like Alan Gow/Wullie McLaren/Alan Lawrence? Has to go if we get an offer.

Griffin Sabatini: If he wasn't a loan player I would build my team around his style of play, as it is he is wasted as we don't play in a way that gets the most out of him.

Eoghan Stokes: Tries when he gets the chance, and seems a bit more streetwise than a lot of the squad. But the style of play render him non functional more often than not.

Craig Thomson: Liked him at the start of last season, hasn't impressed this season. Doesn't seem to be able to get past a man and put the ball at a teammates feet. If a wide midfielder/winger cant do that, there's no point playing them.

Dale Carrick: Generally happy with Dale, would hold onto him.

Kyle Connell: Keep as long as we can. Will suffer from lack of service though.

Callum Gallacher: Hasn't really had the chances this season compared to last season. A player who will score goals if they get the chances to though. Would move him on if someone was available that would go into the first team.

James Hughes: Won't get a game, therefore can go.

Patrick Pyott: As above.

Ally Roy: Wouldn't have re-signed him, and although he had a good pre-season isnt really doing it now (although he is just back from injury). Like Gal, surplus to requirements if not getting a game.

 

Fair assessment,what about the manager, hold Crighton's hand out the door, 

[G_H]

4 minutes ago, Jack Reed said:

Fair assessment,what about the manager, hold Crighton's hand out the door, 

The manager, or rather how we wants to play, is the core problem, and has no interest in changing approach despite history repeating itself over and over with his approach to matches.

Absolutely should go at this time due to inability to adapt.

[Spanish Armada]

40 minutes ago, G_H said:

Right, here's my assessment of the squad then. A lot of the problems are due to our style of play. Italics are players who I would be comfortable with moving on if some sort of offer came in:
 

Max Currie: - Average "safe" goalkeeper. Keep

Reece Murdoch: Keep on the basis of needing a 2nd keeper.

Joshua Burke: Was a bit all over the place pre-season when he got a chance, ended up being loaned out, move him on.

Sean Crighton: When he plays badly we get thumped. If we got an offer I'd let him go in all honesty, but at the moment would drop him for 3 weeks (irrelvant at the moment I suppose as we cant play any games) and see if he can sort out his form.

Callum Fordyce: Keep

Josh Kerr: Keep until the end of the season then review options. Would like to see him back in centre defence for a few games instead of Crighton.

Kyle MacDonald: Not sure if he is handling the big games as well as I would like, but would prefer to hold onto him.

Harlain Mbayo: I think he has conceded a penalty in most games he has been involved in? Not sure what he brings to the squad, so would let him go.

Leon McCann: Regressed since last season, but keep for now.

Scott Walker: Isn't really going to get a game, release

Paul McKay: The mysterious, undroppable Paul McKay. He's not going to get better, hes not going to be the difference in winning points. I think a few games without him in the team would show that he isn't really bringing anything to the table.

Joseph Moore: Another one of these guys who were kept on and won't get to play, therefore what's the point in having them signed?

Euan O'Reilly: Enthusiastic, but doesn't actually create any goals. The sort of player we should be loaning out to see if he can work out how to produce end product. Release in current climate.

Dean Ritchie: Keep due to utility. 

Thomas Robert: I like the guy, but compared to former forwards like Alan Gow/Wullie McLaren/Alan Lawrence? Has to go if we get an offer.

Griffin Sabatini: If he wasn't a loan player I would build my team around his style of play, as it is he is wasted as we don't play in a way that gets the most out of him.

Eoghan Stokes: Tries when he gets the chance, and seems a bit more streetwise than a lot of the squad. But the style of play render him non functional more often than not.

Craig Thomson: Liked him at the start of last season, hasn't impressed this season. Doesn't seem to be able to get past a man and put the ball at a teammates feet. If a wide midfielder/winger cant do that, there's no point playing them.

Dale Carrick: Generally happy with Dale, would hold onto him.

Kyle Connell: Keep as long as we can. Will suffer from lack of service though.

Callum Gallacher: Hasn't really had the chances this season compared to last season. A player who will score goals if they get the chances to though. Would move him on if someone was available that would go into the first team.

James Hughes: Won't get a game, therefore can go.

Patrick Pyott: As above.

Ally Roy: Wouldn't have re-signed him, and although he had a good pre-season isnt really doing it now (although he is just back from injury). Like Gal, surplus to requirements if not getting a game.

 

Fair assessment but mckay won't ever be dropped as long as his family is still involved at airdrie 

[G_H]

9 minutes ago, Spanish Armada said:

Fair assessment but mckay won't ever be dropped as long as his family is still involved at airdrie 

Yeah, I figured.

On the one hand he isn't awful for this level, in fact he is anonymously average, a trait shared by a lot of squad members at the moment. There was a spark of hope for McKay pre-season where he looked a lot more driven and fitter than last season, but it hasn't stuck.

If he absolutely has to play, I'd put him at right back just now where he is least anonymous. The midfield still needs the overhaul that Murray/Millar have yet to succeed at, and probably wont so long as the current tactics persist as they would need to find some sort of creative box to box dynamo that simply doesnt exist in Scotland never mind in league 1..

Edited January 13, 2021 by G_H

[Jack Reed]

2 hours ago, G_H said:

Yeah, I figured.

On the one hand he isn't awful for this level, in fact he is anonymously average, a trait shared by a lot of squad members at the moment. There was a spark of hope for McKay pre-season where he looked a lot more driven and fitter than last season, but it hasn't stuck.

If he absolutely has to play, I'd put him at right back just now where he is least anonymous. The midfield still needs the overhaul that Murray/Millar have yet to succeed at, and probably wont so long as the current tactics persist as they would need to find some sort of creative box to box dynamo that simply doesnt exist in Scotland never mind in league 1..

The biggest problem is the players we bring in are never any better thsn we had, if as good in some cases, Or is it the scouting system, manager not able to adapt, DOF just not able to direct a bus never mind a football team, Oh I know it's all three, 

[Diamond72]

When i look at our squad compared to the others that have outplayed us this season the one defining difference has been our lack of composure on the ball in key areas.

This has led to lost possession and countless punts up the park. If we are going to look at the squad here is my list of players who I believe have the composure to retain the ball and make a decent pass: (not in any order)

McCann, Fordyce, Kerr, Sabatini, Stokes, Mbayo, Gallagher, Robert, Carrick, Connell. I for one have never bought into the excuse of being a young side, for me it is having a  team where the majority of them are composed and confident with the ball at their feet.

To be fair to some of the boys, they have been moved into unfamiliar positions throughout the season and this has not helped.

[Jack Reed]

17 hours ago, Diamond72 said:

When i look at our squad compared to the others that have outplayed us this season the one defining difference has been our lack of composure on the ball in key areas.

This has led to lost possession and countless punts up the park. If we are going to look at the squad here is my list of players who I believe have the composure to retain the ball and make a decent pass: (not in any order)

McCann, Fordyce, Kerr, Sabatini, Stokes, Mbayo, Gallagher, Robert, Carrick, Connell. I for one have never bought into the excuse of being a young side, for me it is having a  team where the majority of them are composed and confident with the ball at their feet.

To be fair to some of the boys, they have been moved into unfamiliar positions throughout the season and this has not helped.

Sometimes Crighton playing upfront, you know  it's a lost game then, manager on the panic button, 

[Spanish Armada]

3 hours ago, Jack Reed said:

Sometimes Crighton playing upfront, you know  it's a lost game then, manager on the panic button, 

That shows you the manager aint got a clue you've got a striker on the bench that got 10+ goals on the bench and we throw a big clumsy center half up front 

[Jack Reed]

32 minutes ago, Spanish Armada said:

That shows you the manager aint got a clue you've got a striker on the bench that got 10+ goals on the bench and we throw a big clumsy center half up front 

Is there anyone on here think's the manager should stay????