The Official Airdrieonians Thread - 2019/20 and beyond

[Diamond Oracle]

Excellent keeper but I think he expected many offers when he turned down our contract .
He got none even Partick and Morton who need a keeper  offered him nothing so he had to take the Airdrie offer on less money .
At least we got a compo fee for him not a huge amount but better than nothing 

I’m surprised you managed to type that post through your tears.

[cb_diamond]

3 hours ago, cb_diamond said:

To be fair to the queen's lads they are taking it reasonably well. More lament than gnashing of teeth. 

I now retract this comment after dipping into the queen's thread

[KD1711]

Will still finish above you, don’t get carried away

Forgot you have massively upgraded in Max Currie and Rico Quitongo, apologies.

[GoalForAirdrie]

1 hour ago, Greenacres said:

Excellent keeper but I think he expected many offers when he turned down our contract .

He got none even Partick and Morton who need a keeper  offered him nothing so he had to take the Airdrie offer on less money .

At least we got a compo fee for him not a huge amount but better than nothing 

Aye mate, keep telling yourself that, whatever makes you feel better

[19QOS19]

Aye mate, keep telling yourself that, whatever makes you feel better [emoji3061]

I’m surprised you managed to type that post through your tears.

It has a ring of truth to it tbf. Like I've said, I'm disappointed he's gone and I do rate him so it's definitely not sour grapes. But when he announced he was leaving he commented about how it was a time in his career where a move had to be made. With the greatest of respect, you'd think a comment like that would mean he was moving up the ladder, not down a division to a club who will be paying similar if not less money.

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

It has a ring of truth to it tbf. Like I've said, I'm disappointed he's gone and I do rate him so it's definitely not sour grapes. But when he announced he was leaving he commented about how it was a time in his career where a move had to be made. With the greatest of respect, you'd think a comment like that would mean he was moving up the ladder, not down a division to a club who will be paying similar if not less money.

You’ve failed to acknowledge that the Airdrie are massive

[CapitalDiamond]

Latest Podcast is a chat with The Fitba Nomad about his blog and Airdrie visit

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/otl-podcast/id1458037240?i=1000567552357

[QoS99]

9 hours ago, KD1711 said:

Forgot you have massively upgraded in Max Currie and Rico Quitongo, apologies.

We binned off Fordyce years ago, and McCabe and Frizzell was shite for us. So what’s your point exactly ?

[AJ77]

59 minutes ago, QoS99 said:

We binned off Fordyce years ago, and McCabe and Frizzell was shite for us. So what’s your point exactly ?

There not shite anymore? Quitongo is utter shite, Currie is fine for a league 1 keeper really good shot stopper but can't come of his line and prone to the odd error but which league 1 keeper isn't.

[cb_diamond]

10 hours ago, ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds said:

You’ve failed to acknowledge that the Airdrie are massive

You're verging into Lolkirk Territory

[G_H]

Some decent signings!

Left back next please? Seems to me that's where the obvious gap in the squad is at the moment

[AJ77]

24 minutes ago, G_H said:

Some decent signings!

Left back next please? Seems to me that's where the obvious gap in the squad is at the moment

Only one i can think of is Adam Livingstone, not signed on at clyde yet. Unless we get another youngster on loan from a prem team.

[dextermorgan]

Delighted so far with the signings. It seems obvious that the board and manager have looked at where our weaknesses were last season and are looking to improve on these areas. With regard to max Currie in particular, I felt that he would have benefitted with better coaching. He seemed to have all the physical attributes but his decision making was dreadful at times and obviously needed work. Max, as people have said, was a great shot stopper. I agree, but you could almost feel the nerves from him when it came to the crunch games. I hope that our new signing is a step up, at least we have Hutton however who can push for a start if his form dips.

[airdrieman]

Left back, at least one other centre-half and a couple of centre mids (still to replace Easton and Agnew mind) please. Wouldn't mind another striker or forward player either as obviously Salim and Gabby had a dubious time with injuries last season and Salim is a bit of a punt anyway. Plus Gal and Smith tend to have a dry patch or two during the season so another forward option would be wise IMO. 

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

Looking at what we have so far…

Rae’s in as first choice keeper and we have Hutton as a back up. We don’t really need a third keeper but we have had a third in the past so I wouldn’t rule it out, especially since Hutton is doubling as a goalie coach. Another keeper is definitely far from a priority however.

We’ve got Fordyce as a starting centre back. Ballantyne should be our first choice right back and can also provide cover for left back. Watson played most of last season at right back and can give Ballantyne a bit of competition while also providing cover for centre back. McCabe is also cover for centre back but I’d imagine he’ll be building the team with a plan to play himself in midfield, but it’s something we can fall back on if necessary like last season. Definitely need at least a left back and a centre back.

Midfield’s still very light. McCabe presumably will play the sitting role but I think we’ll still need another quality midfielder capable of that part of the game. Devenny I wouldn’t expect to be a starter but he could potentially end up having a season similar to Scott McGill’s last season, where he maybe isn’t part of our strongest 11 but still gets a lot of game time by covering different areas. Frizzell’s obviously going to be a starter and I think he could in some ways be Easton’s “replacement” if we start playing through him more in Easton’s absence, but I still think we should look to bring in a quality attacking/playmaking midfielder to replace Easton if possible. I’d say that’s two midfielders as a priority, who would effectively be Agnew and Easton’s replacements and we’ll need another one or two for cover as well

We’ve got four forwards signed up which seems like a lot considering we only have 12 players at the moment, but when you break it down it’s still an area I think we need a player or two. If we carry on from last season as has been suggested by McCabe, we’ll probably be trying to play 433, so three forwards will be on the pitch at all times. Gal and Salim are central strikers, Gabby could be as well but will likely play out wide too. Smith clearly is at his best playing on the left and cutting inside and he should continue in that role. I’d say we’d still want to bring in a couple here, one wide player and one more central forward. I’d really like to see us bring in at least one forward that’s exciting and should be a nailed on starter.

Rae

Ballantyne (New CB) Fordyce (New LB)

Frizzell McCabe (New CM)

(New FWD) Gallagher Smith


That’s my optimistic lineup that has 4 new players in the starting 11. That still leaves Hutton, Watson, Devenny, Salim, and McGill on the bench of the players we have signed up at the moment.

[airdrieman]

46 minutes ago, ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds said:

Looking at what we have so far…

Rae’s in as first choice keeper and we have Hutton as a back up. We don’t really need a third keeper but we have had a third in the past so I wouldn’t rule it out, especially since Hutton is doubling as a goalie coach. Another keeper is definitely far from a priority however.

We’ve got Fordyce as a starting centre back. Ballantyne should be our first choice right back and can also provide cover for left back. Watson played most of last season at right back and can give Ballantyne a bit of competition while also providing cover for centre back. McCabe is also cover for centre back but I’d imagine he’ll be building the team with a plan to play himself in midfield, but it’s something we can fall back on if necessary like last season. Definitely need at least a left back and a centre back.

Midfield’s still very light. McCabe presumably will play the sitting role but I think we’ll still need another quality midfielder capable of that part of the game. Devenny I wouldn’t expect to be a starter but he could potentially end up having a season similar to Scott McGill’s last season, where he maybe isn’t part of our strongest 11 but still gets a lot of game time by covering different areas. Frizzell’s obviously going to be a starter and I think he could in some ways be Easton’s “replacement” if we start playing through him more in Easton’s absence, but I still think we should look to bring in a quality attacking/playmaking midfielder to replace Easton if possible. I’d say that’s two midfielders as a priority, who would effectively be Agnew and Easton’s replacements and we’ll need another one or two for cover as well

We’ve got four forwards signed up which seems like a lot considering we only have 12 players at the moment, but when you break it down it’s still an area I think we need a player or two. If we carry on from last season as has been suggested by McCabe, we’ll probably be trying to play 433, so three forwards will be on the pitch at all times. Gal and Salim are central strikers, Gabby could be as well but will likely play out wide too. Smith clearly is at his best playing on the left and cutting inside and he should continue in that role. I’d say we’d still want to bring in a couple here, one wide player and one more central forward. I’d really like to see us bring in at least one forward that’s exciting and should be a nailed on starter.

Rae

Ballantyne (New CB) Fordyce (New LB)

Frizzell McCabe (New CM)

(New FWD) Gallagher Smith


That’s my optimistic lineup that has 4 new players in the starting 11. That still leaves Hutton, Watson, Devenny, Salim, and McGill on the bench of the players we have signed up at the moment.

Last season we had Easton, Agnew, McCabe, Frizzell, McInroy, McDonald, McGill, Ritchie and Devenny (and Rhys Caves if you want to be pedantic) all as options at centre mid in the squad at one point or another. So there will surely be scope to bring in at least a couple more midfielders. Of the right quality of course. No idea what truth there is in it but I've seen the Owen Moffat rumours starting again. Will presumably be signing the same day as the West Ham striker! 

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

Last season we had Easton, Agnew, McCabe, Frizzell, McInroy, McDonald, McGill, Ritchie and Devenny (and Rhys Caves if you want to be pedantic) all as options at centre mid in the squad at one point or another. So there will surely be scope to bring in at least a couple more midfielders. Of the right quality of course. No idea what truth there is in it but I've seen the Owen Moffat rumours starting again. Will presumably be signing the same day as the West Ham striker! 

Seen those rumours as well and believe it or not I had forgotten about them when I wrote that post, so I didn’t actually have anyone in particular in mind as the “exciting” forward that might play in a wider area I’d like to see come in, but he’d certainly fit the bill!

The majority of our midfield backup options last season were young players we had on loan, and it’ll probably be the same again. I reckon we’ll sign up Agnew and Easton’s replacements on permanent deals and I don’t expect those signings to be inexperienced teenagers, but the midfield backup options probably will be. Good to keep in mind that we can sign loan players in September (McInroy was signed on the 30th of September with the season already well underway) and I’d expect us to add another loan player at that stage again, once the squad is settled and any weaknesses have been identified.

[AJ77]

10 minutes ago, airdrieman said:

Last season we had Easton, Agnew, McCabe, Frizzell, McInroy, McDonald, McGill, Ritchie and Devenny (and Rhys Caves if you want to be pedantic) all as options at centre mid in the squad at one point or another. So there will surely be scope to bring in at least a couple more midfielders. Of the right quality of course. No idea what truth there is in it but I've seen the Owen Moffat rumours starting again. Will presumably be signing the same day as the West Ham striker! 

Would be happy with Moffat signing, surely we've got to be looking at bringing Kyle Turner in to replace Easton not an automatic starter at thistle pretty sure he'd be happy to come back.

[David Fernández]

13 minutes ago, airdrieman said:

Last season we had Easton, Agnew, McCabe, Frizzell, McInroy, McDonald, McGill, Ritchie and Devenny (and Rhys Caves if you want to be pedantic) all as options at centre mid in the squad at one point or another. So there will surely be scope to bring in at least a couple more midfielders. Of the right quality of course. No idea what truth there is in it but I've seen the Owen Moffat rumours starting again. Will presumably be signing the same day as the West Ham striker! 

The same guy on twitter also predicted Frankie Musonda signing for Ayr so could be an element of truth in that one.

I'm sure it was the West Ham striker that got out of the Uber at broadwood the other day! 

Edited June 24, 2022 by David Fernández

[airdrieman]

4 minutes ago, AJ77 said:

Would be happy with Moffat signing, surely we've got to be looking at bringing Kyle Turner in to replace Easton not an automatic starter at thistle pretty sure he'd be happy to come back.

No idea if it would be financially or logistically possible but I'd fucking love it if we could. Need to engineer a fallout between him and McCall IMO.