The Official Airdrieonians Thread - 2019/20 and beyond

[Pesadilla 1,151]

2 hours ago, Old Diamond said:

The options facing Murray and co are not the best, as I see it it comes down to 

1) Developing youth - long term good, short term not so good as it would mean further stagnation in div 1

2) Pot luck signings from the current stock of jobbing footballers from other Div 1 clubs and hoping you get better performances than their existing clubs - short term - uncertain, long term even more so

3) Throwing cash at available Championship players in the hope that they could become the core of a good team, again an uncertain policy

Personally I wouldn't like to have his job just now, a lot of difficult decisions to be made, bet he wishes he had a crystal ball!!

  

Ian McCall narrowly missed out on taking us to the top flight with a shed load of jobbing footballers.  You may hate McCall but you can't argue with facts.

We've just had a horrendous run of decisions in signing players. Started with EWB continued with Findlay. We're now starting to shed those contracts and hopefully we'll see a better standard coming through. 

It's flannel that we've all heard before - maybe third time lucky.....

[stuartcraig 430]

30 minutes ago, Pesadilla said:

Ian McCall narrowly missed out on taking us to the top flight with a shed load of jobbing footballers.  You may hate McCall but you can't argue with facts.

We've just had a horrendous run of decisions in signing players. Started with EWB continued with Findlay. We're now starting to shed those contracts and hopefully we'll see a better standard coming through. 

It's flannel that we've all heard before - maybe third time lucky.....

Yup.  I doubt Arbroath did a Gretna but they still managed to put together a solid side which comfortably won the league.

[Jack Reed 101]

58 minutes ago, Pesadilla said:

Ian McCall narrowly missed out on taking us to the top flight with a shed load of jobbing footballers.  You may hate McCall but you can't argue with facts.

We've just had a horrendous run of decisions in signing players. Started with EWB continued with Findlay. We're now starting to shed those contracts and hopefully we'll see a better standard coming through. 

It's flannel that we've all heard before - maybe third time lucky.....

Another season of its not the managers players ,

[Pesadilla 1,151]

5 minutes ago, Jack Reed said:

Another season of its not the managers players ,

What are you on about? 

Last season was clearly not the managers team, this season he'll have more of a chance to put his own brand of football on the park. By all means if we're not in the playoff spots come Christmas, call for his head, but until then give it a rest FFS. You clearly don't like Murray and that's fine, but at least give him a fucking chance with his own team on the park.

[Gordon EF 3,124]

23 minutes ago, stuartcraig said:

Yup.  I doubt Arbroath did a Gretna but they still managed to put together a solid side which comfortably won the league.

Airdrie's problem isn't that they signed players from other L1 clubs, it's that the players they signed were injury prone, mediocre, or both. East Fife fans said last summer that Wilkie hadn't played enough games and that Page had suffered a pretty significant drop in form from the previous season.

Airdrie are solidly a L1 club these days. Without some kind of cash injection, it's laughable to imagine they're going to go out and sign a handful of guys who could get regular games at Championship clubs.

[Pesadilla 1,151]

7 minutes ago, Gordon EF said:

Airdrie's problem isn't that they signed players from other L1 clubs, it's that the players they signed were injury prone, mediocre, or both. East Fife fans said last summer that Wilkie hadn't played enough games and that Page had suffered a pretty significant drop in form from the previous season.

Airdrie are solidly a L1 club these days. Without some kind of cash injection, it's laughable to imagine they're going to go out and sign a handful of guys who could get regular games at Championship clubs.

I don't think Arbroath would be paying massive wages, and that's the point. This season was a very poor league and despite having a "solidly L1" squad, Arbroath cantered it. Given we're based in the Central belt and *should* be able to attract a broadly similar standard of player to Arbroath for similar cash, I don't see why we'd not be aiming to get promoted.

You're argument only stands if we attempted to stay up with the same squad that got us there. If Arbroath do that,  they'll be back here very soon.

Where I do agree, is that our recruitment has been very, very poor. If we'd been chasing Page as was mooted, then our scouting was utterly atrocious.

[Gordon EF 3,124]

2 minutes ago, Pesadilla said:

I don't think Arbroath would be paying massive wages, and that's the point. This season was a very poor league and despite having a "solidly L1" squad, Arbroath cantered it. Given we're based in the Central belt and *should* be able to attract a broadly similar standard of player to Arbroath for similar cash, I don't see why we'd not be aiming to get promoted.

You're argument only stands if we attempted to stay up with the same squad that got us there. If Arbroath do that,  they'll be back here very soon.

Where I do agree, is that our recruitment has been very, very poor. If we'd been chasing Page as was mooted, then our scouting was utterly atrocious.

Sorry, I was agreeing with. Just made it look like I wasn't because I quoted you.

[Jack Reed 101]

2 hours ago, Pesadilla said:

What are you on about? 

Last season was clearly not the managers team, this season he'll have more of a chance to put his own brand of football on the park. By all means if we're not in the playoff spots come Christmas, call for his head, but until then give it a rest FFS. You clearly don't like Murray and that's fine, but at least give him a fucking chance with his own team on the park.

Never done anything of note yet anyway ,time will tell.

[Jack Reed 101]

Being told to give manager a chance, I have been giving airdrie managers a chance since ,Willie Steel , Murray will get the same chance as the other 50  or so managers that have come and gone since I started following Airdrie,

[Roger Thornhill 223]

1 hour ago, Jack Reed said:

Being told to give manager a chance, I have been giving airdrie managers a chance since ,Willie Steel , Murray will get the same chance as the other 50  or so managers that have come and gone since I started following Airdrie,

Were you in the same class as Doris Day?

[Spanish Armada 372]

The Kelty Hearts pounds will be imminent IMO. 
Genuinely I would take a packet of crisps for Kieran MacDonald. Would probably be a better defender. 

I’d take a freddo for Kieran McDonald the guys a fud

[Nipper 179]

6 minutes ago, Roger Thornhill said:

Were you in the same class as Doris Day?

Haw smart arse I can remember Willie Steel and Doris Day was just about to leave when I was in first year. She was a really good singer though and was always the star of the school show.

[Roger Thornhill 223]

4 minutes ago, Nipper said:

Haw smart arse I can remember Willie Steel and Doris Day was just about to leave when I was in first year. She was a really good singer though and was always the star of the school show.

 

She was good on the baw as well

[Jack Reed 101]

1 hour ago, Roger Thornhill said:

Were you in the same class as Doris Day?

No,not many in same class as Doris Day,

[Chapelhall chap 380]

5 hours ago, Roger Thornhill said:

Were you in the same class as Doris Day?

It will take me some time to find the 50 managers but I do have vague memories of Willie Steel at the start of my teenage years of supporting the Diamonds. Excluding some of the dross recently I voted Jackie Stewart as the worst manager I had ever experienced and wee Doddy as the best. As to Ian Murray I will bide my time,  We used to sing a song about  take me back to the  Ashy hills of Gartlea , being inspired by Doris in Calamity James.

[Jack Reed 101]

14 hours ago, Roger Thornhill said:

Were you in the same class as Doris Day?

8 hours ago, Chapelhall chap said:

It will take me some time to find the 50 managers but I do have vague memories of Willie Steel at the start of my teenage years of supporting the Diamonds. Excluding some of the dross recently I voted Jackie Stewart as the worst manager I had ever experienced and wee Doddy as the best. As to Ian Murray I will bide my time,  We used to sing a song about  take me back to the  Ashy hills of Gartlea , being inspired by Doris in Calamity James.

50 was a bit over top ,Ralph Collins another name I remember as manager .

[Old Diamond 351]

+1 for Jackie Stewart as worst manager with Bill Munro as a close second, best again Alex McDonald with Bobby Watson in 2nd Spot. (Ralph Collins was in charge when I started attending Airdrie matches)

The list on Wikipedia from 1905 is 

• Andy Walker (1905–10)
• John Chapman (1910–21)
• William Orr (1921–26)
• David Martyn (1926–37)
• John Morrison (1937–41)
• Hunter Hart (1941–43)
• Robert Ferrier (1943–45)
• Alex Ritchie (1945–50)
• Willie Fotheringham (1950–54)
• Willie Steel (1954–63)
• Archie Wright (1963–67)
• Ralph Collins (1967–70)
• Ian McMillan (1970–76)
• Jackie Stewart (1976–78)
• Bobby Watson (1978–82)
• Bill Munro (1982–83)
• Ally MacLeod (1983–85)
• Ian McMillan (1985–86)
• Derek Whiteford (1986–87)
• Gordon McQueen (1987–89)
• Jimmy Bone (1989–91)
• Alex MacDonald (1991–99
• Gary Mackay (1999–00)
• Steve Archibald (2000–01)
• Ian McCall (2001–02)
• Sandy Stewart (2002–06)
• Kenny Black (2006–10)
• Jimmy Boyle (2010–13)
• Gary Bollan (2013–15)
• Eddie Wolecki Black (2015–16)
• Danny Lennon & Kevin McBride (both 2016 - as acting head coaches)
• Mark Wilson (2016–17)
• Gordon Dalziel (2017 - acting head coach)
• Stevie Findlay (2017–18)
• Ian Murray (2018–)

Edited May 16 by Old Diamond

[The Moonster 9,248]

17 hours ago, Jack Reed said:

Never done anything of note yet anyway ,time will tell.

Ian Murray? Never done anything of note?

 

[Jack Reed 101]

3 hours ago, Old Diamond said:

+1 for Jackie Stewart as worst manager with Bill Munro as a close second, best again Alex McDonald with Bobby Watson in 2nd Spot. (Ralph Collins was in charge when I started attending Airdrie matches)

The list on Wikipedia from 1905 is 

• Andy Walker (1905–10)
• John Chapman (1910–21)
• William Orr (1921–26)
• David Martyn (1926–37)
• John Morrison (1937–41)
• Hunter Hart (1941–43)
• Robert Ferrier (1943–45)
• Alex Ritchie (1945–50)
• Willie Fotheringham (1950–54)
• Willie Steel (1954–63)
• Archie Wright (1963–67)
• Ralph Collins (1967–70)
• Ian McMillan (1970–76)
• Jackie Stewart (1976–78)
• Bobby Watson (1978–82)
• Bill Munro (1982–83)
• Ally MacLeod (1983–85)
• Ian McMillan (1985–86)
• Derek Whiteford (1986–87)
• Gordon McQueen (1987–89)
• Jimmy Bone (1989–91)
• Alex MacDonald (1991–99
• Gary Mackay (1999–00)
• Steve Archibald (2000–01)
• Ian McCall (2001–02)
• Sandy Stewart (2002–06)
• Kenny Black (2006–10)
• Jimmy Boyle (2010–13)
• Gary Bollan (2013–15)
• Eddie Wolecki Black (2015–16)
• Danny Lennon & Kevin McBride (both 2016 - as acting head coaches)
• Mark Wilson (2016–17)
• Gordon Dalziel (2017 - acting head coach)
• Stevie Findlay (2017–18)
• Ian Murray (2018–)

Good update on managers ,cheers .

[Pesadilla 1,151]

19 hours ago, Jack Reed said:

Being told to give manager a chance, I have been giving airdrie managers a chance since ,Willie Steel , Murray will get the same chance as the other 50  or so managers that have come and gone since I started following Airdrie,

I'm gonna bet you're that wee moaning faced shit with the mustache that sits just along from me giving it "Haw MacDonald, come up here MacDonald" every fucking week.

Since Murray came in, you've gave him nothing but grief despite him clearly working with inferior tools, players that, for the most part, he now wants rid of. What did you expect? Did you think he was gonna walk through the door and cast some fucking Harry Potter spell and turn Conroy into N'golo Kante?

We get that you've watched lots of managers, but that doesn't make you a sage. If you want the manager changed every five fucking minutes then you've clearly learned nothing despite your advancing years,.We need stability and to give Murray the summer to build his team. If it's shite come winter then come back on and give it large, until then pipe down.