The Official Airdrieonians Thread - 2019/20 and beyond

[ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds]

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 thst got out of the Uber at broadwood the other day! 

He also announced Ballantyne to us the day before the club announced it, but it had been talked about a lot on this forum for about a week before his twitter post. Could be wrong but I think that twitter user simply rifles through Pie and Bovril threads and posts what he sees on here. Moffat got a mention on this thread so he claims Airdrie are interested. I hope there’s something in it, but it seems like a cycle of sources where someone mentions it on here, so he posts it, and then we on here start saying there’s something in it because he’s posted it. He’s our source and we’re his. I really hope that’s not the case though.

[Rossm25]

1 minute ago, ShineOnYouCrazyDiamonds said:

He also announced Ballantyne to us the day before the club announced it, but it had been talked about a lot on this forum for about a week before his twitter post. Could be wrong but I think that twitter user simply rifles through Pie and Bovril threads and posts what he sees on here. Moffat got a mention on this thread so he claims Airdrie are interested. I hope there’s something in it, but it seems like a cycle of sources where someone mentions it on here, so he posts it, and then we on here start saying there’s something in it because he’s posted it. He’s our source and we’re his. I really hope that’s not the case though.

We should test it and see if he bites on twitter. Down side is we would suggest a made up rumour and then folk on here will get raging when they don't sign

[Kenny_m]

24 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! 

I'm not sure MacDonald, Ritchie, Devenny & Caves were ever serious options and quite frankly were squad blunders by Murray given their combined playing minutes . Devenny has promise but was never threatening the starting 11 last season but may do this season. 

Anyway, 12 players to date signed therefore still at least 8 more to come including loanees. Rae  & Ballantyne of the new signings look like improving the side and most likely will be in our best 11 with Hutton & Devenny "squad" players.

So still plenty of scope yet but lets hope most of them can be capable of challenging for a start.

[airdrieman]

Fordyce doesn’t know anything about a loan deal for Owen Moffat. Cue him signing tonight. That’ll be the Daily Record taking that from on here too

 

[airdrieman]

1 hour ago, Kenny_m said:

I'm not sure MacDonald, Ritchie, Devenny & Caves were ever serious options and quite frankly were squad blunders by Murray given their combined playing minutes . Devenny has promise but was never threatening the starting 11 last season but may do this season. 

Anyway, 12 players to date signed therefore still at least 8 more to come including loanees. Rae  & Ballantyne of the new signings look like improving the side and most likely will be in our best 11 with Hutton & Devenny "squad" players.

So still plenty of scope yet but lets hope most of them can be capable of challenging for a start.

Aye I didn’t really mean to suggest they were ever serious parts of the squad. Just more highlighting that there’s plenty of room for there to still be a number of additions throughout the squad. 

[David Fernández]

19 minutes ago, airdrieman said:

Fordyce doesn’t know anything about a loan deal for Owen Moffat. Cue him signing tonight. That’ll be the Daily Record taking that from on here too

 

I remember when Callum Smith joined Murray said 'we weren't in for him' then a day later he signed. Sometimes it is a media tactic to fend off competition from other teams.

No doubt we'll be linked with every Celtic B team player after that article has been published.

What's Karamoko Dembele doing these days? 

[G_H]

5 minutes ago, David Fernández said:

What's Karamoko Dembele doing these days? 

Just had to google it for the lols. He has a deal lined up somewhere after being free transferred, but not announced yet. To be announced sometime over the next week, seemingly

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by G_H

[moses1924]

Benn meaning to ask for a while, what was the flag that was up at the home playoff final that looked like it had a train on it, not seen that one before in many years of watching airdrie?

[David Fernández]

2 minutes ago, G_H said:

Just had to google it for the lols. He has a deal lined up somewhere after being free transferred, but not announced yet. To be announced sometime over the next week, seemingly

 

Could Karamoko be the mystery person getting out of the Uber at Broadwood?

[G_Unit]

12 minutes ago, David Fernández said:

Could Karamoko be the mystery person getting out of the Uber at Broadwood?

Haha only about 2 ft too short. 
 

I saw the Uber guys face after training Thursday. Despite his mahoosive stature he looked about 5 years old so likely a kid in bolstering numbers. 

[airdrieman]

53 minutes ago, David Fernández said:

I remember when Callum Smith joined Murray said 'we weren't in for him' then a day later he signed. Sometimes it is a media tactic to fend off competition from other teams.

No doubt we'll be linked with every Celtic B team player after that article has been published.

What's Karamoko Dembele doing these days? 

Would think Kerr McInroy would be as good an advert for a loan move as anything else. 

[Diamonds are Forever]

2 hours ago, Kenny_m said:

I'm not sure MacDonald, Ritchie, Devenny & Caves were ever serious options and quite frankly were squad blunders by Murray given their combined playing minutes . Devenny has promise but was never threatening the starting 11 last season but may do this season. 

Anyway, 12 players to date signed therefore still at least 8 more to come including loanees. Rae  & Ballantyne of the new signings look like improving the side and most likely will be in our best 11 with Hutton & Devenny "squad" players.

So still plenty of scope yet but lets hope most of them can be capable of challenging for a start.

 

That's harsh to say blunders in my opinion, a club like us simply can't afford a squad full of players who are all of potential starting quality, there is always a need for cheap squad filler. The combined salaries of those 4 guys will barely have equalled that of one of our best players. As it turned out, if we'd spent a bit more on squad players in those positions last year it would have been a waste of money because they still wouldn't have played, such was the quality of the players in the starting 11. We were obviously short at left back for a while, but other than that no-one else would really have got a look in.

MacDonald played a few times and did fine, sure he started in victories against Motherwell and QP.

Like last year I'd expect us to have 11 or 12 first team starters, 4 or 5 guys like above who will play if we're desperate, and 3 or 4 loanees.

[Kenny_m]

9 minutes ago, Diamonds are Forever said:

Like last year I'd expect us to have 11 or 12 first team starters, 4 or 5 guys like above who will play if we're desperate, and 3 or 4 loanees.

Agree, but more of the Mcinroy type loans.

[Tory Boy]

2 hours ago, moses1924 said:

Benn meaning to ask for a while, what was the flag that was up at the home playoff final that looked like it had a train on it, not seen that one before in many years of watching airdrie?

 

[Diamonds are Forever]

1 hour ago, Kenny_m said:

Agree, but more of the Mcinroy type loans.

 

Certainly hope so, although I think we'll struggle to get that level as there aren't many like him not able to get a game for a Championship team. Our use of loanees was really good last year overall. McInroy, McGill and Paterson were all important players at different parts of the season, even big Jon came good in the end!

They were on a different level to some of the young loanees we've had in previous season who've been totally out their depth.

Edited June 24, 2022 by Diamonds are Forever

[Passionate]

1 hour ago, Tory Boy said:

 

Must be honest never noticed at the final, I was a bag of nerves that day....

 

3 signings this week,  overall recruitment  appears to be a struggle, although apart from QOS  most other teams are in the same boat....

 

Do you still think there are signings not unveiled yet,  I am not sure at all....

 

18 year old Justin Devenney has signed on, would he not be a stick on for Alan Gows development squad of indeed it ever happens,    this whole close season is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle with bits of info flying about..

[Diamonds are Forever]

2 hours ago, Passionate said:

Must be honest never noticed at the final, I was a bag of nerves that day....

 

3 signings this week,  overall recruitment  appears to be a struggle, although apart from QOS  most other teams are in the same boat....

 

Do you still think there are signings not unveiled yet,  I am not sure at all....

 

18 year old Justin Devenney has signed on, would he not be a stick on for Alan Gows development squad of indeed it ever happens,    this whole close season is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle with bits of info flying about..

 

I'm not sure how many more we'll sign. 

If you look back to last season I'd say we probably had about 13/14 genuine 'first team' players signed at the start - Currie, Quitongo, Wardrop, Fordyce, McCabe, Watson, Agnew, Frizzell, Smith, Gallagher, Salim, McGill, Kerr, Easton. Plus 4/5 young guys to fill out the squad - MacDonald, Lyons, Allan (not so young, but still in that bracket of player), Ritchie, Cantley. Then loanees on top of that.

If we assume we'll have something similar this season then we've already got at least 10 'first teamers' - Rae, Watson, Ballantyne, Fordyce, McCabe, Frizzell, McGill, Salim, Smith, Gallagher. If you include Hutton, who will be back-up but is still an established player, that's 11. It may be that Devenny could be counted in that camp too now, hard to say. That would suggest we'll be getting another couple of starters signed up, 2 or 3 squad fillers, and then top up with loanees in September.

What's encouraging is that looking at last year's squad we look to have the makings of at least as good a squad again, if we can make those last couple of signings quality ones. Our forwards are the same (perhaps better considering Smith has improved and Salim and McGill are hopefully fit!) and our goalkeeper/defence looks better so far with just a left-back to go. It's the lack of an Easton type player that is the only real drop-off from last year's squad so far - a pretty significant one obviously. Plus the unknown of the new management team - but a few clubs are dealing with that too. A solid left-back and a creative midfielder and I'd be pretty optimistic, then supplement with some squad players and loanees.

 

Edited June 24, 2022 by Diamonds are Forever

[moses1924]

3 hours ago, Tory Boy said:

 

That's the very one @Tory Boygreat stuff

[David Fernández]

9 minutes ago, Diamonds are Forever said:

 

I'm not sure how many more we'll sign. 

If you look back to last season I'd say we probably had about 13/14 genuine 'first team' players signed at the start - Currie, Quitongo, Wardrop, Fordyce, McCabe, Watson, Agnew, Frizzell, Smith, Gallagher, Salim, McGill, Kerr, Easton. Plus 4/5 young guys to fill out the squad - MacDonald, Lyons, Allan (not so young, but still in that bracket of player), Ritchie, Cantley. Then loanees on top of that.

If we assume we'll have something similar this season then we've already got at least 10 'first teamers' - Rae, Watson, Ballantyne, Fordyce, McCabe, Frizzell, McGill, Salim, Smith, Gallagher. If you include Hutton, who will be back-up but is still an established player, that's 11. It may be that Devenny could be counted in that camp too now, hard to say. That would suggest we'll be getting another couple of starters signed up, 2 or 3 squad fillers, and then top up with loanees in September.

What's encouraging is that looking at last year's squad we look to have the makings of at least as good a squad again, if we can make those last couple of signings quality ones. Our forwards are the same (perhaps better considering Smith has improved and Salim and McGill are hopefully fit!) and our goalkeeper/defence looks better so far with just a left-back to go. It's the lack of an Easton type player that is the only real drop-off from last year's squad so far - a pretty significant one obviously. Plus the unknown of the new management team - but a few clubs are dealing with that too. A solid left-back and a creative midfielder and I'd be pretty optimistic, then supplement with some squad players and loanees.

 

Your post is pretty much spot on. McCabe did mention he is looking to replace Afolabi and Brody Paterson, which does suggest a left back and a striker would come in.

Also said that the main priority would be replacing Easton, which is easier said than done. Although I noticed Frizzell is listed as no. 10 on the club website.

Definitely encouraged by what I've seen so far, seems more like a continuation from last season than a brand new start, we've retained most of the squad from last year which is excellent too.

Trust that McCabe and Dycey have a few ideas in mind and is making me look forward to next season.

Maybe we will actually win the NL Cup this season 

[Diamonds are Forever]

19 minutes ago, David Fernández said:

Your post is pretty much spot on. McCabe did mention he is looking to replace Afolabi and Brody Paterson, which does suggest a left back and a striker would come in.

Also said that the main priority would be replacing Easton, which is easier said than done. Although I noticed Frizzell is listed as no. 10 on the club website.

Definitely encouraged by what I've seen so far, seems more like a continuation from last season than a brand new start, we've retained most of the squad from last year which is excellent too.

Trust that McCabe and Dycey have a few ideas in mind and is making me look forward to next season.

Maybe we will actually win the NL Cup this season 

 

I'm not at all convinced that we need a replacement for Afolabi - not least because he barely played and was generally not very good with the exception of the play-offs. We also already have 2 central strikers in Gallagher and Salim, even McGill could play there. Assuming we keep a similar system we'll only have one central striker playing so there's no need for another in the squad. For me an attacking wide player is a much bigger priority given that we don't really have any apart from Smith. Left-back is a definite, as is a midfielder or 2, or a centre back if McCabe is planning to play himself in centre midfield. I doubt we'll have the budget to sign all those outright but would hope some loanees would fill those gaps.

I'd be quite happy to play Frizzell slightly more advanced if we can't get an Easton type, I think he could be really good there although we would lose his dynamism getting up and down the park. We'd probably need a couple of more defensive midfielders if we were to do that though. Perhaps part of convincing him to stay was that he'd get to play further forward.

Edited June 24, 2022 by Diamonds are Forever