Keep/punt/undecided

[airdrieman]

 

 

 

On 15/04/2019 at 13:50, lichtiekev said:

 

Also whatever happened to Page, always done well at East Fife before his move to Airdrie, 

Without doubt one of the worst signings, we've ever made. Unfit, clumsy and just generally a disaster waiting to happen. Lucky to make the bench these days. 

Keep -

David Hutton - Undoubtedly our player of the year. Has won us many points by himself and he'll always be remembered for THAT penalty save. 

Josh Edwards - Gets a bit of stick from some supporters but I really like him. Think he's our best left-sided defender and he can put in a cracking cross. He's still only 18 and you can see he's very raw but with coaching and consistent game time I think he'll turn out to be a cracking player. 

Chris O'Neil - Our other contender for player of the year. Brilliant every week. I wasn't fussed when we signed him again or when he wasn't playing under Findlay but he's really turned my opinion on him around this season. Good at getting up and down the park but his positioning and defensive work have really improved this season too. Think he's out for the remainder of the season but he's done more than enough to earn a deal. 

Dean Hawkshaw - Has a fairly decent pedigree and from the brief cameo I saw of him in the Forfar game he was smart in possession and played some neat & tidy passes. Put in a couple of good free-kicks too. Impossible to say really from how little he's played whether he'll be a good player or not but he was presumably signed with next season in mind.

Scott Stewart - Not had his best season but on his day he's terrific. A great runner and chips in with goals too. 

Kyle Wilkie - Our best midfielder by a mile. A good #10 he's creative, clever and scores goals. My one concern about Wilkie though that possibly pushes him into the undecided column is that he fades in and out of games very quickly and is prone to picking up knocks. If we signed another good #10 that was reliable and would be able to play every week I'd have no hesitation in signing Wilkie. My only problem though is that with Conroy already signed I'm not sure that will happen. I don't think I'd want to go into another season with Conroy and Wilkie (and Carrick) as our creative lynchpins. 

Dale Carrick - For me, he's possibly our best footballer. Very good on the ball and at making intelligent runs. He's got frustrated a few times this season because other players haven't been able to notice his runs or have but haven't been good enough to make the pass. He's also signed for next season which is another factor that maybe doesn't bode well for Wilkie. My only concern about Carrick is that he doesn't score nearly enough goals (4 is a really poor return whatever way you look at it). This season has shown we need at least a couple of reliable strikers next season. 

Cammy Russell - Raw but clearly has potential. He's been superb on his loan spell for EK (albeit at a much lower level) and given how much he needed regular game time I think it will have done him the world of good. He's signed up and I'm looking forward to seeing if he can make an impact in the first team next season. 

Undecided - 

Scott Gallacher - Been out for almost the entirety of the season. Not sure what the done thing is when that's the case and a player is out of contract but Hutton has very much established himself as the #1 and I'm sure Gallacher could get a deal elsewhere. I'd be happy enough with Hutton and MacKenzie being the two goalies going forward but if one of them were to leave I'd be happy with Gallacher getting a deal. 

Ben MacKenzie - Been solid and dependable when called upon. I'd be happy for him to stay but I'd imagine much would depend on if Hutton and Gallacher are offered and accept deals. 

Sean Crighton - The big man is largely solid and reliable but he has his moments and sometimes when watching the highlights back, you can see him be at fault when we concede a goal, mainly either because of his positioning or decision making. Needs reliable players to play alongside him. Wouldn't be overly offended if he was to stay or go but I think we could do better. 

Keiran MacDonald - Basically copy & paste what I said above about Sean Crighton. Makes some great cutting runs forward but his final ball is dreadful. I think we could do better but I believe he's signed up for next season and he's probably solid enough that the management team won't be desperate to get rid of him. 

Dean Cairns - I like big Deano. He's a wholehearted player that gets stuck in and is one those players that's impossible to dislike.  I actually think he's quite good with the ball at his feet too. I don't think he's any worse than Gallagher/Millar/McIntosh/Campbell/Robertson but Murray obviously isn't a fan at all. He's signed until 2020 but I don't imagine his deal would be hard to cut if the management team felt inclined to do so. I hope he stays though. 

Darryl Duffy - Duffy is an incredibly frustrating player. He's scored 14 goals this season which I actually don't think is a bad return considering how poor we are. Some games though he's dreadful and contributes nothing apart from being offside. Lately, he's seemed reluctant to shoot in some games which is odd considering he's still a very good finisher. He's 35 now too and I'm not sure we can rely on him to lead the line and score every week. Given what I said above about needing at least two strikers and Carrick, Russell and maybe Victoria all signed up for next season I could see Duffy making way. I wouldn't be angry though if he was to stay on as a sub/backup player to two reliable players leading the line. 

Punt - 

Jonathan Page - Just woeful. Whoever sanctioned signing him (and possibly paying a compensation fee) should have been sacked on the spot. A few people online have said he's signed up for next season but there's no chance he'll be here. 

Scott Robertson - Was the invisible man until very recently. I actually don't mind him and think he's been alright since he came into the team but I don't think Murray would have given him a game if he didn't feel he had to due to injuries. He's signed for next season though so it's not inconceivable he'll be here next season. 

Ryan Conroy - Plays the odd World Cup pass but doesn't do it nearly often enough. He really is not what a League 1 central midfielder needs to be. He's a defensive liability when it comes to positioning and tackling. He doesn't have the legs to go box-to-box and he goes missing in games. Despite having a reputation as a set-piece specialist his corners and free-kicks are almost always dire (the fastest he moves is when he's 'running' to take a set piece). He doesn't have the legs to play out wide anymore either. If you had an outstanding team at this level, built around him with players running off the ball looking to receive his pass, he could do well but even then I'm not convinced. Again he's signed up for next season so I'm sure he'll still be around. 

Grant Gallagher - Has the odd game where he's fantastic. Does all the little things well. Wins possession, recycles the ball well, passes and moves to look for the ball again etc. Some weeks though he is awful and every decision he makes seems to be the wrong one (the pass back for the Brechin goal a few months ago being the most egregious). I think Murray is a fan so it's not impossible he'll get a new deal but I can't really see him being part of a promotion-winning midfield. He's not good enough or consistent enough IMO for that. 

Sean McIntosh - I like Sean but I'm finding it harder to justify keeping him in the team. He's a good footballer but I think his main problem is that he's never established himself in any one position and IMO, hasn't looked better in any one position or the other. Could be a useful squad player to have but I think, for his own sake, he should leave and establish himself in one position and get regular game time there as he hasn't at any time for Airdrie. He probably should have done that last summer TBH. Pushing into my undecided column but I like I said I think it might be better for everyone if he left. 

Keiran Millar - Probably the biggest disappointment this season for me. Came with a good reputation at this level but just hasn't cut it at all. I don't think we've helped him mind you by playing him further forward than he'd like but he's still been poor with no tangible influence on games at all. He's played the whole season in a midfield that has been easy to bypass and he's certainly played a part in that. In recent weeks though, we've played him deeper and I think he's been excellent (up until Saturday of course). Tenacious, scrappy, tough tackling with a bit of bite and a good shield for the defence. If he'd played like that the whole season he'd definitely be worth a new contract. Ultimately though he's been anything from terrible to mediocre for the most part.

Leighton McIntosh - I like the big man but he's not reliable enough IMO. He's scored 11 goals which again isn't too bad but it should have been more. He has an infuriating habit of hitting one on ones right at the goalie and his finishing, in general, isn't great. There have been a few times where he's been one on one and fluffed his line and if he'd scored we'd have probably won the game. Like Duffy,  if he stayed on as a backup player I wouldn't be offended but it would have to be him or Duffy if we're to bring in a couple of strikers. 

Joao Victoria - Was superb at the start of the season but faded quite badly. Still looked like he was maybe capable of doing something or conjuring up a bit of magic (which we've badly needed at times since he left) but Murray obviously isn't a fan. I'm not that convinced by him but he is signed until 2020. He seems to have done reasonably well at Stranraer so I guess it depends on whether or not Murray is willing to give him another chance. 

Loanees - 

Jordan Houston - Came with a good reputation (recently been capped for Scotland U18s) but he's been poor IMO. Been playing right wing back and looks defensively solid enough but from the games I've seen doesn't contribute anything going forward. Being generous it looks like he's maybe not ready for first team football yet but I certainly won't be clamouring to have him back. 

Josh Campbell - Definitely the best of the loanees. Has really come onto a game in the last few weeks. Good at winning the ball, retaining possession and doing the simple things well. I wouldn't be desperate to get him back again though mind you. 

Declan Glass - Clearly has talent and is quite tidy on the ball. I don't think he influences the game very much though but he's still very young. Don't think we've got the best out of him or seen the best of him. Again though I don't think I'd have him back. 

[1320Lichtie]

Whoever sanctioned signing Page should be sacked on the spot [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

What an overreaction

He was very good in League 1 before Airdrie and at the time everyone thought he would be a good signing

Sacked on the spot ffs

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Heard Grant Heed The Ba Adam is going to Lochee Utd next season

Fingers crossed.

[mo83]

Heard Grant Heed The Ba Adam is going to Lochee Utd next season

As a back up keeper?Already have a good Goalkeeper in the sticks at the minute.

[Borfar Fridie]

Don't that Mo83 Just heard he was supposed to be signing

[Jan Vojáček]

19 minutes ago, mo83 said:

2 hours ago, Borfar Fridie said:

Heard Grant Heed The Ba Adam is going to Lochee Utd next season

As a back up keeper?Already have a good Goalkeeper in the sticks at the minute.

Hopefully we'll get a wee swap deal sorted in that case.

[Big Fifer]

Page's decline has been remarkable. He was, by far, our best defender for at least two years (minus Kerr, but talking about players we actually had signed). DY took over, the latter half of his final season with us his head was turned by Airdrie and he looked incredibly unfit, and he's now hardly been in the Airdrieonians squad since December! Dunno what the hells gone on there. 

[1320Lichtie]

As a back up keeper?Already have a good Goalkeeper in the sticks at the minute.

Mark Stewart [emoji12]

[mo83]

Mark Stewart [emoji12]

Nope

[airdrieman]

6 hours ago, 1320Lichtie said:

Whoever sanctioned signing Page should be sacked on the spot

What an overreaction

He was very good in League 1 before Airdrie and at the time everyone thought he would be a good signing

Sacked on the spot ffs

Don't think anybody has ever overegged a point on a football forum before TBF. 

[optimistic]

I doubt we’ll even have Jim Duffy come the end of the season, blank sheet I’d imagine, in terms of who will stay on.

[CumbyDiamond]

22 hours ago, Moon said:

see, this is the thing that I realised...by the time I keep everyone that I like, the squad will be too similar to this years. Which means the same failures. Ruthlessness is required.

Yep similar & wondering how this will now play with theHybrid model proposed

[Diamonds are Forever]

On 18/04/2019 at 13:42, airdrieman said:

Without doubt one of the worst signings, we've ever made. Unfit, clumsy and just generally a disaster waiting to happen. Lucky to make the bench these days. 

Keep -

David Hutton - Undoubtedly our player of the year. Has won us many points by himself and he'll always be remembered for THAT penalty save. 

Josh Edwards - Gets a bit of stick from some supporters but I really like him. Think he's our best left-sided defender and he can put in a cracking cross. He's still only 18 and you can see he's very raw but with coaching and consistent game time I think he'll turn out to be a cracking player. 

Chris O'Neil - Our other contender for player of the year. Brilliant every week. I wasn't fussed when we signed him again or when he wasn't playing under Findlay but he's really turned my opinion on him around this season. Good at getting up and down the park but his positioning and defensive work have really improved this season too. Think he's out for the remainder of the season but he's done more than enough to earn a deal. 

Dean Hawkshaw - Has a fairly decent pedigree and from the brief cameo I saw of him in the Forfar game he was smart in possession and played some neat & tidy passes. Put in a couple of good free-kicks too. Impossible to say really from how little he's played whether he'll be a good player or not but he was presumably signed with next season in mind.

Scott Stewart - Not had his best season but on his day he's terrific. A great runner and chips in with goals too. 

Kyle Wilkie - Our best midfielder by a mile. A good #10 he's creative, clever and scores goals. My one concern about Wilkie though that possibly pushes him into the undecided column is that he fades in and out of games very quickly and is prone to picking up knocks. If we signed another good #10 that was reliable and would be able to play every week I'd have no hesitation in signing Wilkie. My only problem though is that with Conroy already signed I'm not sure that will happen. I don't think I'd want to go into another season with Conroy and Wilkie (and Carrick) as our creative lynchpins. 

Dale Carrick - For me, he's possibly our best footballer. Very good on the ball and at making intelligent runs. He's got frustrated a few times this season because other players haven't been able to notice his runs or have but haven't been good enough to make the pass. He's also signed for next season which is another factor that maybe doesn't bode well for Wilkie. My only concern about Carrick is that he doesn't score nearly enough goals (4 is a really poor return whatever way you look at it). This season has shown we need at least a couple of reliable strikers next season. 

Cammy Russell - Raw but clearly has potential. He's been superb on his loan spell for EK (albeit at a much lower level) and given how much he needed regular game time I think it will have done him the world of good. He's signed up and I'm looking forward to seeing if he can make an impact in the first team next season. 

Undecided - 

Scott Gallacher - Been out for almost the entirety of the season. Not sure what the done thing is when that's the case and a player is out of contract but Hutton has very much established himself as the #1 and I'm sure Gallacher could get a deal elsewhere. I'd be happy enough with Hutton and MacKenzie being the two goalies going forward but if one of them were to leave I'd be happy with Gallacher getting a deal. 

Ben MacKenzie - Been solid and dependable when called upon. I'd be happy for him to stay but I'd imagine much would depend on if Hutton and Gallacher are offered and accept deals. 

Sean Crighton - The big man is largely solid and reliable but he has his moments and sometimes when watching the highlights back, you can see him be at fault when we concede a goal, mainly either because of his positioning or decision making. Needs reliable players to play alongside him. Wouldn't be overly offended if he was to stay or go but I think we could do better. 

Keiran MacDonald - Basically copy & paste what I said above about Sean Crighton. Makes some great cutting runs forward but his final ball is dreadful. I think we could do better but I believe he's signed up for next season and he's probably solid enough that the management team won't be desperate to get rid of him. 

Dean Cairns - I like big Deano. He's a wholehearted player that gets stuck in and is one those players that's impossible to dislike.  I actually think he's quite good with the ball at his feet too. I don't think he's any worse than Gallagher/Millar/McIntosh/Campbell/Robertson but Murray obviously isn't a fan at all. He's signed until 2020 but I don't imagine his deal would be hard to cut if the management team felt inclined to do so. I hope he stays though. 

Darryl Duffy - Duffy is an incredibly frustrating player. He's scored 14 goals this season which I actually don't think is a bad return considering how poor we are. Some games though he's dreadful and contributes nothing apart from being offside. Lately, he's seemed reluctant to shoot in some games which is odd considering he's still a very good finisher. He's 35 now too and I'm not sure we can rely on him to lead the line and score every week. Given what I said above about needing at least two strikers and Carrick, Russell and maybe Victoria all signed up for next season I could see Duffy making way. I wouldn't be angry though if he was to stay on as a sub/backup player to two reliable players leading the line. 

Punt - 

Jonathan Page - Just woeful. Whoever sanctioned signing him (and possibly paying a compensation fee) should have been sacked on the spot. A few people online have said he's signed up for next season but there's no chance he'll be here. 

Scott Robertson - Was the invisible man until very recently. I actually don't mind him and think he's been alright since he came into the team but I don't think Murray would have given him a game if he didn't feel he had to due to injuries. He's signed for next season though so it's not inconceivable he'll be here next season. 

Ryan Conroy - Plays the odd World Cup pass but doesn't do it nearly often enough. He really is not what a League 1 central midfielder needs to be. He's a defensive liability when it comes to positioning and tackling. He doesn't have the legs to go box-to-box and he goes missing in games. Despite having a reputation as a set-piece specialist his corners and free-kicks are almost always dire (the fastest he moves is when he's 'running' to take a set piece). He doesn't have the legs to play out wide anymore either. If you had an outstanding team at this level, built around him with players running off the ball looking to receive his pass, he could do well but even then I'm not convinced. Again he's signed up for next season so I'm sure he'll still be around. 

Grant Gallagher - Has the odd game where he's fantastic. Does all the little things well. Wins possession, recycles the ball well, passes and moves to look for the ball again etc. Some weeks though he is awful and every decision he makes seems to be the wrong one (the pass back for the Brechin goal a few months ago being the most egregious). I think Murray is a fan so it's not impossible he'll get a new deal but I can't really see him being part of a promotion-winning midfield. He's not good enough or consistent enough IMO for that. 

Sean McIntosh - I like Sean but I'm finding it harder to justify keeping him in the team. He's a good footballer but I think his main problem is that he's never established himself in any one position and IMO, hasn't looked better in any one position or the other. Could be a useful squad player to have but I think, for his own sake, he should leave and establish himself in one position and get regular game time there as he hasn't at any time for Airdrie. He probably should have done that last summer TBH. Pushing into my undecided column but I like I said I think it might be better for everyone if he left. 

Keiran Millar - Probably the biggest disappointment this season for me. Came with a good reputation at this level but just hasn't cut it at all. I don't think we've helped him mind you by playing him further forward than he'd like but he's still been poor with no tangible influence on games at all. He's played the whole season in a midfield that has been easy to bypass and he's certainly played a part in that. In recent weeks though, we've played him deeper and I think he's been excellent (up until Saturday of course). Tenacious, scrappy, tough tackling with a bit of bite and a good shield for the defence. If he'd played like that the whole season he'd definitely be worth a new contract. Ultimately though he's been anything from terrible to mediocre for the most part.

Leighton McIntosh - I like the big man but he's not reliable enough IMO. He's scored 11 goals which again isn't too bad but it should have been more. He has an infuriating habit of hitting one on ones right at the goalie and his finishing, in general, isn't great. There have been a few times where he's been one on one and fluffed his line and if he'd scored we'd have probably won the game. Like Duffy,  if he stayed on as a backup player I wouldn't be offended but it would have to be him or Duffy if we're to bring in a couple of strikers. 

Joao Victoria - Was superb at the start of the season but faded quite badly. Still looked like he was maybe capable of doing something or conjuring up a bit of magic (which we've badly needed at times since he left) but Murray obviously isn't a fan. I'm not that convinced by him but he is signed until 2020. He seems to have done reasonably well at Stranraer so I guess it depends on whether or not Murray is willing to give him another chance. 

Loanees - 

Jordan Houston - Came with a good reputation (recently been capped for Scotland U18s) but he's been poor IMO. Been playing right wing back and looks defensively solid enough but from the games I've seen doesn't contribute anything going forward. Being generous it looks like he's maybe not ready for first team football yet but I certainly won't be clamouring to have him back. 

Josh Campbell - Definitely the best of the loanees. Has really come onto a game in the last few weeks. Good at winning the ball, retaining possession and doing the simple things well. I wouldn't be desperate to get him back again though mind you. 

Declan Glass - Clearly has talent and is quite tidy on the ball. I don't think he influences the game very much though but he's still very young. Don't think we've got the best out of him or seen the best of him. Again though I don't think I'd have him back. 

 

I think the problem is our entire squad are all bog standard League One players, played well over a thousand games at this level between them. Apart from one or two, you wouldn't say any of them are horrendously out their depth, but equally there aren't many I would say are definite keepers who I'd want in a promotion battle (Hutton perhaps, and Crighton has a proven record of getting out this league). Which is why unsurprisingly we will finish slap bang in the middle of League One. I wouldn't be bothered in the slightest if we released the entire squad.

More realistically however, Hutton deserves a new contract. Crighton I would be happy keeping if he gets a decent, mobile centre half beside him. Edwards is as decent a youngster as we're likely to get so would keep him as a back-up, we can't be relying on him every week though. O'Neil has been good but I think that is down to the system, he is ideal in a back 3 as he's not a centre back but I don't think he's good enough on the ball or positionally as a right back. In the back 3 there is no emphasis on him going forward and he has more players around him, his pace is also an asset alongside Crighton. In a back 4 he has always been exposed and if we're planning on going with a back 4 then I'd have concerns over him starting every week. MacDonald I'd have in a similar category, he's better than most fans give him credit for, but I feel it's worth looking elsewhere. The entire midfield and forward line I'd get rid of. As with most players, you could make an argument that they could be a reasonable squad player etc but we need to be more ruthless. Every player we sign should be signed with the aim of them improving the team and creating competition for places. I think the guys that came through our youth system like Stewart and McIntosh should be looking to leave anyway and prove themselves elsewhere. I remember saying last summer I had no idea why McIntosh re-signed, given the players we signed he was always going to be 5th or 6th choice in any position he could play, end up playing a handful of games in random positions and be in the same position a year later having not developed at all. He needs to drop to whatever level he has to get a regular game in his preferred position. Stewart the same, he's not good enough for a promotion winning side and it's not in his interests to be a squad player playing a few different positions.

I really hope Murray is as ruthless as possible and does all he can to move on the guys on 2 year contracts.

Edited April 19, 2019 by Diamonds are Forever

[Car54wherareyou]

Now the blues are safe I'll have a wee dig at this.We will be losing Kyle Turner off to a higher league,back to parent clubs will be Innes Cameron,Ali McCann,P J Crossan and Jao Victoria.Probably would try and keep,Currie GK,Hamill,Brownlee,Cummins,MacDonald,MacManus and Elliot who have all shown good form at one time and another this season.Young McGowan could be worth another season,Mark Lamont is frustrating at times but can play well

[theoriginalhedge]

Punt the lot at Brechin  apart from Paddy Oneil and start again . 

[Best Team in Angus]

5 hours ago, theoriginalhedge said:

Punt the lot at Brechin  apart from Paddy Oneil and start again . 

think you have been quite reserved

[greendot]

Genuinely thought the topic title has been the brechin city managers team tactics over the past two seasons. Keep the ball (in defence) punt it up top, then undecided on what to do after that 

[GableEnder21]

Difficult to comment on this topic from a Mo point of view. It has been a tremendous season for the Gable Endies and so there are no obvious players that I would want punted.

Bolo is off to Spartans and we will lose Henderson, Antoinazzi and Harrington at the end of the season because they were loan deals.

Fully expect Foxy to retire and take up a coaching role alongside RC.

Think Webby and Callaghan will do well to get new deals for next season. Would be interested to hear other Mo fans opinions.

[AFC360PUNK1320]

After winning the league it is always hard to free players so i would like to keep all the current Red Lichtie players, i would love to see the legend that is Steven Doris (the only player to win the 3 league Championships with us) and the multi-talented Ryan McCord to stay with us but both have struggled to get a starting place this season but they might be happy to be "bit-part" players next season or both can improve their fitness and grab a starting place.

We have a very small squad so maybe keep our current squad and add 3 or 4 higher class players.

[ecto]

Think Kadar, Denholm, McCord and Hill will be away possibly Whately and Doris also