Airdrieonians Off Season Thread 2016

[Hugh Jarss]

At the end of the day McBride picks the team and is in charge of training during the week and must take most of the blame for the poor performances. I agree that he might not have had much say in the crazy contracts dished out in the summer but he is the guy that is supposedly in charge of the first team. The results and performances have been poor for weeks now and we are still conceding goals from set pieces...what do we do in training every week? I've yet to see any benefits from full time training. We haven't looked fitter or better organised than any of the part time sides we've played so far. 

Even during games when things aren't going to plan he is reluctant to bring a sub on when everyone in the stand can see that's needed to change things. Does this show he doesn't think the young lads on the bench are good enough? I'm not sure what the likes of McLaughlin or McIntosh have done wrong to get so little game time when regular starters Boateng, MacDonald, Leitch, Brown and Fitzpatrick and the rest have been rubbish.

McBride and his backroom team have to go now to give us a chance of making top 4 but that shouldn't mean Dalziel taking over. 

[carlukediamond]

I don't blame McBride for the goals we lost i blame the players. You can set up allmost any formation and training throughout the week you like but you will lose matches defending like we did no matter the formation or training as some of is it very basic specifically the first goal.  When i was watching the game in first half it was a scrappy game and for us to win it we required a decent defensive performance. I wouldn't have started Fitzpatrick who isn't doing enough for me however you will struggle to find any two people who will agree with lines up and formations.

Goal 1- Boetang stood still and didnt challange for the header. ( not acceptable)

Goal 2- Neither Gorman or McDonald followed McCallisters run.

Goal 3- Gorman played a bad pass in a dangerous area which cost us the 3rd goal.

1 Firstly McBride signed boateng

2 McBride allegedly takes training during the week, these things should be covered within the training.

3 And sadly you can't legislate for a bad pass

[Airdrie76]

4 hours ago, Cooper81 said:

I don't blame McBride for the goals we lost i blame the players. You can set up allmost any formation and training throughout the week you like but you will lose matches defending like we did no matter the formation or training as some of is it very basic specifically the first goal.  When i was watching the game in first half it was a scrappy game and for us to win it we required a decent defensive performance. I wouldn't have started Fitzpatrick who isn't doing enough for me however you will struggle to find any two people who will agree with lines up and formations.

Goal 1- Boetang stood still and didnt challange for the header. ( not acceptable)

Goal 2- Neither Gorman or McDonald followed McCallisters run.

Goal 3- Gorman played a bad pass in a dangerous area which cost us the 3rd goal.

There's one consistent throughout all this mess. You're an utter fvckwit. We're an absolute shambles defending crosses and set pieces. Basic stuff you'd expect a full time team/manager to address. Week after week same sh1te though...

You're a troll though, working your 'magic'  as required. 

[Diamond Oracle]

I was one of the people who welcomed TW into the club. I plead guilty and offer no apologies. The club had been stagnating. The Ballantyne family had saved the club but either had no more money to spend or decided not to spend any more. I offer no criticism of them for that. Along came TW who tried to make things happen. The fact that things have not paid off is a combination of bad luck, bad decision making by a number of people and possibly bad judgement by TW himself.

Obviously TW is trying to do something about it although most of us (myself included) have little faith in the person he has chosen.

Time will tell but even although the product on the park is deteriorating I hope at least some of the fans will stay with it. I for one would rather we tried and failed than continue the way things were. I would welcome another Q and A so that the fans can have a say and hopefully get an insight as to a possible way forward.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Hope we can all look back on this period in a few years time as a "blip" in an overall successful period under Wotherspoon.

[Diamonds are Forever]

5 hours ago, Hugh Jarss said:

At the end of the day McBride picks the team and is in charge of training during the week and must take most of the blame for the poor performances. I agree that he might not have had much say in the crazy contracts dished out in the summer but he is the guy that is supposedly in charge of the first team. The results and performances have been poor for weeks now and we are still conceding goals from set pieces...what do we do in training every week? I've yet to see any benefits from full time training. We haven't looked fitter or better organised than any of the part time sides we've played so far. 

Even during games when things aren't going to plan he is reluctant to bring a sub on when everyone in the stand can see that's needed to change things. Does this show he doesn't think the young lads on the bench are good enough? I'm not sure what the likes of McLaughlin or McIntosh have done wrong to get so little game time when regular starters Boateng, MacDonald, Leitch, Brown and Fitzpatrick and the rest have been rubbish.

McBride and his backroom team have to go now to give us a chance of making top 4 but that shouldn't mean Dalziel taking over. 

 

I'd say it's a safe bet Dalziel taking over. The club pulled a similar move when they brought EWB in when Bollan was in charge. Looks to be the same move here, probably hoping McBride doesn't want the interference and leaves.

[waysider]

McBride is presumably "acting up" while Black is incapacitated. I'm not an expert in this but if we appointed a new overall manager (on the assumption that Black goes) McBride would surely be expected to go back to his former duties without having any recourse for compensation. The big worry is of course is if Dalziel is the new overall manager.

[Diamonds are Forever]

5 hours ago, Hugh Jarss said:

At the end of the day McBride picks the team and is in charge of training during the week and must take most of the blame for the poor performances. I agree that he might not have had much say in the crazy contracts dished out in the summer but he is the guy that is supposedly in charge of the first team. The results and performances have been poor for weeks now and we are still conceding goals from set pieces...what do we do in training every week? I've yet to see any benefits from full time training. We haven't looked fitter or better organised than any of the part time sides we've played so far. 

Even during games when things aren't going to plan he is reluctant to bring a sub on when everyone in the stand can see that's needed to change things. Does this show he doesn't think the young lads on the bench are good enough? I'm not sure what the likes of McLaughlin or McIntosh have done wrong to get so little game time when regular starters Boateng, MacDonald, Leitch, Brown and Fitzpatrick and the rest have been rubbish.

McBride and his backroom team have to go now to give us a chance of making top 4 but that shouldn't mean Dalziel taking over. 

 

Agree with your general points, however the set-piece point I don't really. The problem is we have no-one in the team who can attack a ball. Look at the first goal yesterday, organisation from the corner wasn't the issue, it was Boateng's pathetic attempt to challenge for the ball. It doesn't matter what your set-up is for set-pieces if you don't have anyone willing to attack the ball and be aggresive in the air. Compare that to previous years when we had the likes of Lithgow, Crighton, Lister, Buchanan, Lindsay, Gasparotto, Barr etc where we would score plenty and lose hardly any, it wasn't organisation, it was personel that was the key. Again it comes back to recruitment and whoever is making the signings just being oblivious to the realities of this league.

[DestroyedByMadness]

 I've been wracking my brain trying to think what we could possibly do to improve things with the game coming up but this team is simply too bad.   

No matter what I come up with just doesn't seem plausible.   

You could theoretically stick McIntosh at RB for Stewart, who typically now looks very assured in that position, and let Stewart take a CDM or RM position.   Or we could insert McIntosh straight up for Boateng.  Neither is brilliant defensively but McIntosh has massive room for improvement but isn't getting any experience sitting down. The same can be said for McLaughlin who has only been sparingly used. 

I can see no point in playing guys like Boateng who are ruining us and offering nothing.    Fitz is probably only good for left back at a push.   McDonald is a really poor defender.   Brown needs a break.   

I really think there's gonna be fireworks this week.

 

 

 

 

[WeeDiamond90]

1 hour ago, DestroyedByMadness said:

 I've been wracking my brain trying to think what we could possibly do to improve things with the game coming up but this team is simply too bad.

No matter what I come up with just doesn't seem plausible.  

You could theoretically stick McIntosh at RB for Stewart, who typically now looks very assured in that position, and let Stewart take a CDM or RM position.   Or we could insert McIntosh straight up for Boateng.  Neither is brilliant defensively but McIntosh has massive room for improvement but isn't getting any experience sitting down. The same can be said for McLaughlin who has only been sparingly used.

I can see no point in playing guys like Boateng who are ruining us and offering nothing.    Fitz is probably only good for left back at a push.   McDonald is a really poor defender.   Brown needs a break.

I really think there's gonna be fireworks this week.

 

 

 

 

Think I can see what you are getting at, if you look a the squad we have there is no clear formation that they fit into.

Current squad of outfield players by position (Not including apprentices)

Centre Back

Gorman

Boateng

McIntosh

 

Left Back

MacDonald

 

Centre Midfield/ Attacking Centre Mid

Leitch

Brown

Conroy

Fitzpatrick

McLaughlin

Daly (?)

Faria (?)

 

Left/ Right Wingers

Scullion

Stewart

 

Strikers

Ryan

Russell

Schmidt

 

The squad above is supplemented by youth players and apprentices but none of them are getting a look in so this is what I see as a true representation of our current playing staff. If you take away Faria and Daly that leaves only 14 outfield players fighting for 10 places. There isn't really enough depth there to make any drastic formation or tactical changes as we just don't have the player resources. Seems like we just need to get them going and just to get them working a little bit harder and actually try a game plan of sorts and actually stick to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DestroyedByMadness]

The squad is an absolute mess.   We could do with a fullback like Brechin's Chris O'Neill.   I have no idea why we can't sign a young player like that.    

David Cox and Jamie Bain were desperate to stay this season and would certainly have improved this squad.   O'Neill, Bain and Cox v.  Scullion, Schmidt and Boateng?      It's not even close.

Also, we're conceding 2 goals per game with Boateng in the team (20 in 10 games),  we were talking about how we were conceding only 1 goal per game average with Hugo over a similar spell last season.   

 

 

[waysider]

Now there's a thought. Bring back Hugo? Answers on a postcard please with no swearing.

[Diamonds are Forever]

1 hour ago, DestroyedByMadness said:

The squad is an absolute mess.   We could do with a fullback like Brechin's Chris O'Neill.   I have no idea why we can't sign a young player like that.    

David Cox and Jamie Bain were desperate to stay this season and would certainly have improved this squad.   O'Neill, Bain and Cox v.  Scullion, Schmidt and Boateng?      It's not even close.

Also, we're conceding 2 goals per game with Boateng in the team (20 in 10 games),  we were talking about how we were conceding only 1 goal per game average with Hugo over a similar spell last season.   

 

 

 

In fairness that's nothing to do with Hugo, and everything to do with the more solid and experienced defence he was playing in front of. Bain, Crighton, Lithgow (and MacDonald) have around 700 senior appearances in the lower leagues between them. Stewart, Boateng, Gorman and MacDonald have a fraction of that. It's raking over old arguments really but keeping some of that experience was essential, and the club messed up.

[DestroyedByMadness]

Just now, Diamonds are Forever said:

 

In fairness that's nothing to do with Hugo, and everything to do with the more solid and experienced defence he was playing in front of. Bain, Crighton, Lithgow (and MacDonald) have around 700 senior appearances in the lower leagues between them. Stewart, Boateng, Gorman and MacDonald have a fraction of that. It's raking over old arguments really but keeping some of that experience was essential, and the club messed up.

In fairness, I only used the hugo stat to show the difference between 1 goal per game at end of last season compared to 2 per game now.

The defence last season was still a disaster.  Before Hugo it was those same defenders who were more porous before we parked the bus.  Our whole outlook became more cautious.  Livi signed Crighton and Lithgow as they wanted an experienced duo for this league but they now play a 3 at back with a really good CDM in front of them.   That says enough for me.   Personally I'd have kept Crighton to partner Gorman at a push but it's spilt milk now.   I can't believe we failed to sign better than what we had.   Major f**k up from our side.

 

 

[carlukediamond]

I know our u20s are struggling this year, but surely there is a centre half that could do just as good a job if not be better than boateng.

[Diamonds are Forever]

8 minutes ago, DestroyedByMadness said:

In fairness, I only used the hugo stat to show the difference between 1 goal per game at end of last season compared to 2 per game now.

The defence last season was still a disaster.  Before Hugo it was those same defenders who were more porous before we parked the bus.  Our whole outlook became more cautious.  Livi signed Crighton and Lithgow as they wanted an experienced duo for this league but they now play a 3 at back with a really good CDM in front of them.   That says enough for me.   Personally I'd have kept Crighton to partner Gorman at a push but it's spilt milk now.   I can't believe we failed to sign better than what we had.   Major f**k up from our side.

 

 

 

Your last sentence is the key point, don't think anyone is claiming that last season was like watching Baresi and Maldini, but surely the basic rule of recruitment is to make sure your replacements are better than what you had. I would have kept Bain for another season to give Stewart more time to develop into a right back if they so wished, and Crighton as an experienced head at the back to bring on Gorman. MacDonald I can forgive as I think most people thought he would be okay. But even that back 4 would be an improvement on what we have now.

[carlukediamond]

Is there not an option to recall Higgins, play him at right back which would allow Stewart to move into the middle.

[DestroyedByMadness]

2 minutes ago, carlukediamond said:

Is there not an option to recall Higgins, play him at right back which would allow Stewart to move into the middle.

Not sure he's good enough tbh.

[teekasule]

On 10/16/2016 at 12:46, Cooper81 said:

I don't understand why our chairman just keeps it simple and look at what works for other clubs. Young at Albion Rovers was inexpierenced manager one of the the first things the Rovers allowed him was to find expierenced assistant in Stark. McBride in my oppinon should have been able to go out and find expierenced assistant. 

Darren's first assistant was Sandy Clark. We won the league then Billy Stark came in. 

[waysider]

I'm open to correction here but I don't think Higgins was ever allowed on the park during the pre-season friendlies.  I certainly have never seen him. Can't be rated by the management at this stage of his career.

[carlukediamond]

Not sure he's good enough tbh.

The only reason I mentioned it was, If we had a natural right back playing in his natural position. Releasing Stewart Into his natural position in theory it would balance the team.