Diamonds are Forever Posted September 23, 2023 Share Posted September 23, 2023 Credit to McCabe, he rightly got a bit of stick last week (for his playing performance more than anything managerial) but got the big calls spot on this week. Sorted out the defence and took himself out the midfield. As Mr November says we are getting much better at bouncing back from terrible results with solid performances and that is down to the management team. We're obviously going to lose a lot more this season so that will be crucial to doing well this season. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chapelhall chap Posted September 23, 2023 Share Posted September 23, 2023 Thank you Callum Gallagher for today, and Gabby! It was fairly even but great to send the ex Airdrie guys home empty handed. Happy chap tonight after last week. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr November Posted September 23, 2023 Share Posted September 23, 2023 I didn’t appreciate at the time that our goal today had 25 passes in the build up. I remember we scored a goal at East Fife a couple of years ago with 20 odd passes in the build up and that seemed quite unusual at the time. Now, scoring great goals like that is just something we know this team are capable of. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoalForAirdrie Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 League 1 curse broken. League cup group stage curse broken. Thistle curse broken. Raith curse broken. What’s next?! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
++Ammo - Airdrie++ Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 (edited) 3 hours ago, GoalForAirdrie said: League 1 curse broken. League cup group stage curse broken. Thistle curse broken. Raith curse broken. What’s next?! That 100 year Scottish cup hoodoo would be fine for me in May/June Edited September 24, 2023 by ++Ammo - Airdrie++ 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2lgm Posted September 24, 2023 Share Posted September 24, 2023 2 hours ago, ++Ammo - Airdrie++ said: That 100 year Scottish cup hoodoo would be fine for me in May/June We can but dream. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenmavis Diamond Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 (edited) A quick review and reflection of the season so far. Given how long we'd been stuck in League One, it's simply been a joy to be back in the Championship, competing against a better standard of opponent and showing that we can raise our game to the next level. Rhys sticking to the same mantra that served us so well last season, playing football as it should be played. Patient in its build up, keeping possession making the other team work to try and win the ball back, leading to some lovely moves and excellent team goals. Gal's on Saturday being the latest in a long line of nice team goals we've scored over the last year. The only team in Scotland to come through the league cup group stages with 100% win record showed that the confidence and belief in their own ability was still there from last season. Getting out the league stage is something we'd not done in a while, if at all under that format, then being knocked out by a Premier league team in extra time after going toe to toe with them for 90 mins, especially after such a poor start, again shows the strength and character of our team. So on to the league itself. Very early days but don't think anyone will be disappointed with how we've started. Superb to have a 100% win record at home, handing 2 teams their first defeats of the season, including the league leaders at the time on Saturday. Home form will be vital and it's the start we all dreamed for. Away form is where we can improve. I think it's be fair to say we were unlucky to leave East End Park with nothing. Also think we gave a good account of ourselves away to Dundee Utd, not forgetting how injury hit our midfield was, plus losing McMaster early on. But we showed up well. The only blip so far is Arbroath away. Plenty teams will be beaten by them this season, as Thistle evidenced on Saturday. They're nobodies mugs and are, just like us, out to prove they're not relegation cannon fodder. And they're proving it well so far. The sore bit for me was the manner of defeat, but every team will have a game or two this season where fans will say they were not happy with the performance. The team know it and fair play to them, they responded brilliantly on Saturday, not only with a win but a clean sheet and the general manner of play. Well disciplined, fought as a team both on and off the ball and everyone working hard for each other. Onto this Saturday and the way we've been playing, I think it's only a matter of time before we start picking up points away from home. I do think this weekend coming could be when it starts to happen for us. Fingers crossed anyway. So overall, it's still early days yet but I have to say, I still have that buzzing feeling from beating Hamilton in the play off final. The team, their performances and effort, the inspirational gaffer, they're keeping it alive and it's a great time to be a diamond. Edited September 25, 2023 by Glenmavis Diamond 12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airdrieman Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Right enjoyed that on Saturday. Two decent teams going toe-to-toe, played at a good pace, in what felt like a proper contest. As a spectacle itself I found it to be more enjoyable than most of our games in League 1 the last couple of seasons. They were fun in their own way but largely felt like a procession most of the time. You could see the difference Aiken makes to the midfield immediately. His influence faded as the game went on but at one point I thought he was the best player on the park. The midfield of him, McMaster and Frizzell is by far our best and most balanced in terms of running, ball winning/retention and creativity. Thought the defence did well to keep a team with the attacking talent Raith have quiet. Must have been a close run thing between Ballantyne and Hancock for MotM. Mullin got nothing out of Hancock all game and Ballantyne marshalled Easton. Easton is wasted in a wide role like that, although he still showed his quality at times. That through-ball to Hamilton was different gravy. I wasn’t totally convinced when I saw Watson was at centre-half but he had a good game and handled getting booked well. Don’t remember them having any clear cut chances beyond Stanton’s long-range efforts. Couple of fantastic saves from Rae also. A few hairy moments of miscommunication (though it’s hard to know whose fault that was without being on the pitch) but I thought he was excellent. His distribution is getting better by the week which is obviously key to how we play. Our goal was superb, this Airdrie team at its best. Terrific work from Gabby in both starting the move and his ball for the assist. That’ll hopefully do his confidence good. Could see it meant a lot to him at full-time, which was lovely. Nice to have Telfer back on the bench. Assuming ATS and McStravick are back this weekend I think that’s the first time we’ll have a full squad to choose from? Which will be a boost subs wise. I still think we need to create more chances or be a bit bolder in terms of having shots on goal. Not sure if that requires a tweak of the system, or just needs the players to be a bit braver. But in fairness to McCabe, he has a good track record of fixing problems with our shape or style of play so I have faith that we’ll get there. 3/3 wins at home, two of them being against Thistle and Raith, I think, is a great start. We won’t win every home game but if we keep picking up points we’ll be fine. A good opportunity to get some away points on this board this weekend. I think it will be tough, this is the sort of game I could see us struggling in. But it is one we should be looking to win all the same. Win on Saturday and we’ll be 8 points ahead of Morton and possibly 11 ahead of Inverness. With Ayr (h), Queen’s Park (h) and Inverness all to play next month. Can’t get ahead of ourselves but that’s a great opportunity to put ourselves in a good place points and table wise come the end of the first quarter/November. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds are Forever Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 (edited) Looking at the next 4 fixtures, I think they will really show us where we'll be this season - as in just trying to avoid relegation or pushing for the play-off. There are no easy games obviously and we could conceivably lose the next 4, however as a run of winnable games go in this league it's as good as you're going to get, based on early season form anyway. It's against all the teams beneath us who all look in poor form (Ayr's win against QP being the exception). I'd say 8+ points from the 4 games would be a good indicator that we'll have nothing to worry about this season. Less than that and we can still do well, but would probably be a sign that we should be looking downwards more than upwards. The away game to Morton is also big because, although it's a bit cliche, I'm still a bit worried that we'll struggle away at the more 'traditional' grounds like Gayfield, Cappielow and Somerset, especially as the pitches get heavier. I think we'll win plenty of home games but I think our season will be defined by how many points we can get away from home. Edited September 25, 2023 by Diamonds are Forever 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny_m Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 1 hour ago, Diamonds are Forever said: The away game to Morton is also big because, Agree, but I'm still looking downwards and a win and a 8 point gap over them is massive even at this stage of the season as well as confidence boosting away win. Morton don't seem to have great depth to their squad but do have a more than decent starting 11 albeit they picked up a couple of injuries on Saturday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds_Are_Forever Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 30 minutes ago, Kenny_m said: Agree, but I'm still looking downwards and a win and a 8 point gap over them is massive even at this stage of the season as well as confidence boosting away win. Morton don't seem to have great depth to their squad but do have a more than decent starting 11 albeit they picked up a couple of injuries on Saturday. Kirk Broadfoot at the back pressure in him and it could be a good laugh big mcgregor striker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moses1924 Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Great summary @Glenmavis Diamondagree with all of that. It is great to be back in the championship playing teams like Thistle DUFC, Ayr, Raith etc. Not sure how our home crowds have been but it seems busier and there is definitly a buzz about the place. The results have been better than I expected (apart from Arbroath) and some of the players I thought would struggle most with the step up (Gal in particular) have managed just fine. McCabe deserves a lot of credit, he is clearly learning all the time and has stuck to the way he wants to play, the goal on Saturday a fine example of that paying off. Board also deserve credit for taking the bold move of appointing him and backing him in signings etc. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio 2 Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 Big Prince doing the business for Rovers tonight, one goal and an assist, so far. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLDiamond Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 1 hour ago, Rio 2 said: Big Prince doing the business for Rovers tonight, one goal and an assist, so far. Nice strike from Joe Bevan….. 18 year old and he looks a player. Have only seen him in a couple of highlights and playing in the Championship is a big step up from Rovers level but I’d take a gamble on him for sure 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rio 2 Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 6 minutes ago, FLDiamond said: Nice strike from Joe Bevan….. 18 year old and he looks a player. Have only seen him in a couple of highlights and playing in the Championship is a big step up from Rovers level but I’d take a gamble on him for sure Scored a cracker of a second and Prince set up the third, before going off injured. Didn't look like many Rovers fans travelled to the game. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoalForAirdrie Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 49 minutes ago, FLDiamond said: Nice strike from Joe Bevan….. 18 year old and he looks a player. Have only seen him in a couple of highlights and playing in the Championship is a big step up from Rovers level but I’d take a gamble on him for sure Not to start a rumour or anything but I’m about 80% sure I seen him in the stand at our game on Saturday with an older gent (possibly an agent?). I wasn’t fully sure it was him at the time though, but thought I recognised him. Even spotted him again in Raith’s match day video. For all I know though, he could just be a random boy going to watch the game with his grandpa but Albion Rovers weren’t playing on Saturday, so maybe was him! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr November Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 4 minutes ago, GoalForAirdrie said: Not to start a rumour or anything but I’m about 80% sure I seen him in the stand at our game on Saturday with an older gent (possibly an agent?). I wasn’t fully sure it was him at the time though, but thought I recognised him. Even spotted him again in Raith’s match day video. For all I know though, he could just be a random boy going to watch the game with his grandpa but Albion Rovers weren’t playing on Saturday, so maybe was him! I think Albion Rovers were training on Saturday, presumably at the stadium as usual, so wonder if he just stuck around for the game like some of the Celtic B players used to? We do need another Owen Moffat type rumour so I’m all for it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLDiamond Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 3 minutes ago, GoalForAirdrie said: Not to start a rumour or anything but I’m about 80% sure I seen him in the stand at our game on Saturday with an older gent (possibly an agent?). I wasn’t fully sure it was him at the time though, but thought I recognised him. Even spotted him again in Raith’s match day video. For all I know though, he could just be a random boy going to watch the game with his grandpa but Albion Rovers weren’t playing on Saturday, so maybe was him! That looks like him for sure. Who knows, and being young with lots of potential it sounds like it would suit McCabe perfectly 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoalForAirdrie Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 2 minutes ago, Mr November said: I think Albion Rovers were training on Saturday, presumably at the stadium as usual, so wonder if he just stuck around for the game like some of the Celtic B players used to? We do need another Owen Moffat type rumour so I’m all for it. That would make sense. But aye, we need a new rumour, which I’ll fuel by saying he wasn’t wearing his Rovers tracksuit in that picture or when I seen him in the stand… 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds Are Red Posted September 25, 2023 Share Posted September 25, 2023 1 hour ago, Rio 2 said: Scored a cracker of a second and Prince set up the third, before going off injured. Didn't look like many Rovers fans travelled to the game. The Rovers fans did manage to squeeze in a rendition of "if you hate the f'ng Airdrie clap your hands..." Obviously an opportunity to voice their dislike of all things ML6 on the television! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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