Airdrieonians 23/24 Championship Thread♦️

[airdrieman]

4 of our 5 league goals, all of them bar Aiken’s, have been scored or set up by Reid, MacDonald or Hancock. Genuinely don’t see how we’ll score a goal if Reid and Hancock are out for 6/7 weeks. 

[Diamond1924]

This season was McCabe’s first opportunity to sign a squad of players that he wanted and it’s evident that he and the club have spent the budget really poorly. 

I was criticised on here for saying that this squad would be a mid table league one side and I stand by that. It’s just simply not good enough. 
 

Yesterday’s result is up there with some of the worst but it’s the manner in which we lost that is so disappointing.
 

The whole squad lack a sense of urgency and aggression that you 100% need in the championship never mind in the diddy cup against EK. 
 

Apart from the piss poor recruitment, I think losing Fordyce was the biggest mistake the club and McCabe have made. I’m beginning to think that he was behind a lot of our success but I think it emphasises McCabe's stubbornness and inability to perhaps stray from his beliefs if he’s falling out with his cousin after the most successful seasons in recent years. 
 

We’ve got a chance to get a few free agents in but even if we do I think that relegation will be confirmed by January time and I’d expect and want McCabe to resign at the end of the season if that’s the case. 
 

We’re also constantly told that the club is in a financially sound position but instead of trying to build on that it’s as if we’re happy to play it safe. You don’t progress in any league by signing bang average youngsters and having zero experience in the squad. 
 

RANT OVER

[cb_diamond]

1 hour ago, Diamond1924 said:

RANT OVER

Tell us you're a Facebook maw without telling us you're a Facebook maw

[A Diamond For Me]

That was pathetic yesterday, just a really grim watch pretty much from start to finish.  There were a few flickers here and there, but it was nothing like good enough and we got what we deserved.  No compure at the back, no rhythm going forward, no identifiable patterns of play... it seems a long, long time ago that folk were moaning about us playing possession football.

The injury list is horrendous and shows no sign of getting better, and it' really hard to see what there is from the players we have available that's going to turn it around.  We need to be within striking distance of safety by the time January comes around and we can strenghten the squad, and that probably is going to mean signing players who, well, don't have a gig at the moment for a reason.  

The players still to come back will improve the team.  They won't make it as good as last season's team, but they will make it better than it is now, and maybe good enough to reach eighth place.  I really hope there are some serious lessons being learnt from this, because the recruitment this season has been really poor. 

[Rossm25]

Not much else to add , sadly missed the game due to Hurricane Milton. 

I think some of the big misses for us are Rae and Dycey's ability ro distribute and play out from the back. I know Big Josh had his occasional incidents but he was able to start attacks and his distribution is miles ahead of MJs. 

 

Don't know what's happened to our set plays as well as they're awful. 

 

I wrote a bit on my stats twitter before I binned it mentioning we've replaced literally 10's of thousands of minutes of experience with players who haven't played many first team minutes. On reflection the amount of minutes or lack of might be down to players being injury prone...hard to tell obviously. 

But ultimately aye our recruitment has just been poor. 

[Rocky Rooster AFC]

Oh dear that was a real low on Saturday indeed, Bullied and outplayed by East Kilbride and knocked out the cup we so brilliantly won last year. Complete moron running on the park to admittedly fight with a bigger moron of a player and to top it off an absolute idiot in the crowd starts to racially abuse the East Kilbride player, Unacceptable and more damage done to the clubs reputation. 

By the looks of things we only have 12 or 13 players available so will be interesting to see how this plays out this week and if we get any injured players back or dip into the free agents market, bring loanees back or promote some academy players. 

As for the cries to sack the manager, I don't think we are at that stage at all yet but he needs to turn things around quickly and find a way to get the players he does have going. 

They say this is the spooky season well let me tell you I have the fear.  

 

[Kenny_m]

1 hour ago, Rocky Rooster AFC said:

Oh dear that was a real low on Saturday indeed, Bullied and outplayed by East Kilbride and knocked out the cup we so brilliantly won last year. Complete moron running on the park to admittedly fight with a bigger moron of a player and to top it off an absolute idiot in the crowd starts to racially abuse the East Kilbride player, Unacceptable and more damage done to the clubs reputation. 

By the looks of things we only have 12 or 13 players available so will be interesting to see how this plays out this week and if we get any injured players back or dip into the free agents market, bring loanees back or promote some academy players. 

As for the cries to sack the manager, I don't think we are at that stage at all yet but he needs to turn things around quickly and find a way to get the players he does have going. 

They say this is the spooky season well let me tell you I have the fear.  

 

I notice that Morton and Ayr both signed out of contract players last week, so still some to be had if we look out with Consilium!!

[DiamondDownSouth]

Can someone confirm that Saturday was the first time Rhys has lost to a team from a lower division (i.e. league 2 or non-league, and including league 1 since start of last season) in the two and a bit years since taking over as Airdrie manager?

Possibly an unpopular opinion, but I would stick with McCabe even if we get relegated this season, giving him at least a year to try to get us back up to the Championship.

[Diamonds Are Red]

3 hours ago, Rocky Rooster AFC said:

Oh dear that was a real low on Saturday indeed, Bullied and outplayed by East Kilbride and knocked out the cup we so brilliantly won last year. Complete moron running on the park to admittedly fight with a bigger moron of a player and to top it off an absolute idiot in the crowd starts to racially abuse the East Kilbride player, Unacceptable and more damage done to the clubs reputation. 

By the looks of things we only have 12 or 13 players available so will be interesting to see how this plays out this week and if we get any injured players back or dip into the free agents market, bring loanees back or promote some academy players. 

As for the cries to sack the manager, I don't think we are at that stage at all yet but he needs to turn things around quickly and find a way to get the players he does have going. 

They say this is the spooky season well let me tell you I have the fear.  

 

Ridiculous from the EK players at the end, purposely running over to the corner at the Airdrie fans, but still no excuse for 3 fans (2 together and particularly the 1 other angry one) to come onto the pitch. 

Was that abuse from behind the home dugout shortly after, before the EK players went up the tunnel? Seemed to be a bit of a commotion there too. 

As for sacking Rhys, fans will turn against him and crowds will drop. Got a feeling the board will ride it out, stick with him and if we do go down (yes me too, feeling that way already) he will be given a chance in League One.

Edited Monday at 10:49 by Diamonds Are Red

[Rocky Rooster AFC]

38 minutes ago, DiamondDownSouth said:

Can someone confirm that Saturday was the first time Rhys has lost to a team from a lower division (i.e. league 2 or non-league, and including league 1 since start of last season) in the two and a bit years since taking over as Airdrie manager?

Possibly an unpopular opinion, but I would stick with McCabe even if we get relegated this season, giving him at least a year to try to get us back up to the Championship.

Yes it is the first he's lost to a team in a league below us. I am of the same opinion we should stick with Rhys no matter what this season. 

[Rocky Rooster AFC]

3 minutes ago, Diamonds Are Red said:

Ridiculous from the EK players at the end, purposely running over to the corner at the Airdrie fans, but still no excuse for 3 fans (2 together and particularly the 1 other angry one) to come onto the pitch. 

Was that abuse from behind the home dugout shortly after before the EK players went up the tunnel? Seemed to be a bit of a commotion there too. 

I agree fully with this that it was ridiculous but not unexpected from Robertson who has previous from his time at Edinburgh City and seemed raging for the full 90 mins. As you say though it does not mean some of our fans can react like that. 

And yes that will have been it, I've since seen a tweet from EK commercial manager and a few fans of ours about the incident and it's been reported apparently to The club and authorities. Whoever it was is going to be in a whole lot of bother for sure. No place for it and again this really does help with the image of the club and supporters  

[Mingus2000]

1 hour ago, Rocky Rooster AFC said:

I agree fully with this that it was ridiculous but not unexpected from Robertson who has previous from his time at Edinburgh City and seemed raging for the full 90 mins. As you say though it does not mean some of our fans can react like that. 

And yes that will have been it, I've since seen a tweet from EK commercial manager and a few fans of ours about the incident and it's been reported apparently to The club and authorities. Whoever it was is going to be in a whole lot of bother for sure. No place for it and again this really does help with the image of the club and supporters  

Robertson was getting plenty abuse before his pen so I wasn't at all surprised they ran to us. It was a massive win for them, they hate us (probably - like everyone), and they only had about 25 of their own fans to celebrate with.

Hancock goaded Dunfermline last week, and him and Todorov did similar a few times last year. Not to the same extent as Saturday, but anyone reacting with outrage needs to get over it.

John Robertson is a decent player. Seems a bit of a bam.. see rumours around his Linfield departure.. or would likely be playing at a higher level. Sadly, him and the other boy up front would likely get a game for us right now.
 

[Diamonds Are Red]

2 hours ago, Rocky Rooster AFC said:

I agree fully with this that it was ridiculous but not unexpected from Robertson who has previous from his time at Edinburgh City and seemed raging for the full 90 mins. As you say though it does not mean some of our fans can react like that. 

And yes that will have been it, I've since seen a tweet from EK commercial manager and a few fans of ours about the incident and it's been reported apparently to The club and authorities. Whoever it was is going to be in a whole lot of bother for sure. No place for it and again this really does help with the image of the club and supporters  

44 years after our fans chanted "lick my boots" at a Bury player this type of nonsense is still going on. Maybe only 1 person on Saturday compared to back then, but 1 too many, and baffling to understand the mentality when we have our own players who would be offended by racism. 

They will know who they are, maybe even reading P & B, a complete coward - would  it be said to the player's face rather than (presumably) standing in the safety of several feet away and across rows of seats?! 

[airdrieman]

2 hours ago, Rocky Rooster AFC said:

And yes that will have been it, I've since seen a tweet from EK commercial manager and a few fans of ours about the incident and it's been reported apparently to The club and authorities. Whoever it was is going to be in a whole lot of bother for sure. No place for it and again this really does help with the image of the club and supporters  

I won’t share my private correspondence with the club. But the incident is being dealt with by the club and police, and the perpetrator is known by both. 

[Diamonds Are Red]

17 hours ago, Rossm25 said:

Not much else to add , sadly missed the game due to Hurricane Milton. 

I think some of the big misses for us are Rae and Dycey's ability ro distribute and play out from the back. I know Big Josh had his occasional incidents but he was able to start attacks and his distribution is miles ahead of MJs. 

 

Don't know what's happened to our set plays as well as they're awful. 

 

I wrote a bit on my stats twitter before I binned it mentioning we've replaced literally 10's of thousands of minutes of experience with players who haven't played many first team minutes. On reflection the amount of minutes or lack of might be down to players being injury prone...hard to tell obviously. 

But ultimately aye our recruitment has just been poor. 

It seems to have gone completely pear shaped now, and it's only mid October. 

Rae, Fordyce, Ballantyne (man of the match on Friday night for Morton), Telfer, Lyall and Megwa - all a miss, plus 3 forwards away (McGill, Todorov and Gallagher) and some acceptable squad players - all departing for various reasons, replaced by (so far) varying degrees of experience and competence! 

Wholesale changes, inconsistent line ups and tactics/ formation, injuries to key players, teams figured us out after last season - is there anything I've missed?!?! 

From the start on Saturday we looked low in confidence and lacking in ideas. Ultimately too if the skill or wherewithall isn't high then that just adds to the problems. 

I would like to think we can improve when (?) "things begin to click" but for me at the moment that's a hope rather than an expectation.

[AJ77]

34 minutes ago, airdrieman said:

I won’t share my private correspondence with the club. But the incident is being dealt with by the club and police, and the perpetrator is known by both. 

Glad to hear. Lifetime ban only acceptable punishment.

[Jack Reed]

Just now, AJ77 said:

Glad to hear. Lifetime ban only acceptable punishment.

Or be made to watch Airdrie every week at the moment that would be more severe,

[Passionate]

6 minutes ago, AJ77 said:

Glad to hear. Lifetime ban only acceptable punishment.

Totally agree and I would go even further, any supporter that enters the field of play, should be sine die...   A football pitch is for football players and officials only and therefore should feel safe in their workplace at all times...

And to continue on that subject the Stewarding at Airdrie continues to be very poor,  I believe it is a new security company as well..

[Passionate]

26 minutes ago, Diamonds Are Red said:

It seems to have gone completely pear shaped now, and it's only mid October. 

Rae, Fordyce, Ballantyne (man of the match on Friday night for Morton), Telfer, Lyall and Megwa - all a miss, plus 3 forwards away (McGill, Todorov and Gallagher) and some acceptable squad players - all departing for various reasons, replaced by (so far) varying degrees of experience and competence! 

Wholesale changes, inconsistent line ups and tactics/ formation, injuries to key players, teams figured us out after last season - is there anything I've missed?!?! 

From the start on Saturday we looked low in confidence and lacking in ideas. Ultimately too if the skill or wherewithall isn't high then that just adds to the problems. 

I would like to think we can improve when (?) "things begin to click" but for me at the moment that's a hope rather than an expectation.

 

It is coming apart quickly,  what constitutes a manager losing the dressing room,  is it giving a group of players clear instructions that they cannot adhere to when they cross the white line,  is it not playing to standards demanded by manager and the club,  If YES then Rhys McCabe has lost the dressing room.... A pretty basic assumption but you can add your own terms to it,  Injuries are horrendous and even more after Saturday, but what do you do,   you have to find a way to galvanise what you have, get a siege mentality and bin all talk of philosophies and playing the right way and all that pish,   The right way is anyway that gets points on the board...   Is Rhys lack of coaching badges and courses coming back to haunt him now when he is in a rut with knowhere to go it seems,  in times of trouble you tend to go back to basics in order to arrest the slide,  

 

As I said a couple of days back "something's not right". There is no spark off the bench or the new comfy gaming chairs we now have,   The only time I have noticed Prunty lately  was when he was squaring up to Robertson going up the tunnel on Saturday. What does Prunty contribute, his pre match warm ups are less and less now also..  as I say "something's not right" throughout and a change might happen sooner than we all think.

[airdrieman]

Good.