Can Airdrieonians Get Promoted?

[The Tour Podcast]

The Tour's Article on the high flying Airdrieonians.

'The Diamonds Are Fourth(ever)'.

How far can they actually go this season?

Do you agree or disagree with this article?

READ HERE: https://touroftheterraces.wordpress.com/2024/04/11/the-diamonds-are-fourthever/

[scottsdad]

No.

[kdypar]

Not a hope in hell. 

[A Diamond For Me]

It's been a brilliant couple of years for us, but us going up would very long shot indeed.  Needing to come out on top over six extra games is a tall order, even if you have everyone fit.  We've held things together brilliantly through our fixture pileup, but that can't last forever.  We've avoided relegation with a month of the season to go, which is an excellent achievement, anything else is a bonus.  Playoffs would be a free hit and hopefully help to keep a bit of a buzz about the place, but actually getting to the top league is still a bit of a daydream as far as I'm concerned. 

Of course if we make the playoffs then for as long as we're in them I'll be enjoying the dream as much as anyone would in our situation, but it's not something I'm expending a lot of mental energy on at the moment.  Just enjoying what we've got while we've got it.

[cb_diamond]

Careful, praising Airdrie this much will get a couple of the Partick cognoscenti all jumpy and annoyed. They'll all be down the doublet ironically drinking a grouse and moaning about you.

[Glenmavis Diamond]

No reason why not. We are in the right position for now and the form team in the league. So it's not impossible, although a huge challenge. But I'm here for it. 

First things first though, we need to actually secure the play off spot, hopefully starting with a positive result v Dunfermline tomorrow. That's all that matters right now. 

[AirdrieFanTV]

 

[D'Jaffo]

I’d be genuinely interested if we see a Championship team promoted from the playoffs in the next five years. I still think if it was ever going to happen it would’ve happened last season with Thistle. They may have finished fourth but unlike everyone else they went in with good momentum and basically a fully fit squad to chose from. 

I actually think Raith might benefit from the week off you get for finishing second but I think Murray’s main issue is he overthinks and tinkers with the team too much. I really don’t think the signings of Rudden or Turner (whilst strong on paper) were necessarily needed. 
 

Thistle aren’t nearly as strong as last season and their defence is woeful. I think it’s pretty even between them and Airdrie as to who will win over two legs. If Thistle dropped to fourth and went out at the first hurdle I think Doolan will be under pressure ahead of next season. 
 

Airdrie are well worthy of a top four finish but I think they’ll get turned over by whoever they’d face from the Premiership. If they can hold onto what they have and add a bit more Championship experience then they can go again but I’d be a bit surprised if teams aren’t looking at McCabe. 

[cb_diamond]

4 minutes ago, Rennieball said:

No

Back in your hole for another 3 months wee guy.

[Fuctifano]

1 hour ago, D'Jaffo said:

I’d be genuinely interested if we see a Championship team promoted from the playoffs in the next five years. I still think if it was ever going to happen it would’ve happened last season with Thistle. They may have finished fourth but unlike everyone else they went in with good momentum and basically a fully fit squad to chose from. 

I actually think Raith might benefit from the week off you get for finishing second but I think Murray’s main issue is he overthinks and tinkers with the team too much. I really don’t think the signings of Rudden or Turner (whilst strong on paper) were necessarily needed. 
 

Thistle aren’t nearly as strong as last season and their defence is woeful. I think it’s pretty even between them and Airdrie as to who will win over two legs. If Thistle dropped to fourth and went out at the first hurdle I think Doolan will be under pressure ahead of next season. 
 

Airdrie are well worthy of a top four finish but I think they’ll get turned over by whoever they’d face from the Premiership. If they can hold onto what they have and add a bit more Championship experience then they can go again but I’d be a bit surprised if teams aren’t looking at McCabe. 

I feel this bit has sort of become accepted but I'm not sure it's true. We only won 3 of the last 9 league games, and those three were against Arbroath Cove and a flatlining QP team.

Of the last 3 games we drew 2 of them away to a dreadful Accies team and on the last day in Kirkcaldy against a Raith team with one outfield sub and nothing to play for - in fact Raith had a decent chance in injury time which if it had gone in would have seen us finish 5th. 

We then landed lucky by playing a QP team who were mentally shot, and still made heavy weather of the first leg, then a one man Ayr team where the one man was injured for the first leg and sent off after 20 minutes of the second (albeit the tie was done by then). 

One advantage we had last year that the winner of 3rd and 4th won't this year is that due to the late Premiership finish caused by the world cup, the 3rd vs 2nd playoff was Friday - Friday whereas this year it's back to Tuesday - Friday. 

I think the Premiership team will stay up this season, in the 9 years of the playoffs it's 4 Premiership wins, 2 championship wins and 3 draws which have gone to penalties (2-1 to the Premiership teams). For all we gubbed County in the cup I'd be inclined to write off the entire Derek Adams spell and think they'll have too much, and if it's St J then the Levein side will grind the life out of the Championship team over 2 legs. 

Edited April 12 by Fuctifano

[Passionate]

59 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

I’d be genuinely interested if we see a Championship team promoted from the playoffs in the next five years. I still think if it was ever going to happen it would’ve happened last season with Thistle. They may have finished fourth but unlike everyone else they went in with good momentum and basically a fully fit squad to chose from. 

I actually think Raith might benefit from the week off you get for finishing second but I think Murray’s main issue is he overthinks and tinkers with the team too much. I really don’t think the signings of Rudden or Turner (whilst strong on paper) were necessarily needed. 
 

Thistle aren’t nearly as strong as last season and their defence is woeful. I think it’s pretty even between them and Airdrie as to who will win over two legs. If Thistle dropped to fourth and went out at the first hurdle I think Doolan will be under pressure ahead of next season. 
 

Airdrie are well worthy of a top four finish but I think they’ll get turned over by whoever they’d face from the Premiership. If they can hold onto what they have and add a bit more Championship experience then they can go again but I’d be a bit surprised if teams aren’t looking at McCabe. 

Trying to stay.humble, it has been an unusual season for a number of teams lots of ebbs and flows of form and general shiteness,    Getting to the play offs which is far from certain still, would be a tremendous achievement,   going any further, well you never know,  the teams finishing third or fourth are not supposed to prevail, with the cards firmly stacked in the 9th places teams favour..

 

Onto McCabe personally I think he will certainly be on the watch list of teams, although there will be little or no movement manager wise anyway IMO,  he inherited a decent side from the now much maligned Murray, a side that failed at the the last hurdle against QP remember,  that's taking nothing away from Rhys,    I don't think Rhys is daft, he knows as soon as he gets a gig in the top league, he will be favourite for the chop and with the media saps and gutless chairmen worried more about the money, he would not get time to implement exactly his style, which would take time...  It's alright beating Dundee and St Johnstone in cup games playing them 4 times a season is a different mantra all together,  he will get there, I believe he has one more stop in a bigger championship side before the Premier teams come calling..

[Black_and_White_Stripes]

7 hours ago, A Diamond For Me said:

It's been a brilliant couple of years for us, but us going up would very long shot indeed.  Needing to come out on top over six extra games is a tall order, even if you have everyone fit.  We've held things together brilliantly through our fixture pileup, but that can't last forever.  We've avoided relegation with a month of the season to go, which is an excellent achievement, anything else is a bonus.  Playoffs would be a free hit and hopefully help to keep a bit of a buzz about the place, but actually getting to the top league is still a bit of a daydream as far as I'm concerned. 

Of course if we make the playoffs then for as long as we're in them I'll be enjoying the dream as much as anyone would in our situation, but it's not something I'm expending a lot of mental energy on at the moment.  Just enjoying what we've got while we've got it.

I'm not trying to be pedantic, but you could actually lose three of those games and still be promoted. You need to come out on top over three ties. You've already beaten Raith several times. You're currently the form team in the league, having taken 12 points from the last 15. I just worry that you may have peaked too soon, or that after qualifying for the play-offs you may rest players and lose that momentum. Winning becomes a habit.

The game against the Premiership side will be tough, but Thistle shat the bed last season. I was at Firhill for the home tie and they mauled County and should have won by a bigger margin. They were 3-0 up, on aggregate, with about 20+ mins to go in Dingwall, and even then they still had the penalty shoot-out. 

[Wacky]

Purely for financial and selfish reasons I hope they stop raith from going up. Of course we may have a say in that today, but any team other than raith going up would be a massive bonus for Pars and this league IMO. 

Falkirk coming up, us hopefully staying up, and Raith staying down will produce some cracking games and atmosphere (as long as we don’t get totally pumped in every game again) 

[Wacky]

7 hours ago, Rennieball said:

Upset?

I’m no expert in these things, but it would appear that you’re the one that’s upset here. 

[Rhys McCabe Hype Train]

9 hours ago, cb_diamond said:

Partick cognoscenti

Is this a new IPA from a indie small batch microbrewery and tap room, the kind that a well-heeled Thistle fan would frequent?

[DA Baracus]

Yes, they definitely have a chance if they finish in the playoffs. They have Raith's number this season and it would be tight against Partick. Should they be the side that faces the Premiership side then it's not mental to suggest they could win.

[CALDERON]

10 hours ago, D'Jaffo said:

 

I actually think Raith might benefit from the week off you get for finishing second but I think Murray’s main issue is he overthinks and tinkers with the team too much. I really don’t think the signings of Rudden or Turner (whilst strong on paper) were necessarily needed. 
 

Aye, that's my thoughts to be honest.  Rudden I guess did as Gullan left in January, however whilst Turner is a good player, its another attack minded midfielder in a squad full of them.  Our form is getting worse whilst the squad and bench has as much depth as I've seen in years.

[Highlandmagar]

Could the Premiership handle another uber Rangers mob?

[diamond_for_life]

If we make the playoffs we are the outsiders for a reason and a I accept that. On paper we have the weakest squad, lowest budget, likely lowest place team of the 4. It is unlikely we go up if finishing in the playoffs.

This idea however that we are just making up the numbers, have absolute no chance at all, premier teams will turn us over, we peaked too early. All just seems a mixture of jealousy of our season and complete lack of respect for what we have produce on the park this season.

We play some of the best football in the division, have the second best defence in the league, we have 4 points from 9 so far against Partick (that’s no disrespect to them), our record against Raith is unbelievable, won at Tannadice, challenge cup winners, beat Dundee and took County to extra time in the league cup, cruised past St Johnstone in the Scottish cup (score line absolute flattered them). 

So would we be the underdogs to go up? Absolutely but we are not just here making up numbers, the idea we have just peaked at the seasons end is also all wrong see below our form the last 20 games is only bettered by Dundee Utd. That’s not peaking that’s fantastic consistency for over half the season. 

 

Edited April 13 by diamond_for_life
Did Partick an injustice

[Highlandmagar]

10 hours ago, D'Jaffo said:

I’d be genuinely interested if we see a Championship team promoted from the playoffs in the next five years. I still think if it was ever going to happen it would’ve happened last season with Thistle. They may have finished fourth but unlike everyone else they went in with good momentum and basically a fully fit squad to chose from. 

I actually think Raith might benefit from the week off you get for finishing second but I think Murray’s main issue is he overthinks and tinkers with the team too much. I really don’t think the signings of Rudden or Turner (whilst strong on paper) were necessarily needed. 
 

Thistle aren’t nearly as strong as last season and their defence is woeful. I think it’s pretty even between them and Airdrie as to who will win over two legs. If Thistle dropped to fourth and went out at the first hurdle I think Doolan will be under pressure ahead of next season. 
 

Airdrie are well worthy of a top four finish but I think they’ll get turned over by whoever they’d face from the Premiership. If they can hold onto what they have and add a bit more Championship experience then they can go again but I’d be a bit surprised if teams aren’t looking at McCabe. 

Our defence has tightened up considerably since moving McBeth to CB.