Airdrie have endured a thoroughly disappointing season. As a full-time club in a predominantly part-time league, they had been expected to comfortably make the promotion playoffs, yet they spent the vast majority of the season instead fretting about the prospect of going down.
Over the course of the last year, they have had a chance of ownership, which Stevie Findlay come in after a long period of uncertainty over the summer, but even significant investment in the playing squad over the course of the January transfer window did not really change the fortunes of the North Lanarkshire outfit.
They have a young squad that lacked in certain areas of the field, perhaps most notably in attack, where they were unable to effectively replace the combination of Andy Ryan and Iain Russell, both of whom were so effective last year.
Willis Furtado was a post-August addition on a free and provided a useful focal point but was not a devastating finisher, testimony to his history as a winger. Indeed, it took until January before Dale Carrick and Daryll Duffy were added, and while both have impressed, the latter spent much of the latter part of the season injured.
The midfield, meanwhile, were rather erratic with their displays and lacked any great creativity. Scott Stewart was the pick of the players in this sector of the field and perhaps for Airdrie as a whole this season, though that is largely due to his consistency as opposed to outstanding quality.
It was the defence that was Airdrie’s strength last term, but that was not the case this time around as they struggled for consistency in that part of the field. Goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson improved over the course of the season but lost to place eventually to Willie Muir, in part because he will be at Motherwell next season.
During the next 12 months, a good deal more will be demanded from Airdrie, but Findlay has not shown anything to suggest he will be able to deliver.
