Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
I’LL DO BOSS JOB MY WAY
Head coach McBride determined to take big chance
Kevin McBride insists he will call the shots for as long as he is Airdrieonians head coach and admitted: I took this job to be my own man.
Diamonds cha i rman Tom Wotherspoon has drafted in Clyde 1 pundit Gordon Dalziel to carry out a ‘football review’.
The former Raith Rovers and Ayr United boss says he is at the club to help out and work with the players.
But both Dalziel and the club have publicly reaffirmed that McBride is still in charge of first-team affairs.
McBride took training all last week and picked the tactics and team for Saturday’s 4- 1 victory at home to Queen’s Park.
The former Hibernian and Dundee midfielder says it is business as usual as far as he is concerned.
And the 35-year-old is now doubling down on preparation for this weekend’s League One trip to East Fife.
He said: “I think we produced our best performance of the season against Queen’s Park.
“Some people are saying they are not a great side – they’ve already beaten the likes of Livingston and East Fife and are a very hard team to beat.
“It’s just been business as usual – I’ve trained the boys and picked the team.
“Nothing has changed and, as I said after the game on Saturday, as far as I’m concerned nothing will be changing.
“I don’t think the public comments empower me – they just state that I’m in charge.
“I took the job to become my own man. I’ve taken the training since June 9 and I still am taking the training.
“Gordon has come in and I think he is there as a sounding board. If we need
advice, we can speak to him. He has a lot of experience. If anything goes wrong on the pitch then it’s me to blame. But if the boys produce a good performance then they deserve a lot of credit for it.
“I wouldn’t accept this job any other way. As it stands, I’m head coach. That may change but that’s football.”
Meanwhile, McBride has ticked off striker Kevin Schmidt after he picked up a late red card in the win over Queen’s for inexplicably blasting the ball at Spiders star Paul Woods when play had been stopped.
He said: “Kevin knows that he can’t do what he did. It’s that plain and simple.”