McCann: Hybrid model has its downfalls

Last week’s board update suggested the idea of a hybrid model being a possibility for the future of the club due to current running costs, and some supporters believe it could be the way forward for the Bairns.

Speaking to the Herald, left-back McCann admitted the general idea of the model sounds good, but that it doesn’t automatically appeal to all players.

"It was enjoyable at times, we trained Monday and Friday during the day and on a Tuesday and Thursday night,” he said.

“The difference between full-time and the hybrid model I wouldn’t say is too stark, there are a lot of similarities.

“When it got into the winter months coming out for the nights wasn’t fun.

“Having so much spare time during the day was tough mentally, trying to find things to keep yourself busy while being fully focused.

“But also because you have your part time players at night, you’d find you would get a bit of a battering even although we have trained a couple of days more than them.

“You had to make up for lost time with the part-time players.

“I would much rather be in a full time set-up.”

Looking back on Saturday’s draw at Broadwood, the 21-year-old, who started the match after being dropped for the previous two matches, said the display merited three points.

He said: “It was tough one to take, we did more than enough to win the match and we should have.

“We had enough chances to win three matches of football, let alone one.

“Preventable goals have cost us this season and on Saturday it happened again.

“We need to move on quickly, and we did that straight away in training, we had a bounce game on Tuesday which helped focus.”

He added: “It was devastating, the worst part at Clyde is they have the big scoreboard up so you could see the time when it went in, I think there were three seconds left.

“The back four defended very well and gave them nothing up until that point.

“In the final moments we switch off and we missed a few tackles which was so frustrating.

“You can accept a team playing through you and scoring a decent goal, but to concede one like that makes you angry.”

Ex-Diamond McCann knows all about the talents of the North Lanarkshire side who travel to the Falkirk Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Ian Murray’s Airdrieonians outfit sit in second place in League 1, and he admits it will be a tough match.

“They have a team of talented players who are all playing at their top level,” he said.

“Ian Murray has recruited very well in the summer and the midfield is full of ball-players.

“We need to match them in there because they have the players to control a match.

“They don’t do much from wide areas, it’s mainly from the middle of the park.”

Last time the sides met, a second-half Falkirk comeback wasn’t enough with the hosts winning 3-2 in a tight affair.

McCann commented: “We had so many chances in that one too, but we conceded silly goals.

“It’s very similar to the weekend in that we had chances too that just had to find the back of the net.

“We shouldn’t fear anyone in this league, I think we have one of the best squad of players so we are letting ourselves down by being in the position we are in at the moment.”