Airdrieonians begin the John Rankin era with a League One trip to Aberdeen this afternoon, where they face Cove Rangers in their season opener. Rankin, who took over from Aaron Taylor-Sinclair over the summer, says his side must be ready for the physical challenge posed by Paul Hartley's team.
The Diamonds were relegated from the Championship last season and are aiming for an immediate return to the second tier. A major rebuilding job has been undertaken at New Broomfield, with Rankin essentially starting from scratch after a summer exodus. There have been 14 new arrivals, including player/assistant boss Declan Gallagher, and time will tell how quickly the new group has gelled during last month's Premier Sports Cup campaign as they tackle Cove in the league.
Cove a tough opener
"We’ve seen a wee bit of Cove, I was actually at their game last Tuesday night. They’ll be a tough opponent," Rankin told the club media. "They’ve got a lot of physicality within their side, they’ve got a lot of experience within their side as well, so we know it’s going to be difficult. Paul Hartley’s sides are always set up really well, difficult to play against with an attacking threat, and a lot of his teams have been successful over the years."
He added: "We’re going there knowing it’s going to be a challenge, and the players will be up for it. We need to meet the physical demands that they have, and be ready to take our game as well."
New signing Kian Taylor ready
One of Airdrie's new arrivals, Kian Taylor, believes the squad are ready for the new campaign. The Englishman joined from Greenock Morton and scored in a cup win over Annan last month.
"When you come back in the league season’s what it’s all about, so we’re looking forward to it," Taylor said. "You can see in the changing room and in training every day, the lads are getting a lot closer, there’s relationships being built all over now, so it’s about showing it on the pitch. You can see it coming together in training, so hopefully Saturday’s the start of that."
Taylor added: "Getting to play in the cup, which I’ve not done for a long time in terms of playing football – I struggled last year with some injuries – but it’s been nice to get back into it. You want to feel the best you can going into the league season, and then hopefully just stay fit for the full 36 games, and try to contribute as much as you can to help the team."
Team news
Rankin will be without defender Mason Chisholm and midfielders Cole McKinnon and Zac Butterworth for the match due to injury.
