Airdrie boss: New striker a priority as side prepare for Ross County without recognised centre forward
Rhys McCabe admits Airdrie priority is bringing in a new striker as the Diamonds prepare for Saturday's Championship opener at home to Ross County without a recognised striker.
The player-boss watched his side crash out of the Premier Sports Cup on Saturday to League One Alloa Athletic, with the Wasps pouncing on Sean McGinty's error to grab a 3-2 victory in the 89th minute at New Broomfield.
Airdrie played without a striker as midfielders Chris Mochrie, Lewis McGrattan and Dylan Williams all had a shot at playing through the middle over the 90 minutes.
Last season's star striker Ben Wilson sealed a summer switch to Welsh side The New Saints and the club are yet to replace him, while former Aberdeen frontman Aaron Reid is out injured. The club are also still coming to terms with long-term club captain and creative force Adam Frizzell leaving for Derry City last month.
So McCabe is well aware of his side's shortcoming ahead of the Staggies visiting.
He said: "We are not the thickest of squads and we've got a lot of kids on the bench who are still in a development phase, where they aren't ready or shouldn't be ready to be in the first team at this moment in time, but they have to be because of numbers. We've had to include them more than we'd planned.
"So we need to look and get a couple of additions in to help the boys out in key areas of the pitch.
"A striker has been our priority for a number of weeks because we've lost our source of goals but what some people might forget as well is we lost our captain, in Adam Frizzell.
"Frizz has been a big, big part of how we've played over the last few years. His creativity and the way he leads by example on the pitch is a big miss.
"To lose your source of goals as well - and Aaron Reid is still out injured and won't be back until the end of September - is tough.
"We are playing Mochrie through the middle or Euan Henderson and we are trying to play a system that allows us to not kill somebody by playing them out of position.
"But, right now, we don't have a recognised striker in the squad, which is an area we are trying to fill.
"We need to make sure it is the right one and we are not jumping in too quickly to get somebody that ends up being a waste of a number in the squad.
"They have to add value and challenge whoever is in the squad. When Aaron Reid comes back or when the likes of Mochrie or Hendo are playing there, there should be competition. We shouldn't just be sticking someone there because we've got nobody else.
"I don't think we are a million miles away from being set and ready for the season.
"We are certainly short in a couple of areas but we aren't making excuses.
"We've gone and beaten Dundee, we won every game up until this one so we can't use that as an excuse just because we've lost a game."
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