Why Hearts shouldn't underestimate McCabe's Airdrieonians

"I fucking hate Airdrie. Absolutely detest them."

That was the straightforward view of Mark Donaldson. One that is no doubt shared by that generation of Hearts fans. It was expressed on the Scarves Around the Funnel podcast which had HeartsTV commentator Jimmy Sandison on to preview Sunday's Scottish Cup fifth-round clash between the sides, owing to his spell as a player with both clubs. 

Fans who have a good memory of the early-to-mid 90s will be well aware of the Scottish Cup pain. There was a 2-1 third-round defeat in 1991. Sandison was in the Hearts team that day. He then moved to the Diamonds and his first two games with Airdrie against his former club ended in defeat. But then came the nine-game winless run against a side that quickly became a bogey team and were, by then, in the charge of Alex MacDonald, the ex-Hearts boss who so nearly took the Tynecastle Park side to league glory.

READ MORE: Refreshing Airdrie approach, similarities with McCabe and Gordon deal - Naismith Q&A

It was a run that extended to 10. When they were Airdrie United they dumped Csaba Laszlo's side out of the League Cup in 2008 following a penalty shootout, David Obua taking perhaps the worst penalty kick that has been seen at Tynecastle. The hoodoo was finally ended in 2020 thanks to a 5-0 fourth-round Scottish Cup success.

But it was that nine-game run between 1992 and 1995 that has stuck with supporters because of two painful Scottish Cup semi-final defeats to the Diamonds. One was via a penalty shootout after a replay in 1992. Three years later a 1-0 loss during Tommy McLean's spell with Steve Cooper scoring the only goal at Hampden Park.

"He quite simply said 'make sure you don't let a good player play', as simple as that," Sandison recalled of MacDonald's philosophy. 

The hard-running, no-nonsense approach was reflected in the stands, backed by a partisan home crowd.

When Steven Naismith takes his side to North Lanarkshire for the tie of the round, live on BBC, they will encounter a very different team, now managed by Rhys McCabe, to the one in the 90s in very different surroundings. 

"Broomfield was a horrible place for teams to visit," Colin Telford of the Only the Lonely podcast, dedicated to the Diamonds, told Hearts Standard. "Tiny changing room in the pavilion, aggressive home crowd right on top of them, tight pitch which was never a bowling green. We now have a massive away changing room, huge Astro pitch and a 10,000 stadium that’s rarely more than 20 per cent full. It’s not imposing.

"MacDonald’s teams were hard. Make no mistake, they could play. In 1995 we beat Raith at Starks Park 4-1 and had a virtuoso performance from Paul Harvey. We had John Davis, Alan Lawrence, Jimmy Boyle and Ian Ferguson who were barely over five feet tall and great technicians - but you’d never see us build patiently from the back.

"McCabe’s commitment to a playing style is unwavering. He wants his team to have possession, he wants them to be brave and look to break the lines. The better the opposition, the harder that is to do, but it’s worked out more times than not in the Championship this season."

READ MORE: Standards, Sandy Jardine and no excuses over 1986 - Alex MacDonald's Hearts story

There are very few teams around world football where you point to the manager as being the key figure within a team. Rhys McCabe bucks the trend as player-manager. Appointed to replace Ian Murray at just 29 years of age, he has led the club from League One into the Championship and they are on course for their highest league placing since going into liquidation. 

Naismith spoke positively and in-depth about his admiration for McCabe and the work he is doing with the Diamonds. The pair crossed paths at Rangers and the Hearts boss sees a bit of McCabe the player in the way the team play.

"I think a lot of credit needs to go to Rhys, not only for being a player and a coach, which I can only imagine being really tough but the way they are doing things and what he wants them to do is a credit to him," he said. "To do that so early on is an achievement in itself.

"He wasn't blessed with great pace but he had a really good touch, good positional play and he could see passes. I think his team is very much like that. It's a good footballing team, they work hard but they are brave and aggressive when they attack.

"People were questioning the decision so it's a credit to him that he's gone in there and people are talking about him as a good up-and-coming coach who has got a style, who is brave enough to do that and not be reactive when a couple of results don't go your way."

READ MORE: Macaulay Tait's Hearts journey: Summer camps, Lowland League, first-team role

McCabe was a "shock" appointment to replace Murray. As well as having a clear philosophy, the Airdrie boss has demonstrated an ability to improve players. 

"If he got the Ross County job on Monday, I’d be really worried about us staying up," Telford said. "He’s an excellent player and he’s made this team more than the sum of its parts.

"In the vast majority of cases, he makes players better. Justin Devenney was released by Killie. Rhys liked him, brought him on and we sold him to Crystal Palace. Dean McMaster was released by St Mirren, McCabe’s turned him into an excellent sitting midfielder and rumours are that there’s interest.

"I don’t know how these players would look under another coach, but I don’t want to find out any time soon. If we keep on outperforming our status someone will give him a job."

The Diamonds finished third in League One last season before winning the play-offs, seeing off Falkirk and then Hamilton Academical. In the 36 league games, they outscored champions Dunfermline Athletic by 19 goals. Yet, they conceded 30 more. They scored four or more on nine occasions but they also lost 5-3, 4-3 and 6-0.

READ MORE: 'Up to me to put a new name on them' - Shankland on Robertson's Hearts records

This season there has been a degree of normality, control over chaos. They are the lowest scorers in the Championship but only top-of-the-table Dundee United have conceded fewer. The team's forward play is "patient and deliberate" while at the back there has been a "conscious effort to reduce the amount of shots we conceded", according to RSM Stats, a social media account with a focus on the Diamonds. They have faced similar issues as Hearts with regard to teams who sit deep against them.

"This side is very disciplined," Telford explained. "Out of possession, the shape should be solid and Airdrie looking to press the ball carrier. Once we have the ball, we’ll look to keep it. There will be a lot of playing it between the keeper and centre halves and people showing for the ball.

"I’d expect [former Hearts youngster Nikolay] Todorov to play up top with Lewis McGregor. Despite his height, Todorov is not effective under the long ball, but McGregor is lightning quick so if we’re struggling I’d expect we will shell it and look to use his pace in behind. McCabe’s quality of long ball gives that tactic a chance."

It may be changed days from the 90s, but Hearts will have to once again be very wary of the Diamonds. A team that once struck the fear into those of a maroon and white persuasion.

Airdrieonians key men

Callum Fordyce - assistant manager/player and cousin of Rhys McCabe. Brave as a lion and would head away an asteroid. He’s coming towards the end of his career and it will be interesting to see how he can cope.

Mason Hancock - a standout since the turn of the year. Loves a battle and great crosser of the ball/aerial threat at set pieces.

Charlie Telfer - he seemed to go on a steady decline from Rangers through to Falkirk and wasn’t a standout for most of last season. Now he is brilliant for us in the middle of the pitch and I’m eager to see how he gets on.

Adam Frizzell - club captain, skillful attacking midfielder, probably our best chance of creating something.

Nikolay Todorov - Our biggest threat, can look really clumsy but comes alive in the box and in a team that doesn’t score many, he’s vital.