We’re all to blame for relegation, says McLaughlin

May 27 2009 by Colin Paterson, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

SCOTT McLAUGHLIN suffered the pain of relegation for the first time and says Airdrie United’s plunge to the second division feels disgusting.

The 25-year-old midfielder refused to mince his words after Ryan Stevenson’s winner secured play-off final success and promotion for Ayr – but condemned the Diamonds to the dreaded drop.

McLaughlin reckons Airdrie got what they deserved for a poor performance in the second leg clash on Sunday but has urged fans not to lay the all of the blame at gaffer Kenny Black’s door.

The former Livingston and Morton man believes the squad must take responsibility for the Diamonds’ disappointment and told how he went home and sat in silence following his first taste of relegation.

He said: “I don’t think we did enough to win the game. Ayr deserved their victory as we never really turned up.

“The atmosphere in the dressing room afterwards was horrible. It was heart-breaking for some of the guys who have already been defeated in the play-offs a couple of times.

“This is the first time I have been relegated and I don’t want to go through anything like this again. It feels disgusting and I hardly slept a wink on Sunday night.

“I just went straight home after the game and thought about the whole season. I didn’t know what to do. I sat in my room and didn’t even have the telly on.

“Everyone needs to take the blame for what has happened and I include myself in that as I am my own harshest critic.

“At the end of the day, it all boils down to the players. I won’t have a bad word said about the gaffer and I can’t speak highly enough about him.

“He has allowed me to go out onto the pitch and play with freedom and shown a great deal of faith in me since he brought me to the club last summer.

“The gaffer is a winner and all he wants is what is best for Airdrie and it would be unfair to blame relegation all on him.”

McLaughlin, who is now out-of-contract, has been one of the Diamonds’ best performers this season but admits those types of accolades mean nothing now that the team has failed.

He added: “I am a team player and would far rather have a hopeless season individually but the team stayed up than a good season and us going down.”

Meanwhile, goalie Stephen Robertson says he is ready to commit his future to the club and help Airdrie bounce back at the first attempt.

The Advertiser player-of-the-year admitted he was “devastated” after enduring a second relegation in three seasons but wants to stick around and attempt to clinch a title winner’s medal.

He said: “I would be more than delighted to sign again. The manager is great to work under and you know where you stand with him.

“Collectively, we have all let him down and all made mistakes at some stage. There has to be some realism now and the priority has to be us coming back stronger.

“This is the most hurtful play-off defeat of the three that I have suffered as it was in our own hands and we threw it away. I am devastated.

“We have players who shouldn’t be in the second division but you are only as good as your last performance and ours shows we aren’t good enough for the first division.

“It’s hard to put your finger on what went wrong but what I would say is that you have to have arrogance in your own ability. You have to believe you are better than your direct opponent.

“Maybe we didn’t have that against Ayr and that is frustrating in the sense that we went to Tynecastle earlier in the season and played really well against Hearts.”