Dundee are regular foes for Airdrie, says skipper as he eyes cup games.
Adam Frizzell joked that he has played against Dundee ‘four times’ during his time with the Diamonds.
Airdrie play Dundee on a regular basis, but captain Adam Frizzell is looking forward to the Premier Sports Cup group stages in July.
Last season, Airdrie won their group stages against East Kilbride, Dumbarton, and Queen of the South while losing at Aberdeen, and then faced a strong Dundee side in the quarter-finals, losing 6-1.
Airdrie will face the Taysiders in the League Cup and Scottish Cup this season, starting on July 12 at Dens Park. Frizzell jokes about the frequent encounters.
However, Airdrie also has home games against Bonnyrigg Rose on July 15 and Montrose seven days later, followed by a visit from Alloa on July 26.
Frizzell believes it’s an effective way to track summer progress.
“Dundee again is something,” Frizzell remarked. “I think I’ve played against them four times since I started at Airdrie, and we’ve never been in the same division, which is crazy.
“I enjoy that cup format, so I look forward to that group, which we’ve done well in over the last few years.
“We’ll be aiming to make the last-16 again.
“It’s very difficult to get through the group, when you look at the teams that don’t make it. You must win at least three games out of four.
“When you’re playing a Premiership team in one of those games it’s very difficult, but we’ve done well in the past, and I love that competition, so it will be one I’m looking forward to.”
Frizzell added, “It’s a good way to gauge your progress, and it’s preferable to playing in pre-season games in my opinion. I don’t think they provide much beyond basic fitness, and you want to get right into the competitive stuff.
“I used to despise the long-winded pre-season, when you only have six or eight games and feel fit enough to play right away.
Frizzell believes group stages and competitive games are superior to friendlies. (Image: SNS Group.)
“That’s why I love that format; you’re right into the competitive stuff, and it gives you a good sense of where you’re at by playing against different teams.
“We played a couple of games at the end of last season. We played Ayr United in the final league game; we were in no-man’s land, as were they, who were waiting for the play-offs on the right side of the table.
“It was getting players back up to speed, boys getting minutes, and that’s how you feel in preseason.
“But with these cup games it gives you a real idea of where your starting XI is at, and it’s competitive games, which is what you want to play in.”
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