Saturday 2nd August, 2014 at 6:42pm
Saturday sees Thistle travel south of the border to take on Fleetwood Town in their penultimate pre-season fixture. The friendly schedule has so far rendered mixed results but the performances and fitness of the first team have definitely improved.
Ptfc.co.uk caught up with Jags boss, Alan Archibald, to discuss his thoughts on the pre-season calendar so far.
Alan said: “It’s been a tough pre-season for the boys but we’re beginning to see the benefits of that coming through now. The first month or so was very focussed on fitness but the last week to 10 days has been much more centred on the football side of things.
“It seems like a long time since we first returned from the summer break but all the hard work should put us in a strong position come the first game of the season.”
Fleetwood Town, who won promotion to League One last season through the playoffs, will pose a strong challenge for the Jags but it is one that the players are all relishing.
Archie said: “Fleetwood will prove a tough challenge for us but these kind of games are perfect preparation for the upcoming season. There are places up for grabs so all the boys will be going out there with a point to prove.
“The performances and fitness levels have been steadily improving so I expect to see more of the same tomorrow. We’ve had a good pre-season so far and it has been excellent preparation for the season ahead – it can only set us in good stead for our first game of the season against Ross County. It’s going to be important to get a good start this season so all of the hard work at this stage really helps.”
