Friday 20th April, 2018 at 3:08pm
As the Thistle first team squad prepare for the first post-split match the enormity of the clash with Accies on Saturday cannot be ignored. A win could move the Jags away from County once again, while also pulling this weekend’s opponents right back into the mix but a loss could see Thistle lose vital ground on their rivals.
In amongst a busy week Alan Archibald took time to speak to ptfc.co.uk to discuss the split, match preparations and, of course, John lambie.
“We’re now into the post-split fixtures and it gives you a chance – that’s what this league set up does. It’s not just us though, everyone will be looking at it that way. We know what it’s like to be a couple of places further up from when we have been in the position in previous years and even teams that look comfortable can end up being dragged back into it.
“We were due three home games and we got them so we’re delighted with that and it gives us a lifeline. We just need to make sure we make the most of it at every level. We had a good idea that it would be Hamilton we got first, just based on the way things have worked in previous years, but it gives us a great opportunity now to bring them a little bit closer.
“Would I settle for a playoff spot now? No, no I wouldn’t. We’re on a bad run but it’s a new set of fixtures for us and it’s pretty much like a new mini league now. It’s a clean break and we’ve got a chance to get ourselves out of the position we’re in now.”
Thistle’s current bad form cannot be denied but Archibald know his side must focus on the games they can still impact.
“We’ve not been good enough at either end in recent weeks but that’s in the past now and we can only focus on what’s ahead of us. We can’t dwell on it as much as everyone might go on about it we need to give all of our focus to the five games ahead of us now – they’re the ones we can still affect.
“A lot can change in five games and we’ve all seen exactly that happen before. It can be one win, one clean sheet or even one goal that gives everyone that kick start. We’ve seen other teams get it and kick on and now it’s our turn to show we have what it takes.
“It can be tough to keep morale high but we’ve got a good, honest bunch of players and they know we’ve not performed as a group up until now. We’ve got these five games to show exactly what we can do. We need to do our talking on the pitch but we saw a bit more against Kilmarnock and you could see there was a bit of belief starting to come back for everyone, we did everything we could to get a goal and it just didn’t quite come off. Hopefully we can take that same approach into Saturday but this time convert it into a win. We’ve got pretty much a full squad to use so we’re in a strong position on that front.”
With players out of contract, Archie makes no bones about the fact that some of his stars are playing for their future.
“There are a lot of our players whose contracts are up at the end of the season and that’s what we say to them – they’re playing for their futures, whether that be here or elsewhere.”
Finally, it was only fitting that Alan give some of his own memories of John Lambie as the club gear up to give Mr Thistle a suitable send off on Saturday.
“I’ve got so many great memories of John but most of them you couldn’t put on the website! I didn’t always understand or respect his methods when I was a 16-year-old I just thought he was a crazy old man but that’s the kind of character he was.
“When I came back to play for him in my second spell though he was incredible. What he achieved was a minor miracle and he probably doesn’t get the credit he deserved as a coach because everyone focuses on the character that he was. He was a very, very good manager though – you don’t get back to back promotions and then keep a team in the league if you’re not.
“People talk about leadership and creating an environment around a club and in a dressing room when you go on coaching courses now but John was doing that years ago. He got the best out of the players and best out of the club and that was what he would good at. Renaming the North Stand in his honour is an extremely suitable tribute and I’m sure he will get a good send off from both sets of fans on Saturday.”
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