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All the usual posters reappearing I see. "Thistle are rubbish, the manager's rubbish, the board are rubbish and the team is rubbish and all we need to do is go back to the old ways when life was so much better." The thing is we are where we are. We have no money to sack the manager and bring in someone else. Doolan got the job because he was already on the payroll and was all we could afford. Our signings were done late because we were in the playoffs and couldn't afford to gamble on getting promoted. The board is in a period of transition due to changes enforced by people playing petty power games with our club. We are a fan owned club due to the fact that no-one wanted to invest in the 3rd/4th financially attractive club in Glasgow and the shareholders at the time were desperate to divest themselves of their responsibilty for a football club. For me this season's goal should realistically be staying in this division. Being third, at this stage, is shooting above our level as we need this season to build for promotion next season or the one following. To do that the defence needs sorted out but we're not going to do that by dropping everyone and anyone as we have no-one to replace them. So by all means come on and moan about losing games and offer opinions about the solutions (that's what fans do) but we are in danger of just rehashing old conflicts over whose pals are best to run PTFC.

Right, who had "Socratic logic" on their Thistle Patter bingo cards? 😁

If the target is third and you are third, I'm not sure it's time to talk about changing the manager. Also (and I know this is controversial) I'm not sure that failing to achieve a target is necessarily a sacking offence. I think, particularly where an employee is new to a role, continuity and opportunity for learning and correcting mistakes has value. We need to see improvement from the last 2 games, that kind of form can't continue indefinitely. But there's not a great deal of jeopardy in our position right now. Almost certainly we'll be in the Championship again next season. Doolan should be given a chance to get things right.

This narrative about the target not being relegated is in my opinion complete defeatist nonsense. We have one of the highest budgets in the league which is factually the single biggest indicator on league position. Despite losing players still have a number who were stars in a side who could have won the league last season. Our new signings weren't last minute panic buys nor where they cheap players noone else would touch; a Rangers loanee who was a starter for team who won the league last year, three(?) midfielders who played in the side who won the league two years ago, a defender who signed for decent money to Hearts and played a number of games in the top league last year and a striker who was one of the leagues top scorers two years back.

I had no illusions that we would go up this season. To my mind this season was always about building for next season. My issues is that I see no sign that we are building for next season. We have an aging squad, recruitment has been poor and on field performances are getting worse. We would need a miraculous turnaround to be in contention next season even in a more open league. Agree we have no money to attract a new manager from another club or pay big wages for more experience thats why if Doolan goes Graham may well be worth a try. I think at this level having a manager with a chip on the shoulder that doesn't suffer fools can get you a long way. Alternatively Doolan needs to show he has that nasty/win at all costs mentality by dropping players and altering his coaching/recruitment team. I know we all think Williams can make a mistake or two and Doolan may not get on with Mitchell but what does he have to lose by playing them when he is conceding 13 goals in 4 games. How much worse would a defence with those two in it be? At the very least he would be saying to the others that your position isn't safe I'm not sure what is getting coached on the training field but last season we became a lot more solid team when Doolan took over and indeed hardly conceded any goals during the end of the season run by doing basic things like not having both fullbacks attack at the same time and by switching to 4-4-2. Having McBeth should open up other formations like 4-4-2, 4-1-3-2, 4-1-4-1 etc but we are still playing 4-2-3-1. At what point does is going to try something different to address issues that have been there since day 1 of this season? I hope Doolan can turn this around but another few games of losing 3 goals or more surely suggest its time to go

Do you feel that should be how it works going forward? Set the target at the beginning of the year, and if the target isn’t met, then sack the manager/board and replace? Seems a fairly untenable strategy to me, unless your argument is, “well then, set the target really low.”

I didn't say you did. But you did imply Doolan doesn't know what he's doing recruitment wise. And I offered a list of extenuating circumstances for why recruitment last summer was not indicative of how it might be in the future. Assuming he stays in management I guess we'll find out one way or the other in the future. I have a suspicion that he won't though. Which is another subject entirely...

Perhaps 'transition season' implies acceptance that we are not likely to be promoted, perhaps even some acceptance that we are not ready to compete in the division above, recognising that sustainable improvements in performance takes time. So if we're accepting that, then the sooner we know conclusively we'll be in the Championship next year, the sooner plans for next season can be executed. Contracts extended, list of transfer targets identified etc, so we can mount a 'serious title challenge' next season. So no, I don't want another 'transition season'. I want to use this one, just this one, to ensure in whatever way that next season is not another 'transition season'. If we expect more of this season and sack management team, ask for board to step down, release players en masse, etc, then I think you're virtually guaranteeing another 'transition season'. I realise that this is a pointless argument to make to some - it will be perceived as weak and defeatist. Ho-hum...

He got the job mid-season, it was his first managerial role, the club was in a mess, his dad died, he had limited backroom staff, he was wholly occupied on managing the team into and through an extended set of play-offs games, he lost the services of arguably the club's four best players. There was uncertainty over budget/funds available. Then he had a shorter close season once he knew what division we'd be in, to sort out contracts for remaining players and recruit. How can you possibly conclude that Doolan doesn't know what he's doing recruitment wise based on last summer? There isn't a manager out there who gets recruitment 100% right. It is unfair not to take the context in to account.

And look how, given time, he is improving things. Im for giving Dools time to get this right. Playoff position is the aim this year, I’d still give him another season in charge if we fall short.

Not that he should be sacked currently but To be fair the mistakes made in the livi cup game have ended up costing the club several hundred thousands of pounds. That’s a very expensive mistake alone. That several hundred thousand pound’s could have been used for all manner of things to help the club

If anyone at the club ever said this they should be hounded out the place. A couple of weeks in which practically zero transfers are conducted is not going to make our squad stronger.

What will happen is that after the Raith game Dools will step down Brian Graham will take over until the end of the season, he will win his next game and immediately be offered the job. Dools has failed to see that the midfield cannot support the defence simply non-existent , they don't run, track or tackle, fouling is no problem right enough. Big Muirhead is not an out and out Centre but a first class sweeper, an outright ball winning centre half is a must. Dools would do well to look at last years play offs and the results from the Queens and Ayr game, identify the one player missing who played in the Ross game missed a clear opportunity and also a penalty. the old boy network is still alive and kicking. professionalism is what is required at Firhill not the sand dancers and comic sing there is at present....

Personally, assuming that our form does not completely fall off a cliff to the point where we are looking at the other end of the table. I'd want to keep Doolan on for another close season. I like the fact we score so many goals. There is a lot going right to achieve this. We are still third and his overall ppg record is still decent. It was always likely we would hit a run of bad form (in all three of McCall's Championship seasons we had dreadful runs of 5 or more games without a win). However, mistakes were obviously made in defensive recruitment. There were mitigating factors in this (in my opinion, I know others disagree), and of course this was Doolan's first ever recruitment window. He did show last season that he can set up a team to defend competently with the right personnel. He's been (partially) unlucky this window in that I don't think we had much to spend, and the one centre back added (which looked the right kind of player) is now injured. The goalkeeper situation is perplexing. However, I would like to see if he is capable of fixing the defence in another close season, in which case we could be very successful with the goals we score. If he proves not up to the task then I accept we would have to look elsewhere.

Neilson is an excellent footballer pinging the ball at times, pace out of defence with the ball etc BUT I emphasise footballer as he is the worst defender I have ever seen. His positional sense and defending crosses and corners is beyond belief at times he doesn't even jump. I feel so sorry for Muirhead cause defensively Neilson makes him look awful. McInroy in my opinion is an excellent player and collectively with the midfield forwards and full backs we always score plenty of goals. I remember we signed that ancient defender from St Johnstone number of years back, cant remember his name, he was great no nonsense defender did his job nothing else and I'd take him over Neilson any day. It however would be a masterstroke to see Neilson in midfield due to his pace and passing accuracy. I'm applying for manager.

Why because Graham is doing well with the Women's Team ? Just because the Club PR talks up the Women's Team as being “ equal” its not comparable on any level with demands for the actual PTFC Football Team So we bumped McCall replaced him with a Legend with no experience then replace Doolan with a “Newish Legend” with No Experience - thats not a plan on any level However the scary thing is the Board will do exactly that