ColinKelvin

Also wins the Manager Who Is Most In Love with Celtic Despite Not Playing or Working For Them Anymore award, and the Least Likely to Show His Former Club Any Respect prize.

Winning the second balls is key for us. Some games we're ferocious and Osman in particular wins most of them. Other games, for some reason, we seem to lose every single one of them. Let's hope we win them all this weekend. I'll take any kind of result. Even a point wouldn't be the end of the world, but we're good enough to win.

Yep - results like that are what make Thistle great to follow. Last week we were so bad it was hard to know where to start.... and then this, out of nowhere! Mon the Jags.

Archie's seemingly random team selections, weird love of Elliot and (until today) Bannigan, failure to play Lawless, and overseeing of our dreadful record of conceding late, late goals have severely eroded my belief in him or willingness to defend him. I've just about had enough. However, I'm not convinced we could attract or afford anyone capable of quickly turning things around - and despite this nightmare start to the year so far (apart from the Accies game), I still wouldn't pull the trigger. We are 7 points clear of 3 fellow strugglers. The players need to wake up and start trying much much harder. We know what they are capable of, and they should be ashamed of themselves atm.

The way things stand just now, we could indeed "do a Hibs". The players seem to have no fight just now and that is deeply worrying. As is the feeling that there's something genuinely wrong within the squad - perhaps it really is McMillan related and they're all p1ssed off? One thing's for sure - more than half the team aren't trying a leg, and our briefly solid new centre back pairing have lost it big time. We'd have been been no worse off sticking with Aero and Balatoni. On a different (probably overly optimistic) note, I remember last season at around this stage/the start of March, there was plenty of doom and gloom around the team too. One or two of the less calm posters on here predicted no more goals or points all season. We then found form, went on an unbeaten run after the split, and were OK. I know that looks unlikely just now - but a win or two could set us on our way, especially given that we have a 7pt cushion. Given that, I still think we'll be safe, just - but the longer this run of p1sh goes on the more worried I become.

Today's team: Gallacher, O'Donnell, Seaborne, Booth, Stevenson, Frans, Elliott, Osman, Fraser, McDaid, Taylor.

Bingo. Unbelievable. Actually no - all too believable!

To "The Cup" - we competed for a spell in the second half and were denied a near-stonewall penalty. Were you there? Yes, it was a disappointing performanceagainst by far and away the best team in the country, but calling to sack the manager as soon as possible when we're sitting 9th is ludicrous. I see you're continuing your usual pattern of, when we win or play well for a draw, leaving 1 message saying "well done team", and when we lose, going into a massive frothing frenzy of dozens of hand-wringing posts, lashing out at the team and the manager. Makes me wonder, which outcome you enjoy more? OK, now I've got that off my chest I'll keep you on ignore and resist the temptation to "view anyway".

We're on a bad run. However, that doesn't mean an "end of season collapse" is probable or even likely. Such a run also assumes everyone else is doing significantly better than we are. I don't think that is the case with Ross Co or Motherwell (I would also have said St Murn until the dreadful result against them, which was probably the most disappointing since we came back up - but even there, we have a cushion). Best to forget about last night. Goal after a minute, and the players looked nervous and rushed all night - because they knew Celtic were stronger, faster and basically better than them. Getting Taylor in will almost certainly be positive for us from now till end of season. We need a few players to pick up some form and confidence. At the moment everyone looks off.

Taylor to start and Doolan to come on 2nd half alongside him if we're chasing things. Just, please...... not Stevenson upfront on his own again. Archie, I beg you....

Going to this, and bringing a non-Thistle fan along. Maybe not the best time to drag a neutral to Firhill to see us play... Usual thoughts before a Celtic game. We'll probably lose heavily BUT the team need to be supported and you just never know... it might, just might, end up being a great night. If that is the case, I'd hate to have missed it. I'm a big Doolan fan but I think Archie will start Taylor. I also think Lyle will score.

Superb news!! Welcome back Lyle!

YouGov also tells us that Celtic fans believe that: "The world is governed by a secretive elite" I'm starting to become more convinced about YouGov's insight!

That's a bit unfair given that they were both journeymen who we signed up to fill gaps in our squad. Not the same as getting young fullbacks and midfielders tied down on long deals. There's a huge difference between us and, say, Hamilton Accies, in that they have a big reputation now as sellers-on of Premiership-quality players; however they only got the transfer fees because they had those young players under contract. I think it's pretty poor that we'll have lost Cairney, Erskine, Paton, ATS and SOD for a grand total of £0 between them. Would the mighty Accies have allowed that to happen?? And if they played for Hamilton and each had, say, 2-3 years left on a contract, how much would they have been worth at the time we are letting them go (i.e. as proven players)?

Good result - a win over St Mirren and that'd be 7 points from 9, mon the Jags!

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! YESSS!

The Greaves/TTL debate is a red herring to some extent here. I know I only mentioned it a couple of pages back as an example of the fact that the club's profile in Glasgow (both city centre and in the west end, which is an area I really think should be targetted with marketing for students/other new fans) is pretty much zero. There's simply no trace of us in Glasgow city centre or the west end, even though, of course, we're Glasgow's oldest football club. The problem with having zero visibility is that it means that you're relying entirely on your existing fanbase and not growing it or getting first-timers along who may become permanent fans. No one on here has been claiming that Greaves brought us in hundreds of new fans every season - but having a presence - any presence - is one small aspect of being known in the city in which we play. That is intangible but, I would argue, still important. My main point, which I know has been made many times before, was that we should be marketing to students across Glasgow.

Agreed that the shop should be a separate discussion. It was one small point in my post above which focused on the apparent invisibility of PTFC in the west end, at Glasgow Uni, and in the city centre. You can exaggerate the point I'm making about a retail presence being a positive thing in order to ridicule it if you like, but do you really disagree that PTFC's profile is very, very low in and around Glasgow, and in particular in the west end? This is where hundreds/000s of new fans (people new to Glasgow, who may or may not settle here after studying) arrive each year, most of whom are probably oblivious regarding where our stadium even is, i.e. closer than they think. All I am saying is that we could perhaps make some effort (and yes, spend some money) marketing ourselves around town - e.g. posters highlighting that students get in cheaply. I don't currently work or study at Glasgow U but it's never been the case that we've advertised there when I have been there in either capacity. It sounds cheesy but some retro-style visuals with slogans about Firhill for Thrills, Maryhill Magyars etc., might get some new folk along. We actually have a very good brand - non-sectarian, free-flowing football (which we've actually lived up to in recent seasons), family atmos,and so on. We do the square root of f-all with it. I am banging on about the student angle because from my experience, they are a sector likely to bring along friends in a group for a day out - also they don't (all) have Old Firm pre-programming, and don't have as many family commitments as confirmed older fans. It's just an idea/angle I think is worth exploring. A shop on an actual street in the west end would help in terms of profile, but it's not the main point I am making. Feel free to continue to ignore the student market/visibility points though, PT.

Exactly. I went to the new "shop" once and won't be back; it's such a miserable experience I now just get Jags stuff online when I want it. It may not affect whether the current fanbase choose to attend games or not, but I really think it affects the (already slim) chance we have of reaching new fans. If we don't do that through better (or indeed any) general marketing and a better presence in Glasgow, then attendances will likely continue to slide.

I hear what you're saying about it being convenient for Jags fans (and I think we've debated the merits of the location before). My point is that no-one - not a single person - will ever pass by that shop or see Thistle gear and buy it (or be reminded that we exist) while our main outlets are at the stadium - where no one goes except on a match day - and in a location which may be close to town as the crow flies, but is actually in an industrial unit in an area resembling a Taggart set. Our profile in the city and the west end is therefore pretty close to Absolute Zero. We may as well not exist as far as the general public - and newcomers like tourists and students - are concerned. If you don't think that plays even a small part in restricting club/fanbase growth (again, I go back to selling to students) then fair enough. My main point is that we really, really need to be pushing Thistle more among the very large student population who do have money to burn (OK, it's student loan money to them, but it's cash to us!!). Most people will struggle to sell an invisible, non-marketed product, leaving aside questions of match day experience, value, etc., which are also ofc very important.

I've said this before and apologies if it's already been debated on this thread - but one way PTFC completely fall down is the club's complete lack of any presence (posters, gear in shops etc) in the city centre, the west end - which should be our heartland - and specifically at Glasgow Uni, which has a large potential audience (e.g. people from elsewhere who may have no Glasgow club allegiance but may become lifelong fans), refreshed every academic year, of students who have moved to Glasgow. As far as I can tell, no effort is made whatsoever and if you walked down Byres Rd or studied at the university you would have no idea that there was a premier league football team playing every 2nd week in walking distance from Byres rd unless an existing fan told you/talked you into coming along. We have an extremely low media profile and in my opinion, only word of mouth is getting folk along. The fact that the club shop is in a remote industrial estate rather than on a high street can't help either... I do think weather, full ticket prices and football on TV are all highly relevant as folk have said - but if you want to drive up numbers, you need to attempt proper marketing and put some money behind it. We let students in at a discount, but do many students know that? Are they being tempted into giving Firhill a try by any kind of campaign?

Great result - very impressed with a point given the circs and sets us up well for the Ross C game.

DOOOLAAAN!

Off.

Thanks for the league-winning memories. I still think the ability is there to be a good Premiership player; it's always a tough step up. Have a funny feeling we may see Muirhead playing against us in the top flight sometime.