douglas clark

Currently thinking it might be Portugal, but it seems an open contest?

Didn't Frans marry a Glasgow girl? Or am I just making that up?

Would be interested in having him back. Whether we can compete on the wages front is another thing altogether. Our central defence would, I think, look a bit stronger than it has for a while. Anyone got a view on whether he has improved or not since his last time here?

I kind of agree with the clear out. It seems to me that, as a fan, we can't keep injured players on indefinately, much as I would like us to. I think the next few months will tell us whether Archies 'out' will be betttered by Archie's 'in'. That will be the measure of the man. He has to get this right,, So, no pressure.

This thread has been reported for moderation. Frankly I'd rather y'all moderated yourselves. We are all a bit upset but the one element of this club that is largely blameless are fellow fans. Bit of mutual repect please!

BowenBoys. You say: "I'm sure that they have made it clear to AA what is expected of him this season and the extent to which they will back him. I hope they gave him better guidance than "we must return to playing football like Partick Thistle", whatever that means." The season before last we, largely played the ball into feet. We played wing backs who actually were wing backs. We did not crumble and play boots up the park and pretend it was a tactic. I think, correct me if I am wrong, that Alan Archibald has to go back to believing in football. On a final comment, everyone in the team has to work on their 'final ball' which has become a disgrace. We have squad players that have that ability, James Penrice, for example, and we favour guys that can't even keep it within the lines? WTF? I attended both games against Livingston, my throat is still sore. That was utterly abject and, y'know what? Much as expected. Mr Archibald has to raise his tactical ideas to the extent that we impose on the opposition rather than the other way around. This next season will determine whether he has the 'chops' for it or not. I hope he does, but if he doesn't, he's gotta go. So, no pressure.

Archie stands or falls on his own managerial credentials. No one else's. The jury is out on whether or not he is good or bad. IMHO he has a season to prove himself, but I kind of doubt he will be allowed that sort of space. Which is a bit sad, but understandable. The question is, who would we get next? Who's available and who is going to turn us around? Answers on a postcard or, preferably here.

I am also quite fond of our daft Aussie. I think we ought to be fighting to retain Mr runabout, otherwise Mr always fit, Ryan Edwards? Am I wrong?

Fearchar, I kind of agree with you, though Erskine may have a year or two in himself. I agree that Penrice and McCarthy have to be seen as amongst the future of this club. It is absolutely essential that we promote folk from the 'Development League' to playing first team football. Otherwise, what is the point of it? On the subject of Doolan, AFAIK Doolan is on a long term contract and I, for one, see him as a future manager. He also scores goals. Thoughts?

It would have been a better club statement if it wasn't all platitudes. There are serious issues like we can't score for toffee, nor hold onto leads, nor have the ability to either dominate or adapt to opposition tactics. Addressing some of them in public right now would have been a positive. There are going to be a lot of changes over the summer. Some of them will genuinely upset me, I think we will see a lot of departures, and the future, for me at least, is unclear. Does anyone else think that the minor positive of this is that we might, just might, start to play youth? Y'know younger guys? We are scared of playing young guys. I wish I was more gutted about this relegation, but there was something alltogether weary about the way we approached this entire season. I went to both of the games against Livingston and we couldn't counter their tactics. After they scored I was deflated and thought we would struggle. There was something inevitable about our failure. It has been a masochistic thing being a Jags supporter this season.

Lenziejag, Err.. No. This is a must win game. I doubt we can play as poorly again as we did at the Tony Macaroni. I hope I am right and you are wrong.

I think, always have, that Sammon is a better player when the ball is played into his feet. His heading ability isn't out of the top drawer. But he is able to hold and pass a ball played to him at ground level in a fairly decent way. It is apparently a sine qua non around here that players are deliberately pathetic. I was there and I thought a lot of our players got caught up in Livingstons' game plan without being able to develop anything other than a Neanderthal reaction. This team, too often, too frequently reverts to hoof ball when the chips are down. If we know one thing, and I have watched much of this disastrous season, the minute you think your best option is hitting long balls into the sky with no immediate target, you have lost the plot. If, and it is a big if, we are to stay up, we have to play the game on the ground and find a modicum of space. Sunday may well be decided on who scores first. I'll be there shouting for our team and wishing and hoping. Perhaps someone else could start a thread entitled: "Sundays, wtf?"

twinny, Thanks for the advice. As it stands the comments have been funny and amusing. So I'll live with this humbling experience! Perhaps someone else can ask: "What do we know about Livi? Should we be worried?"

Thanks, Quite frankly I didn't know you all cared! What will amuse y'all more is I have no idea how to correct the mistake! I hope we win over the two legs and I'll be there for both of them. Could I encourage you all to come along too on the basis of outing me? There are better reasons for going, but, if that is what it takes....

Anyone got an opinion how difficult Livingston might be as opponents? Apparently they are a very physical team and work their socks off.

Jimmy Bone?

What an incredible result! Chris will always be my hero. Doolan, Doolan, Doolan, Doolan! We will have to build something on the gnome field, a 'get out of jail stand' subtexted that Chris Doolan is magic? Your moderator is a bit drunk. And so to bed. Have fun you little rebels.

It seems to me that this is still in our own hands. Stick Penrice on the park somewhere up front, just to take corners and free kicks. If he is still capable of doing it, his ability would outshine every other Thistle player on the pitch. Hopefully, if we were losing, or otherwise had to get a point, playing balls into the feet of Salmon might be a tactic we could use, rather than kicking the ball into the sky. Quite why we did that after going 0ne - nil down in the last game is a complete mystery to me. It was never going to work and it was, essentially, a surrender. We can play football, we desperately need to play football.

Auld Jag, Thanks for posting this, it is about time we were talking about it! In my opinion, this is amongst the most important games in the history of PTFC. It is so important to us to retain our Premier League status, both from a financial and a directional idea. Are we a genuine Premier League team or not? I think we are, but this, this is very, very scary. A win would take us away from the automatic relegation spot, a draw would be unhelpful and a loss might, just might, mean that we were relegated. I hope fans turn up in their thousands, for supporting the club right now is critical. Looking at our games and Hamiltons games, they are there to be run down, if we are good enough! I have high hopes for Friday, and I will be there shouting and bawling!

Harry, I do so hope we can get two wins and a draw! I'll be there on Friday for sure.

First rejection of one of their posts. I.e. deleted. I am not at all convinced that either person is using this forum for anything other than personal and mutual dispute at the expense of the site itself. Let us be clear, if you don't want moderation then I, for one, will walk away. This site, in the interim, will become toxic and, in all probability die. No web site can allow itself to be taken over by petty minded stuff. Your choice, dear reader. Moderation or not?

Metz, Please take your arguement with Barney Rubble elsewhere. I will delete any further correspondence between you and Barney Rubble, or between Barney Rubble and you on this thread, or excuses for this thread. . I will also acknowledge that I have taken that action. I am a bit astonished that either of you would use this forum for a personal vendetta.

Metz, Ad hominem attacks by either you or Barney Rubble add zero to this web site. If the two of you have a dispute please find another forum to discuss it on. We do not want it on here as it has nothing to do with football and more to do with who claims who is sober. This is a forum for Partick Thistle Supporters, it is not a forum for ad hominem comments. Sure, we can disagree about things, but disparaging each other is not really the 'name of the game' for this site. Could you both - 'ahem' - back off? You are both stretching my patience and, given your considerable investment in this site, you do not want to test that. ----------------------------------- Oh! and Metz: BTW, the word you were looking for was personal, not personnel.

Incidentally, as your friendly moderator, could we keep this civil? We won!