Update From Kris Doolan

[Fawlty Towers]

Started a new thread just so it did not get lost in the other thread on transfers (plus it gives me the chance to plug season tickets again as Kris is very grateful for the level bought so far and the more that get bought the more it helps him).

https://ptfc.co.uk/ptfc-news/free-to-view-update-from-the-manager-23rd-june-2023/

https://ptfc.co.uk/season-tickets/

[elevenone]

He comes across very well.  Articulate and focused on job ahead and nice to hear him waxing lyrical about fans and TJF.  Does sound reading between the lines he has some signings in mind who perhaps are still at their clubs.

Can’t believe thats pre season starting already on Monday.  

[laukat]

Very good. Comes across like he has a clear idea of the type of players he wants.

Interesting him saying the players he's looking at belong to other clubs but if they come to us they will be a big part of future. He also mentions that he thinks we can improve them. Overall that suggests he's looking at younger players on the fringes or reserves at other clubs rather than senior pro's who might only do us for a season. 

That would be a fairly big departure from what we have signed in the last 5 years.  

To my mind recruiting younger players with potential is more interesting than signing season pro's who you pretty much know what they will be like before they turn up. 

[Lenziejag]

Did I pick up that there might be new players joining next week?

[Stephen1876]

I could listen to Dools speaking all day - intelligent, eloquent and clearly thinks hard about the game. He appears to have a very clear idea of how he wants his team to play and the type of player he wants. 
 

He needs patience in the season ahead.   I do think he could go really far in the game. 

[JAG1970]

3 hours ago, elevenone said:

He comes across very well.  Articulate and focused on job ahead and nice to hear him waxing lyrical about fans and TJF.  Does sound reading between the lines he has some signings in mind who perhaps are still at their clubs.

Can’t believe thats pre season starting already on Monday.  

Which sounds like a few loans? I can’t see us having the funds to sign players who are already under contract unless it’s lower divisions..

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Expense aside there's not that much difference having a player on loan for a season than signing a player on a one year contract. The loanees by nature will likely be youngsters requiring experience. I'd suggest we've plenty of experienced players throughout the squad already so Dools is likely to place an emphasis on younger players with potential. Could mean he'll be looking at loanees from our top tier clubs firstly and then fill any gaps with one or two "safe signings". 

[laukat]

Not so sure its loans he's looking at. There will be players contracted to clubs who have been told they can move on if they find another club so he can talk to some players with the permission of the club they are currently contracted to.

For example I wouldn't be surprised if Dundee United have told Declan Glass that he is free to go even though he has a contract with them until 2024. Dundee United will want him off the wage bill and may be willing to offer him a payoff which may soften the blow of the wages we could offer him. He's a young player with a reasonable amount of game time, a large degree of potential who could be improved and could be a very exciting player to watch over the next few seasons. He really needs a move to a team in the championship who will build a midfield around him.

 

[Garscube Road End 2]

Very assured and reassuring interview.  As fans, we just have to be patient and wait for new faces to join.

I am sure we will see progress soon.

[a f kincaid]

Thistle have discovered in the past that signing players from the lower divisions isn't as straight forward as it might seem. Part-time players often can't afford to give up steady well-paid jobs outside football and go full-time unless the club is prepared to pay over the odds to make it attractive to the player. Harry Milne is a rare exception recently. Ironically when Thistle were part-time (or a mixture of full-time/part-time) it was easier. A hidden cost of being ambitious?

[Stephen1876]

14 minutes ago, a f kincaid said:

Thistle have discovered in the past that signing players from the lower divisions isn't as straight forward as it might seem. Part-time players often can't afford to give up steady well-paid jobs outside football and go full-time unless the club is prepared to pay over the odds to make it attractive to the player. Harry Milne is a rare exception recently. Ironically when Thistle were part-time (or a mixture of full-time/part-time) it was easier. A hidden cost of being ambitious?

It’s a fair point but I’d be quite happy to sign a player like Tam O’Brien and let him remain part-time if he preferred. 

[Third Lanark]

31 minutes ago, Stephen1876 said:

It’s a fair point but I’d be quite happy to sign a player like Tam O’Brien and let him remain part-time if he preferred. 

OBrien signed a new contract at Arbroath I’m sure

[jaggy]

39 minutes ago, Stephen1876 said:

It’s a fair point but I’d be quite happy to sign a player like Tam O’Brien and let him remain part-time if he preferred. 

I don’t see how that could work if a p/t player worked Mon-Fri during the day.

[Anniesland Jag]

Dools mentioned in his interview about “protecting assets” which ,IMHO, points to signings (yeah ,I know we’ve lost some pretty hefty assets post season but that’s the financial and league reality of Thistle right now ).

That’s not to say we don’t need loanees,which we most certainly do, but shows he has one eye on building for the future around a solid ,contracted team .
 

Next couple of weeks will be interesting for sure .

Edited June 24, 2023 by Anniesland Jag

[jlsarmy]

50 minutes ago, Anniesland Jag said:

Dools mentioned in his interview about “protecting assets” which ,IMHO, points to signings (yeah ,I know we’ve lost some pretty hefty assets post season but that’s the financial and league reality of Thistle right now ).

That’s not to say we don’t need loanees,which we most certainly do, but shows he has one eye on building for the future around a solid ,contracted team .
 

Next couple of weeks will be interesting for sure .

Think Dools and the Club know that the template for our Club has to change .

At our level within Scottish Football there is little or no transfer fees involved.

The demographic in my opinion would have to be younger players that we can develop, give them a pathway to first team football and possibly sell them on to Clubs down South or even the Old Firm ,similar to what teams like Motherwell have done .
Just now with the 4 players that have left who were out of contract it’s doubtful that Ross County, Dundee or Dundee Utd would have paid a transfer fee if there contracts hadn’t ended .

If we develop our own Academy Players and other younger players there is no reason why this can’t be another profitable revenue stream.

In Dools we trust.

[Fawlty Towers]

With regards to loans I would like to see us keep it around 3 or 4 out of a squad of 21. I wonder, and this is me just speculating, if we might see a player or two come from the other side of Glasgow this season as Kris has a family connection to Stephen McManus (Celtic B team coach) and if they are taking their team out of the Lowland League their players will need to get game time somewhere?

[Garscube Road End 2]

2 minutes ago, Fawlty Towers said:

With regards to loans I would like to see us keep it around 3 or 4 out of a squad of 21. I wonder, and this is me just speculating, if we might see a player or two come from the other side of Glasgow this season as Kris has a family connection to Stephen McManus (Celtic B team coach) and if they are taking their team out of the Lowland League their players will need to get game time somewhere?

Hmm. Previous loans from the 2 scumbags have been, let's say, unimpressive. Only one I remember liking was Lewis Mayo.

[Fawlty Towers]

1 minute ago, Garscube Road End 2 said:

Hmm. Previous loans from the 2 scumbags have been, let's say, unimpressive. Only one I remember liking was Lewis Mayo.

I think over several seasons the best loan deals we have had came from Livingston. Anyway just speculation on my part.

[Fawlty Towers]

It was not mentioned in the interview but looks like Paul McDonald won't be continuing as assistant manager. He is just showing as Academy Director on the club's "Who's Who" page and has been removed from the team page. Kenny Arthur is still on both as keeper coach so perhaps rumours of him leaving where as accurate as those of Docherty definitely have signed a PCA with Killie and Holt going to Cyprus.

Anyway, a big thanks to Paul for stepping up and doing so well. His role now though will be even more important as we develop our own players moving forward.

Any rumours about new assistant - I think Big Wull deserves a shot at it!

[Garscube Road End 2]

17 minutes ago, Fawlty Towers said:

It was not mentioned in the interview but looks like Paul McDonald won't be continuing as assistant manager. He is just showing as Academy Director on the club's "Who's Who" page and has been removed from the team page. Kenny Arthur is still on both as keeper coach so perhaps rumours of him leaving where as accurate as those of Docherty definitely have signed a PCA with Killie and Holt going to Cyprus.

Anyway, a big thanks to Paul for stepping up and doing so well. His role now though will be even more important as we develop our own players moving forward.

Any rumours about new assistant - I think Big Wull deserves a shot at it!

Could be Brian Graham as player coach.

[sandy]

2 minutes ago, Garscube Road End 2 said:

Could be Brian Graham as player coach.

No, I hope not. 

Edited June 24, 2023 by sandy

[Fawlty Towers]

1 minute ago, Garscube Road End 2 said:

Could be Brian Graham as player coach.

That would be an obvious one but why not say it when his extension was announced. Would also mean a new manager required for the women's team.

I think, again not in the know, it will be someone not already at the club. Will find out when the players return to pre season I suppose.

[Garscube Road End 2]

19 minutes ago, sandy said:

No, I hope not. 

You'd think that it would be someone a bit more experienced than Doolan himself if not Graham.

[sandy]

54 minutes ago, Fawlty Towers said:

That would be an obvious one but why not say it when his extension was announced. Would also mean a new manager required for the women's team.

I think, again not in the know, it will be someone not already at the club. Will find out when the players return to pre season I suppose.

It’s Kingsley. 

[falklandal1]

1 hour ago, Fawlty Towers said:

That would be an obvious one but why not say it when his extension was announced. Would also mean a new manager required for the women's team.

I think, again not in the know, it will be someone not already at the club. Will find out when the players return to pre season I suppose.

Dont  See Brian being a Number 2,think he will have his own mind on how things should be done.As you say Martin,if he was going to be the Assistant it would have been announced.Kris is going to need a hand so hopefully we have it in Hand.