Partick Thistle Manager Alan Archibald completed the first steps in the Firhill club’s preparation for life in the SPL by re-signing midfielder Ross Forbes and striker Kris Doolan.
Having lost Paul Paton and Chris Erskine to Dundee United Archibald reckons that it was important that the players who contributed to their First Division success and know the Jags well are getting the chance to perform at a higher level.
Archibald said: “I am delighted to have secured Ross for another year and Kris for two as continuity is important at this club. Ross came here and played here for nothing last year in a bid to get a deal whereas Kris has been here for a number of years and keeping him here brings stability.
“There was some interest in Kris but he has opted to stay here. That is important on and off the pitch as he is well respected and knows what this club is about. We still need to hear back from Christie Elliot and it looks like James Craigen will extend his contract until May 2015 so we are going to have a familiar look about us.”
The 35-year-old who stepped in when previous manager Jackie McNamara headed for the SPL with Dundee United half way through last season said: “We will still have a good young squad that will look to play football however I want to bring in 6 or 7 new faces. As well as Paul and Chris leaving we let Steven Craig and Andy Dowie go. We have tried to keep Jordan McMillan but he has offers down in England he is keen to pursue.”
“We need a bit of experience as whilst I will be registered as a player I don’t want to play much.”
The Firhill boss has no qualms about Paton and Erskine opting for Tannadice as opposed to Glasgow’s West End as he explained: “The boys had done well here before moving on and I don’t mind that. We know that Partick Thistle can be a stepping stone and that is fine, if players do a job here.”
Archibald will see Firhill as a platform to new recruits as he explained: “We can give players a window of opportunity in the SPL now and that is a great selling point. We need to have selling points as we will probably have the lowest budget of any club in the SPL.”
“We have other selling points as we are a good club in a good catchment area. Players enjoy being here and they enjoy the training and we hope to keep playing football in the open way we have been. Our fans like that but I also know that we have to be sensible about it and a bit more experience will help us do that.”
The Jags will start the season as favourites to go straight back down and Archibald is not fazed by that assessment and he thinks that his players will not be too concerned either saying: “If that us how things work out then we will use it as a motivational tool. We did that last season when people put us down and we went out to prove them wrong. Most our guys are at a good age of between 20 and 25 where they are determined to prove people wrong.”
“There was probably not a lot between second and ninth in the SPL last season and when you look at how well Ross County did after winning the First Division it gives us confidence that we can do well. The key for them was making a good start and if we can do that and get confidence up we will give ourselves a real chance.”
The Jags are changing their pre-season programme this year after two years of staying at the Army barracks at Catterick with Archibald saying: “We will prepare at the University at Durham. The barracks have been great and the army treated us well but we will have a bigger squad this season and we fancied a change of scenery as well.”
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