Partick Thistle: Guide to 2015-16 season
A profile of Partick Thistle as part of a comprehensive guide to the 12 top-flight teams ahead of the 2015-16 Scottish Premiership season.
Partick Thistle have re-acclimatised well to top-flight surroundings but, as the Maryhill men prepare for their third consecutive Scottish Premiership campaign, another stay of execution might be too difficult a task.
The Jags, promoted in 2013 as First Division champions after a nine-year absence, improved massively on their debut campaign by gaining an extra four wins and additional eight points to finish two places higher in eighth position.
They also shipped 21 fewer goals, kept more clean sheets and managed to rack up more home victories but did not pick up back-to-back league wins until March 21.
Even whilst hovering perilously above the bottom two when form has dipped, Alan Archibald’s men have managed to successfully stave off any danger of relegation despite finishing just three points above the play-off place in 2013-14.
Arguably the Premiership’s most inconsistent side, the Firhill outfit often struggle in front of their own supporters, are prone to individual defensive mistakes and can fail to secure the results that their attractive brand of free-flowing football merits on a regular basis.
On their day, however, their capabilities have no boundaries as the impressive 4-0 victory over Inverness and 5-0 thrashing of Hamilton last term alluded to.
But with the loss of several key players including Kallum Higginbotham, Scott Fox and Stephen O'Donnell, and fellow bottom-half teams seemingly getting stronger, a mammoth challenge awaits Thistle and many expect this to be the year they are dragged into the dogfight.
Archibald will subconsciously aim to reach the 30-point mark as quickly as possible, which has been enough in five of the last six seasons to survive.
The question remains whether the Jags have enough quality, character and spirit within their relatively young and small squad to garner the required number of points to escape.
Hitherto, some Thistle supporters would regard success as the continuation of their entertaining style of play if it can guarantee another year of top-flight football in whatever capacity while a positive result in one of their meetings with west Glasgow rivals Celtic wouldn’t go amiss.
PARTICK THISTLE:
Consolidation: The 37-year-old former Thistle defender has successfully stabilised the Maryhill club in his two-and-a-half years in charge so far (Picture from Sky Sports)
Manager: Alan Archibald Assistant Manager: Scott Paterson Captain: Abdul Osman (Midfielder) Chairman: David Beattie Star Player: Stuart Bannigan (Midfielder) 2014-15 player of the season: Kallum Higginbotham (Forward)
Possible line-up:
Players out:
Scott Fox (to Ross County, free transfer) Stephen O'Donnell (to Luton Town, free transfer) Lyle Taylor (to Sheffield United, end of loan spell) Conrad Balatoni (to Raith Rovers, free transfer) James Craigen (to Raith Rovers, free transfer) Dale Keenan (to Stranraer, free transfer) Ben Richards-Everton (to Dunfermline, free transfer) Kallum Higginbotham (to Kilmarnock, free transfer) Ryan Finnie (released) Chris Dillon (released)
Moving on: The 24-year-old former Preston midfielder scored four goals in 76 appearances during his three-year stay at Firhill (Picture from Sky Sports)
Transfers in:
Callum Booth (from Hibernian, free transfer) David Amoo (from Carlisle United, free transfer) Gary Miller (from St Johnstone, free transfer) Tomas Cerny (from Hibernian, free transfer)
