Match Preview
Tomorrow Firhill will host Glasgow's Big Game when league leaders Dundee are our guests. Manager Ian McCall has already outlined the significance of the games either side of New Year and with Dundee's win at Ross County on Tuesday night allowing them to open a five point gap over us we certainly don't want that gap to get any wider.
As always www.ptfc.co.uk caught up with the manager ahead of the weekend's fixture and today, in addition to providing us with the latest team news, he some interesting things to say about the money Dundee have invested in their squad.
"Tomorrow's game now it is clearly a big, big game for us. We obviously don't want Dundee to open up a gap over us and I don't think the league as a whole, apart from Dundee themselves naturally, want a gap to develop at the top. I'm not going to go as far as to say that I think that we owe Dundee one after our defeat at Dens Park earlier in the season but I do think that was the best that we have played this season. Tomorrow we will be hoping to play equally as well as we did that afternoon but this time take the chances that come our way and not come up against a goalkeeper in inspired form as Tony Bullock was that afternoon."
"We are well placed in terms of player availability. Everyone is fit with the exception of Liam Buchanan who is progressing very nicely. We changed things around a little against Inverness last week. Jamie Adams' best position is I feel in the centre of midfield but he did well at the back against Inverness and it may be he will stay there for tomorrow's game. Equally I think John Robertson's best position is at centre back but he did really well at right back. It could be that Paul Paton will come back into the team but no matter who we play and where it is nice to have these kind of options available. Come January though it could be that 2 or 3 players will be moved out but at the same time I would be hopeful of brining in 1 or 2 at the same time."
"A strong squad is something that Dundee certainly have but I was disappointed by the comments attributed to a Ross County player after their defeat to Dundee during the week. The player implied that the Dundee players have been shouting their mouths off about winning the league this season. I don't think that has been the case at all. I know their manager Jocky Scott and he, nor his assistant, is like that at all. Nor are his players. We were in Spain at the same time as them at the end of last season and they are a smashing bunch of lads, especially the likes of Jim Lauchlan, Eric Paton and our ‘own' Gary Harkins."
"There seems to be quite a lot of Dundee bashing taking place this season simply because Mr Melville has spent a bit of money. I suspect that Mr Melville has worked very hard for his money and he is perfectly entitled to spend it as and how he wants. Dundee have simply spent money in an attempt to help win the First Division which is exactly what everyone else would do had they the money to do so. It shouldn't be forgotten either that the money they have spent has helped other clubs. The money we got for Gary Harkins helped us bring in a couple of players while helping with a few other things. I'm sure also that the money Livingston got for Leigh Griffiths helped pay a few wages as well."
"I'm envious though not jealous of the money Dundee have. Besides it is every bit as difficult as managing with money as it without money as I know from experience."
Thistle Stats
Current Form - Last Five Games
W D L F A
2 1 2 8 8
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Liam Buchanan 11
Simon Donnelly 7
Paul Cairney 4
Mark Corcoran 3
Chris Erskine 3
Kris Doolan 2
Bryan Hodge 2
Jim Hamilton 2
Jamie Adams 1
Alan Archibald 1
Steve Lovell 1
David Rowson 1
Last Game
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday November 28th 2009
Partick Thistle 2, Inverness Caledonian Thistle 1
Dundee Stats
Current Form - Last Five Games
W D L F A
3 2 0 7 4
Scorers Season 2009/2010
Leigh Griffiths 11
Gary Harkins 10
Sean Higgins 5
Craig Forsyth 4
Colin McMenamin 4
Mickael Antoine-Curier 3
Colin Cameron 1
Pat Clarke 1
Eddie Malone 1
Gary MacKenzie 1
Own Goal 1
Last Game
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Tuesday December 1st 2009
Ross County 0, Dundee 1
Last Meeting
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday October 10th 2009
Dundee 2, Partick Thistle 0
Teams
Dundee: Bullock, Paton, Malone, Klimpl, MacKenzie, Cowan, Hart (McHale), Kerr, Griffiths (Clarke), Higgins (McMenamin), Harkins.
Thistle: Tuffey, Paton, Archibald, Hodge, Robertson, Maxwell, Cairney (Erskine), Rowson, Buchanan, Donnelly, Corcoran (Doolan).
Scorers
Dundee: Griffiths (4), Harkins (47)
Crowd: 5,364
Match Details
Irn-Bru Scottish League First Division
Saturday December 5th 2009
Partick Thistle v Dundee
Kick-off: 3:00pm
Prices
Adults: £16
OAP/Full time Education/16-21: £11
Under 16s: FREE
Programme: £2.50
Don't forget to Bring a Mate to Glasgow's Big Game
Match Officials
Referee: Craig Thomason
Assistant Referees: Alan Cunningham and Raymond Whyte
