Partick Thistle Football Club

2010 has not been a kind year for Partick Thistle. Saturday's defeat at Airdrie United being just the latest in a line of defeats that has left everyone associated with the club disappointed and frustrated in equal measure.

www.ptfc.co.uk didn't have the opportunity to speak to Ian McCall in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's defeat but a little earlier this evening we caught up with the Thistle manager who took the opportunity to address some of the challenges that the Club are presently facing on and off the park.

"The first thing that I want to make mention of are the reports that appeared in the press today that I'm starting to feel under pressure as a result of our recent poor run. That is absolute nonsense. The only pressure that I feel is the type that I place on myself in the attempt to get things right for Partick Thistle."  

"The Thistle supporters don't need to be reminded that we are going through a horrible spell at the moment. I know people will be fed up hearing me say this but I'm still of the belief that the football that we played during the first 15-20 games of the season was the best that a Thistle team has produced in my time at the Club. I'm still of the belief that we should have had a greater reward for that than what we got."

"Equally, and again I know people don't particularly want to hear me say this, I feel as poor as we have been playing of late we should have taken more from recent matches. Liam Buchanan missing a penalty on Saturday plus the injuries to Jackie McNamara and Alan Archibald are indicative of the kind of problems that we have had to endure during this difficult period. These are things though that you need to overcome."

"I'm pleased in a way that this spell of around two and a half months is the first real sustained poor period in my three years at the Club. If you are a manager of a club that you intend to be charge of for a long period then you must realise that there are going to be good times and that there are going to be bad times. That it is going to be a series of peaks and troughs. It's easy when things are going well but often the mark of a manager is how they deal with the bad times. It is during times like these that managers, directors and supporters can really show their worth."

"I feel right now that the Club is a little rudderless  and now, more than ever, is a time for strong leadership.  It is my job to provide that leadership I intend to take the lead in doing just that."

" I'll be honest and say that personally I have found things difficult of late. This season I have lost in the shape of Gerry Britton and John Henry two absolutely superb individuals both of whom  have moved to pastures new. Both Gerry and John  helped create a real vibrancy around the Club and their presence has been missed. That is something that we will be addressing."

"There are some things that we, as a Club, may have to do in the next 2-3 months that if I have to be honest I would prefer that we didn't have to do. What people will need to realise though is that these things will be done for the long term benefit of the football club. The important thing, and I am 100% behind the Directors in this view, is the continued well-being of Partick Thistle Football Club."

"Look, I would have loved to have been able to do things during the summer that simply proved to be impossible. I would loved to have been able to add the three or four main summer targets that I had to the squad as I believed, even in the wake of Gary Harkins and Marc Twaddle leaving, that would have given us a real chance of winning the league. I know that the supporters would have loved to have seen us do that as well. What people have to weigh that up against is the fact that in doing so the future of Partick Thistle would have been placed in jeopardy and that is not something that anyone wants to do."

"Last season finishing second was a huge overachievement for us. On the basis of the financial strength of each First Division club then perhaps finishing 5^th or 6^th is about right for Partick Thistle but that isn't something that we can ever be happy with."

"Much has been made of my comment when I first became manager at Firhill of my plan for Thistle being 3-5 year one. These things are though fluid in football and you need to adapt to changing circumstances. It may be that we will need to revise our goals and objectives a little but the desire and the endeavour to create a sustainable football in which we can all take pride hasn't lessened any."