The Partick Thistle thread

[oneteaminglasgow]

The only one I’d definitely be keeping is Brownlie.

On the assumption that we stay down, I’d keep Hendrie provided he’s happy to be back up. No chance he should be our first choice left back though. 

More than happy to punt the rest. Lyons has already signed a deal with Montrose hasn’t he? 

Edit: Brownlie is signed up until 2023 anyway - https://ptfc.co.uk/ptfc-news/darren-brownlie-extends-contract-until-2023/

Edited April 12, 2022 by oneteaminglasgow

[South Lanarkshire Jag]

2 hours ago, jaggyness said:

Getting to the point in the season where you start thinking about who you might keep of the out of contract players. According to the OS all the following are out of contract: Bell, Brownie, Foster, Hendrie, McKenna, Crawford, Gordon, Murray, Lyons and MacIver.
Out of that list the only ones I'd keep are Hendrie and Brownlie although I have a suspicion McCall will offer Crawford one. Still leaves us with a massive rebuild job again pretty much everywhere except in midfield where we're fairly well covered. Would mean as a minimum we're looking at a gk, 2x full backs (ideally one who can cover both sides), a centre back, at least 2 wide attackers with pace and 2x strikers.

Oops, Brownlie signed an extension last July. Will amend.

[Reid]

I’d let them all go tbh. Would be okay with Hendrie staying as a squad player but would be fine if he left.

I think they’ll all go apart from Crawford. I’ve yet to see what Crawford brings but he’s not been played in his actual position.

I would try and punt Smith too. He’s offered nothing.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Reid

[Fuctifano]

6 hours ago, jaggyness said:

Getting to the point in the season where you start thinking about who you might keep of the out of contract players. According to the OS all the following are out of contract: Bell, Brownie, Foster, Hendrie, McKenna, Crawford, Gordon, Murray, Lyons and MacIver.
Out of that list the only ones I'd keep are Hendrie and Brownlie although I have a suspicion McCall will offer Crawford one. Still leaves us with a massive rebuild job again pretty much everywhere except in midfield where we're fairly well covered. Would mean as a minimum we're looking at a gk, 2x full backs (ideally one who can cover both sides), a centre back, at least 2 wide attackers with pace and 2x strikers.

We do kind of need that rebuild though, we needed it in January but pretty much ended up going backwards. I don't mind Jakubiak but he's a downgrade on Rudden, Crawford had one really good assist against Ayr and won the pen vs ICT but has been anonymous otherwise, McAllister has been pointless due to injury and Alegría isn't up to it. 

We're still overburdened with centre mids and we've maybe got Sena coming back next season, no idea how he's done at Alloa apart from crunching the Celtic player and getting sent off after 50 seconds in another game. So I wouldn't keep Crawford and would agree with moving Smith on. Can't really see a great case for any of the others though I think McCall might keep McKenna. 

There's also a chance we'll lose Tiffoney as well. 

On the plus side if Brownlie is coming back and is even 90% of what he was prior to injury we're set for centre halves and centre mids. 

[Bishop Briggs]

5 hours ago, jaggyness said:

Getting to the point in the season where you start thinking about who you might keep of the out of contract players. According to the OS all the following are out of contract: Bell, Brownie, Foster, Hendrie, McKenna, Crawford, Gordon, Murray, Lyons and MacIver.
Out of that list the only ones I'd keep are Hendrie and Brownlie although I have a suspicion McCall will offer Crawford one. Still leaves us with a massive rebuild job again pretty much everywhere except in midfield where we're fairly well covered. Would mean as a minimum we're looking at a gk, 2x full backs (ideally one who can cover both sides), a centre back, at least 2 wide attackers with pace and 2x strikers.

Agree with all of that.

Hendrie had little game time before Foster's injury and Mayo's international duty. Before McCall dropped Akinola and reverted to playing McKenna at RB, he was third choice LB behind Foster and Holt. His agent must be looking at other options that will give him more opportunities to play.

A new deal for Crawford should not be a priority. Niang should be given a chance in midfield, his best position. Ideally, Lyon and Stanway will be regulars in the squad too.

The big worry is that the cost of stadium repairs and sorting the pitch could reduce the playing budget significantly.

[jaggyness]

We do kind of need that rebuild though, we needed it in January but pretty much ended up going backwards. I don't mind Jakubiak but he's a downgrade on Rudden, Crawford had one really good assist against Ayr and won the pen vs ICT but has been anonymous otherwise, McAllister has been pointless due to injury and Alegría isn't up to it. 
We're still overburdened with centre mids and we've maybe got Sena coming back next season, no idea how he's done at Alloa apart from crunching the Celtic player and getting sent off after 50 seconds in another game. So I wouldn't keep Crawford and would agree with moving Smith on. Can't really see a great case for any of the others though I think McCall might keep McKenna. 

I absolutely agree that we need a substantial rebuild and that the squad is weaker now than the beginning of the season. If we could get a good centre half and striker sorted on a PCA or similar that would be a great start. Obviously, in the scenario where we somehow get promoted this year the rebuild is even more substantial as we'd basically need strengthening everywhere and more players would be offered to leave the club I'd imagine.

I'd also be ok if Smith left, he's become one of those players who has a big reputation off a good season about 6 years ago and hasn't done anything since and I suspect he's towards the top end of our earners.

[Smurph]

Replacing Hendrie with Milne would be a mad step up in quality but I maybe doubt that’s happening and we won’t be the only team sniffing around. Strapp would be great but maybe has better offers than us, assuming we’re not in the Premiership and have an advantage, which I don’t think we will be. Depends how ambitious we come across and how much wages we have spare after Kevin Holt’s apparent £500k a year bonus.

We clearly need a few improvements. I wouldn’t be adverse to keeping McKenna on the basis he was a secondary RB and we didn’t have to always rely on him. 

Bring back Fitzpatrick and see what happens with him, get him telt it’s his last chance. Surely better than playing a orchestra of Premiership reject central midfielders in the position.

[JagsCG]

I'd keep Hendrie as a squad player, but would still like to improve on both full-back positions (particularly if Holt is to be starting CB next season like McCall has previously suggested). I think Foster will retire but if not I suspect McCall could offer him a deal as a backup (for both RB and LB) and keep him as a 'experienced head who's good in the dressing room' contract, personally I'd probably let him go due to age. After Crawford's first few games I'd probably have agreed with a longer-term deal not so sure now, I'd like to see Sena come back and get a shot in midfield. 

Everyone else will likely be let go and therefore we do need to rebuild with quality in key areas, another winger is a must (two if Tiffoney is sold but I reckon we'd only do it for crazy money), two full backs, and at least 1 other goalscoring striker. I think we're probably sorted for midfield, despite the likes of Docherty not been at their best recently, and we've got 3 good CBs signed up for next season in Akinola, Brownlie and Holt - we've no chance of getting Mayo back if we're still in the championship next season but hypothetically if we did it'd be sensational business, although all 4 of those players would want regular game time.

Just having a look at the current set to be 'out of contract' players from the Championship, I'd certainly take any of Lawless, Dom Thomas, James Maxwell, Connolly from QoS, Strapp from Morton - to name a few. So I'd imagine McCall & Co have already started looking at possible signings for next season. 

[Highlandmagar]

54 minutes ago, JagsCG said:

I'd keep Hendrie as a squad player, but would still like to improve on both full-back positions (particularly if Holt is to be starting CB next season like McCall has previously suggested). I think Foster will retire but if not I suspect McCall could offer him a deal as a backup (for both RB and LB) and keep him as a 'experienced head who's good in the dressing room' contract, personally I'd probably let him go due to age. After Crawford's first few games I'd probably have agreed with a longer-term deal not so sure now, I'd like to see Sena come back and get a shot in midfield. 

Everyone else will likely be let go and therefore we do need to rebuild with quality in key areas, another winger is a must (two if Tiffoney is sold but I reckon we'd only do it for crazy money), two full backs, and at least 1 other goalscoring striker. I think we're probably sorted for midfield, despite the likes of Docherty not been at their best recently, and we've got 3 good CBs signed up for next season in Akinola, Brownlie and Holt - we've no chance of getting Mayo back if we're still in the championship next season but hypothetically if we did it'd be sensational business, although all 4 of those players would want regular game time.

Just having a look at the current set to be 'out of contract' players from the Championship, I'd certainly take any of Lawless, Dom Thomas, James Maxwell, Connolly from QoS, Strapp from Morton - to name a few. So I'd imagine McCall & Co have already started looking at possible signings for next season. 

I wouldn't touch Lawless with a barge pole. Maxwell is a Rangers player, I don't know his contract situation.

[D'Jaffo]

I wouldn't touch Lawless with a barge pole. Maxwell is a Rangers player, I don't know his contract situation.

He’s out of contract in the summer. AFAIK both ourselves and Rangers have offered him a contract (there’s been no mention of this since January) so if someone wanted him they’d have to pay a fee to Rangers.

To be honest I’m not that fussed on him. He’s clearly talented but really really lightweight and if we keep Paddy Reading we’ll just end up playing him out of position which would only hinder him.

[Highlandmagar]

10 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

He’s out of contract in the summer. AFAIK both ourselves and Rangers have offered him a contract (there’s been no mention of this since January) so if someone wanted him they’d have to pay a fee to Rangers.

To be honest I’m not that fussed on him. He’s clearly talented but really really lightweight and if we keep Paddy Reading we’ll just end up playing him out of position which would only hinder him.

Ah right! As you say he does look a talent. But the evidence I saw against Kilmarnock is he is easily brushed off the ball. But you have seen him all season.

[Fuctifano]

I was wrong about Lawless, thought he was finished but he'd quite clearly have been better than the succession of empty jerseys we've had on the right of midfield this season. Think as long as Archibald is at the club though he won't be back. 

I'm sure I read somewhere on social media (so take with pinch of salt) that Fitzpatrick wanted to come back last summer but McCall knocked him back. 

There was a post on one of the other threads on here about out of contract players in this league and I said there weren't many that were both realistic and would improve us, Tumilty at Raith i think would be better than McKenna. 

Given our rumoured interest in Maxwell and Milne I think Hendrie will be away, which is not much of a loss 

[Highlandmagar]

1 minute ago, Fuctifano said:

I was wrong about Lawless, thought he was finished but he'd quite clearly have been better than the succession of empty jerseys we've had on the right of midfield this season. Think as long as Archibald is at the club though he won't be back. 

I'm sure I read somewhere on social media (so take with pinch of salt) that Fitzpatrick wanted to come back last summer but McCall knocked him back. 

There was a post on one of the other threads on here about out of contract players in this league and I said there weren't many that were both realistic and would improve us, Tumilty at Raith i think would be better than McKenna. 

Given our rumoured interest in Maxwell and Milne I think Hendrie will be away, which is not much of a loss 

The way things are looking at Firhill we may have to downgrade on players due to lack of finances.

[JagsCG]

2 hours ago, Highlandmagyar Tier 3 said:

I wouldn't touch Lawless with a barge pole. 

Lawless would've improved us in January, although that's not too difficult given our lack of a right-midfield. I think he's more than competent at championship level, as he showed when he was excellent against us a few weeks ago. 

1 hour ago, Fuctifano said:

Think as long as Archibald is at the club though he won't be back. 

Yeah that's a fair point, could well be right there. 

[JagsCG]

1 hour ago, Fuctifano said:

Given our rumoured interest in Maxwell and Milne I think Hendrie will be away, which is not much of a loss 

Hasn't Maxwell been playing as a wide-midfielder for most of the season though? and Milne is an attacking wing-back so I would't put it past McCall to have a plan to play either of them further up the field, more so Maxwell than Milne perhaps.

Edited April 12, 2022 by JagsCG

[Jacky1990]

1 hour ago, Fuctifano said:

Think as long as Archibald is at the club though he won't be back. 

Anyone fancy explaining this to me?

Dont remember Lawless and Archie falling out but Id pretty much zoned fully out of that season, much like the whole club tbh.

[D'Jaffo]

Hasn't Maxwell been playing as a wide-midfielder for most of the season though? and Milne is an attacking wing-back so I would't put it past McCall to have a plan to play either of them further up the field, more so Maxwell than Milne perhaps.

Maxwell can’t hack it long term as a wide midfielder imo. He’s scored a handful of goals for us and he’s had his good games but it’s very much square pegs in round holes for him this season. Not once has he played in his natural position of left back.

[JagsCG]

24 minutes ago, D'Jaffo said:

Maxwell can’t hack it long term as a wide midfielder imo. He’s scored a handful of goals for us and he’s had his good games but it’s very much square pegs in round holes for him this season. Not once has he played in his natural position of left back.

Do you think he’ll end up back as a LB long-term then? 

[D'Jaffo]

Do you think he’ll end up back as a LB long-term then? 

Depends where he goes. He’s got no future at Rangers so I’d imagine he’ll end up back in this league next season unless a Premiership team think they can develop him.

As I said, we’ve got a better left back in Reading so there’s no point in keeping both of them. I think Maxwell will do well but not as a midfielder.

[oneteaminglasgow]

I think signing Lawless in January would have been risky - obviously it’s worked out for Dunfermline, but he’d just spent a year at Motherwell not playing and acting like a bellend, so I can see why we avoided him then. I’d take him for next season though. 

I don’t recall any particular issue between him and Archibald either - although I do seem to remember that it didn’t appear that Lawless was the one who decided he was leaving Thistle first time round.

I’d take Fitzpatrick back too. Probably not as first choice mind.