Partick Thistle Preview

A truly turbulent week which started with the departure of Jackie McNamara and his management team continues with caretaker boss Dave Bowman taking the side to Firhill for an important basement battle with Partick Thistle. By Peter Rundo Alan Archibald’s side sit bottom of the table, trailing us by two points, thereby emphasising the importance of this meeting. Thistle are without a league win since the beginning of May and after drawing three of the first four games have now gone six games without win which includes a defeat to Championship Falkirk in the League Cup. United, of course, have won just the once, and now gone seven games without a win excluding the extra-time victory over Dunfermline Athletic in the League Cup. As he assumes control for the trip west, club legend Dave Bowman has laid down the gauntlet whilst backing them to show their true mettle for this crunch clash. He said: “I think the players know they have cost Jackie his job. “There is no beating about the bush – if a manager gets the sack it is because the players aren’t performing. “Jackie never lost the dressing room at all. “I’ve seen it before in the past when managers have lost the support of the players but that was definitely not the case. “Jackie had their full support and the players were upset with what’s happened. “The bottom line is, though, that the players have cost him his job by not performing.” Notwithstanding that, the stand-in gaffer has been gratified by the squad’s response on the training ground this week. He said: “There is a determination to put it right. It’s a results business so it doesn’t matter how good I think the players are – it’s about proving it on the pitch. “I don’t doubt them at all. If you ask any manager in our game to look at the players in our dressing room they would all rate them. If they became available they would get snapped up. “I would be very confident that with the players we’ve got there will be no concerns about relegation at this club. “But sometimes you need that wee bit of luck in football and for some reason it has just not clicked for them recently and then self-belief goes. “So we have to get them back to believing in themselves.” All Arabs hope that will be the case tomorrow! Other than the unfortunate Mario Bilate, who is ruled out for six months with the cruciate injury he sustained in training, Bo has the same squad available to him as for last week’s match at St Johnstone. United supporters can buy tickets for this match at the cash gates of the Main Stand at Firhill Stadium on the day of the game. Admission prices are as follows:       

• £22 – Adults
• £15 – Concessions (Over 65s, students, disabled and carer)
• £5 – Under 16s

Full info here.