My pal Gary can help Thistle turn over a new belief
Cowie predicts repeat of Caldwell’s Wigan revival
DON COWIE believes the courage of Gary Caldwell’s convictions will spark a Partick Thistle revival.
The Ross County midfielder was a team-mate of Caldwell’s with both Scotland and Wigan and witnessed an unshakeable self-belief in the big defender.
And it was something he carried into management in the face of adversity.
Caldwell took charge of Wigan in 2015 after Malky Mackay was sacked with the club in relegation death throes.
He couldn’t prevent a drop to League One but bounced back to win the title.
Cowie said: “When I first went to Wigan Gary was a mate and a team-mate. There was then the crossover of going into management.
“It’s difficult because you go from being friends to seeing him as the manager. But he dealt with that really well.
“It was a quite testing start for him at Wigan but we went on to win the league very comfortably that year.
“He’s very strong in his beliefs, just like he was in his career. He has a lot of selfconfidence, he takes that into his management and he gets the results eventually.
“I’m sure he will be hoping to do that at Partick. He has had no transfer window. It will take time. I’m sure it has been frustrating results-wise but he’s someone who doesn’t waver. He’s got strong belief in how he wants to play and will stick to those principles. I’m sure he’ll get it right.”
Cowie knows how tough a job Caldwell faces but sees warning signs in Thistle’s recent record of a win and two draws in the last four matches.
He added: “It was similar here after relegation. You get used to losing games then all of a sudden you’ve got to win regularly. But there is still a long way to go”
Thistle keeper Jamie Sneddon wants to grab his opportunity with both hands.
An injury to Cammy Bell has opened the door for the 21-year-old who said: “I didn’t feature last season when we were in the Premiership and the Championship started the same way for me.
“Being a goalkeeper there’s not much you can do but wait for either an injury or a loss of form. Unfortunately for Cammy he’s picked up a knock and I’ve been given a chance.
“I’m happy with how things are going but there is always something you can do to improve your game.
“My confidence is growing with every game but I know that facing Ross County at their place will be tough.”