Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Archibald wants to break hoodoo
PARTICK Thistle boss Alan Archibald has urged his players to be clinical as they look for their first win over Rangers in 23 years.
The Jags welcome Mark Warburton’s side to Firhill hoping to bounce back from a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Motherwell last weekend.
Archibald is looking for a positive reaction from his squad and believes the first goal i n t he Ladbrokes Premiership contest will be crucial.
“We need to make sure we keep their good players quiet and be clinical when we get chances, that is the key part when you play the top sides,” he said.
“I think most teams who have done well against them or have taken something from the games have not lost the first goal, so that is a big key for us.
“We did O K in the previous game for 30 minutes but we gave them too much time and when you give players with that amount of quality time on the ball, they will cause you problems.
Archibald i nsists his squad have the capabilities to pull of the win against their Glasgow rivals but says his players must lift their game.
He said: “We were really flat last week so we are looking for a reaction from the guys and this game gives us a platform to go and play. We can’t have anyone feeling sorry for themselves, especially against the better teams.
“They like to have a lot of possession — we know that — but it’s about making sure we are i n our right shape and we take care of the ball when we get it ourselves.”