ARCHIBALD EYES RECORD HIGH FOR HIS JAGS
PARTICK THISTLE boss Alan Archibald has urged his side to put the low of last weekend’s Scottish Cup exit behind them and focus on securing the club’s highest league finish in 36 years. Archibald was left disappointed by last Sunday’s 1-0 quarter-final loss against Aberdeen. But his team currently sit in sixth place in the Premiership, two points ahead of Dundee, and face a winnable home match tomorrow against Inverness Caley Thistle. Archibald views it as a chance to move away from the danger zone before trying to seal the club’s first top-half finish since the introduction of the split. Should they be successful, it would be the Jags’ best campaign since 1981. Archibald said: ‘We’ve told the lads to get over the disappointment of the Scottish Cup and focus on the league. ‘Our priority is to get away from the relegation area for good and then drive on for the top six. ‘It’s in our own hands right now but the league is so tight and a few other managers will be saying the same thing. ‘It’s dog-eat-dog right now and we all have a run of fixtures coming up where we’re playing against each other. ‘It’s so tight that when you put a run together — as we have — that pulls you clear. If we can keep the level of consistency we’ve been showing we will not be far away.’ Archibald has warned against complacency, however, with Richie Foran’s side having recently beaten Rangers and drawn at Hearts. ‘Billy Mckay has come in and they look more like the old Inverness,’ he said. ‘They’re bottom of the league but they look as though they’re confident and playing very well. ‘But we have confidence ourselves because we’ve won four of our last five matches.’ Meanwhile, Archibald agrees with Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers’ idea of a transfer window for managers. Currently, three Premiership clubs are without a permanent boss: Rangers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell. Players can normally only be signed during the summer and winter transfer windows and, although Archibald would welcome a similar situation for the hiring and firing of managers, he is not holding his breath, saying: ‘I certainly go along with Brendan Rodgers. It would make a lot of sense but I don’t think owners will let it happen.’