It has come as a surprise to us all
DANNY DEVINE insists Partick will have nobody to blame but themselves if they take the drop.
But he’s confident they can win at Dundee today to avoid automatic relegation then seal survival in the play-off final.
If they lose at Dens and Ross County win on the road against St Johnstone then Alan Archibald’s men will fall into the second tier.
It’s a far cry from last season when the Jags finished in the top six and defender Devine admits their fall from grace has caught everybody cold.
But he’s determined to end a dismal campaign on a high by securing safety.
The 25 year-old, a Scottish Cup winner with Inverness, said: “Being where we are has come as a surprise to most people – especially us.
“We can’t point the finger at anybody except ourselves.
“We got ourselves into this mess and will have to get ourselves out. It has been a BY ANTHONY HAGGERTY tough year coming off the back of last season.
“It is still in our hands and the Dundee game is massive.
“We feel we can go to Dens and get the win that steers us clear of automatic relegation.
“There is still a belief and confidence we can get out of the situation.
“This is crunch time and our last chance to avoid the automatic drop.
“We have to give ourselves a fighting chance of staying in the league.
“We would fancy ourselves in the play-off final. These type of pressure games never pan out the way people seem to think because there is so much riding on them.
“If it does come down to that we will need to make sure we are in the right frame of mind and ready for the final.”
The Irishman has never been involved in a relegation battle but knows jobs will be on the line if Thistle go down.
Devine’s own deal expires in the summer but contract talks have been shelved until the Jags know what division they will be playing in.
He said: “This is all quite new to me so, as pressure games go, this is up there.
“It is a different type of pressure to what I have been used to before but no one is going to shy away from it.
“There is a lot of character in the dressing room and the boys will all fight for it.
“It’s easy to say it’s just another game but it’s not. There is a lot more pressure.
“You just have to give it your all. You should do that every week but these games are crucial and we are fighting for our livelihoods.
“The mood has always been optimistic. Thinking negative is only going to bring one thing – negative displays and results. My contract is up in the summer, along with a number of the other boys.
“Even the boys whose contracts are for longer don’t want to be playing in the Championship.
“They want to be fighting against the best teams in the league. So everyone at Firhill is in it together.
“There haven’t been many talks so far and that is understandable from the club because they don’t know what the situation will be.
“But in two or three weeks’ time we will know where we are going to be. I have really enjoyed my two years here, especially last season.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs this year but I have still enjoyed coming to work with this group of players and the manager.
“You have to keep believing and keep trying to do the right things. Hopefully we will get a return from that.”