WE WON’T GET CAUGHT CALD

New Jags boss Gaz vows fightback starts now

GARY CALDWELL has told his Partick Thistle troops the first step back to the top flight starts today in Alloa.

The new Firhill boss has had less than a week to work with a jaded Jags squad badly in need of a lift since the sacking of Alan Archibald two weeks ago.

Sitting eighth in the Championship, Caldwell needs to rally his side fast to have much hope of bouncing straight back up to the Premiership after relegation.

And he warned the players that journey back to the top starts now as he strives to build momentum with a flying start against a Wasps side who sit just one place below them in the table.

Caldwell said: “This is a Premiership club and that will be my aim. My message to the players is we have to fight hard every single day to get better and improve our position.

“We know that is a huge challenge so the first step will be making sure the players are right mentally to go to Alloa and get a result.

“Then work to develop a playing style that the fans can be proud of and enjoy coming to watch Partick Thistle play.

“I’m a very attack-minded coach. I want to play football by controlling the game, controlling possession and attacking but you have to be defensively strong if you want to win anything.

“We have to stop conceding goals. We’ve conceded the most goals in the league and that has to change quickly.

“We’ll put some principles in place as we prepare for Alloa, such as defensively where we have to improve. But it won’t happen overnight.

“It will be a slow process to develop each player individually in order to build the side I want to see. The fans have a massive role to play too. I can’t do this on my own, the players can’t do it alone. Any successful club needs their fans to get behind them and we need the supporters more than ever.”

Jim Goodwin is aware of the danger of the bounce effect from a new manager and the Alloa boss said: “I’ve been in this position many a time as a player – I’d always expect a reaction from the squad.

“They’re a better team than their eighth place would suggest. But for whatever reason they haven’t picked up the results they needed and a good man has lost his job.

“But it’s important we focus on going about our own job in the right manner.”

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