Jags victory would finish Dons’ hopes says Frans

WITH the business end of the season almost upon us, survival — by hook or by crook — remains top of Partick Thistle’s agenda in bold capital letters. While a singleminded approach to ensuring safety is mandatory for every one of Alan Archibald’s players, it hasn’t escaped anyone’s notice that others are likely to suffer if they achieve their aim in short order. A win against Aberdeen tonight would not only inch Thistle closer to comfort but, in the view of defender Frederic Frans, would simultaneously end the Dons’ flagging hopes of pipping Celtic to the title. ‘I think it would be over for them if we win but they will be motivated for the match,’ stated the Belgian. ‘They lost (to Inverness) on Monday and they need to get a win to keep in the title race. So they will be looking to give it a real go. ‘But from our point of view we don’t want to get dragged into a relegation fight. Even with two or three games in hand you want to get out of there. Mentally, it is a big thing. You want the points. ‘The league is so tight and, if we win our games in hand, we could be fourth or fifth. ‘If we lose them we’ll be in trouble. It’s two home games coming up and it’s up to us to make sure we’re safe.’ Thistle’s hopes of finishing the term in the top half of the table might have been a lot brighter had they not been cursed by the weather. Three games have been postponed at home this term, while last Saturday’s game at Tynecastle was also off. With St Johnstone due in Glasgow for the first of those rearranged games next Tuesday, Thistle’s ability to cope with an unwanted fixture pile-up seems set to determine whether they can extricate themselves from the pack hovering in and around the relegation zone. ‘We are a little concerned with all the games stacking up,’ added Frans (below). ‘I think of all the teams we have been hit the hardest. It’s not nice but it’s something we have to deal with. ‘We have two home games coming up and the weather has not been kind. But we have to play these matches. It can be a disadvantage because you see teams who play in Europe can sometimes struggle. ‘It’s not an excuse but it’s not really 100-per-cent fair. We will be playing these matches while the other teams will have the full week off to prepare. ‘That’s the way it is, we have to handle it and, you never know, maybe we’ll go on a good run.’ With Archibald’s squad likely to be stretched to the limit in the coming weeks, Frans expects their training schedule to be stripped back. ‘If we have so many games in a short space of time then we will have to adjust,’ he said. ‘We’ll play, then recover. We’ve got a great fitness coach here so we will be ready. ‘Some pitches are so bad anyway you just have to play. ‘The pitch looks OK at the moment but one day of rain and that could change.’ If there has been a crumb of comfort for Thistle during the days of inactivity it’s the fact Dundee United look certain to be automatically relegated due to their inability to make any headway. The flip-side of a 3-0 win for Motherwell at Tannadice on Tuesday for Partick, though, was that the battle to avoid the dreaded play-off spot is very much alive. ‘Maybe a draw would have been best for us on Tuesday,’ added Frans. ‘I think Dundee United are far off now, you never know because crazy things can happen in football, but I think they’re down now. ‘You don’t want to see Motherwell picking up too many points either. We just need to focus on ourselves.’