Partick V Motherwell at Firhill Stadium : Match Preview

10 April 2015 16:31
Partick V Motherwell - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Frans surprised by situation

Defender Frederic Frans admits he is surprised that Partick have found themselves in a position where they could be dragged into the relegation mix.

Thistle had enjoyed a decent run of results before losing to Celtic at Parkhead in midweek.

But another loss against Motherwell on Saturday would see them sit just a single point ahead of the second-bottom Steelmen.

With St Mirren now cast adrift at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership, the battle is now on for the rest of the teams to avoid the play-offs.

Frans said: "If you'd asked me a couple of weeks ago, I wouldn't have thought this would happen.

"We had a small bad run but in recent weeks we have picked up good results.

"We are on a pretty good run but the teams below us are as well. I didn't expect them to come so close to us.

"It's a big game because it could be a big gap if we win.

"If we lose, there is even the chance that Ross County could go ahead of us. It's a massive game.

"It's not nice to have this situation as I think we have had a good season. But we are here now and we just have to win this game."

The prospect of playing in big games like Wednesday's clash at Celtic Park was one of the reasons why Frans joined Thistle last year.

But the Belgian insists Saturday's clash against Motherwell is the biggest match he has faced so far during his time at Firhill.

He said: "You love the big games against Celtic but a game like this one against Motherwell is also a game that you love as a football player.

"I like the pressure. That's why you play - you want to win, you want to succeed and go higher up the league.

"These are important games and the games you want to play in.

"At this moment, it's the biggest game of the season.

"Maybe in a few weeks, there will be another game that will be the biggest.

"Just now, this one is a huge, important game and we have to win it."

Skipper Keith Lasley has been in cup finals and appeared in Europe for Motherwell but would feel real pride at avoiding the drop this season.

Eight games without a win at the start of the year had the Steelmen in bottom place in the Scottish Premiership, but only one loss in their last six has given cause for optimism even though they are only one place higher in the relegation play-off spot.

The 5-0 thrashing of basement side St Mirren at Fir Park in midweek was Motherwell's third successive victory and a win at ninth-placed Partick Thistle on Saturday will take them within a point of the Jags.

Asked where the retention of top-flight status would rank among his other achievements, Lasley, in his second spell at the Lanarkshire club, said: "Obviously you have had so much success at this club in terms of European qualification, cup finals and semi-finals and things like that.

"But I think if we got to the end of the season and got ourselves out of this position, there would be a real sense of pride, I suppose. It is hard to say.

"You could finish 10th and you think 'that is a terrible season' but given the position we were in and how hopefully we are going to get out of it, I still think there is a lot of positives to take out of that.

"Even when we were achieving great things on the park in terms of consistency levels in our league position, we said all along that it is not a given.

"We only got that because we worked so hard as a group and were lucky with injuries at times and all the other sides are trying to do the same as you.

"This year we have not been quite at the same level and other teams have and in this league you are going to lose more games than you win if you are not quite at it.

"So we don't take anything for granted. We just want to take ourselves out of it and if we do then we can sit down at the end of the season and say, no, it wasn't a great season but we got ourselves out of a tricky situation."

Lasley believes the 2-1 home win over Inverness at the end of February was a turning point.

The former Plymouth player said: "Getting that performance three or weeks ago at Inverness, you looked about and thought 'yes, we still have some good players here'.

"It is that bit of belief and that is massive in football. And you take that on and we have managed to get a bit of momentum."




Source: PA