STEVEN Anderson had enough success at St Johnstone to know a thing or two about what it takes for a smaller club to punch above their weight in Scottish football, and he knows enough now about Partick Thistle to be certain they are seriously underachieving.
Having come into Firhill on loan in January, Anderson has been struck by the similarities between Thistle and his parent club, despite their wildly different fortunes since the Jags finished in the Premiership top six in 2016.
But he sees no reason why Thistle, if they can get a few things right off the pitch, can’t replicate the sort of success on the pitch that has been enjoyed at McDiarmid Park in recent years.
“At St Johnstone with the budget we had every year, the aim was to stay in the league, but they have been successful,” Anderson said.
“That’s what Partick Thistle need to try and do. There’s a low budget, but they shouldn’t be in this situation that they are at the moment. However, they are, and now we have to deal with that and get as many points as we can.
“There’s no reason why Thistle shouldn’t be up there where St Johnstone are. It’s all based on hard work at St Johnstone and a close team spirit as well.
“You see the number of players who were there for so long and got testimonials; there was myself, Chris Millar, Dave McKay, Murray Davidson, Frazer Wright, Steven McLean, all these players were there for years and years.
“If you can get that balance right of team spirit and hard work then you should be successful.
“It all stems from the manager as well. As long as you have got faith in him and in the club, everything should be fine.”
Thistle face a huge match this afternoon in their battle to avoid the drop as Falkirk come to Firhill.
“It’s a six-pointer on Saturday, and our focus is to win every game that we play and get as many points as we can,” Anderson said. “We know it’s a big game,
“It’s a very positive place at the moment. We had a decent cup run getting to a quarter-final, and although we were disappointed not to go further, it wasn’t too bad.
“We’ve been in decent form overall in the league since the turn of the year, and the dressing room is a good place to be.
“We are all focused now getting the run together that can pull us clear.”
*McCrea Financial Services, an independent financial adviser based in central Glasgow, and long-term sponsor of Partick Thistle, provide a wide range of services for getting the most out of your finances. To find out more visit mccreafs.co.uk
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