The Jukebox Rebel

Thanks for organizing this competition AJ, sorry got waylaid at the weekend and couldn't get to my computer in time for the Falkirk game. Was going to predict 3-1 Thistle again, so my early exit is all fair and square.

Gutted that we shot ourselves in the foot last night. Neither side did enough to win and the tie merited a penalty shoot-out. It's a sickener to think that Madden's penalty inclinations were pre-supposed (very crafty Levein), and the second was completely out of order. By contrast, it's outrageous that he denied us such an obvious penalty in the last minute. He clearly didn't fancy another 30 minutes in the rain.

"We're confident we can win" ~ Gary Caldwell "We've got everything to lose" ~ Conor Hazard Love the way these boys are talking, spot on. Also, the club backing them with an overnight stay in Edinburgh is superb. By far, the biggest game of our season so far coming up; here's hoping we play as we can and ye just never know. By the lights

800 out of the 1400 sold by 2pm Monday, hopefully a few hundred more by the close of play tomorrow. First team training at Firhill this afternoon.

I'll go with my dreams... Hearts 1 Thistle 3

Hey, I'm always being told to get a life, so I can't afford to lose one! Thistle 2 United 2 Cheers AJ

Bottom line, a decent result, but what a great opportunity spurned. Hearts roundly and loudly booed from the park, fans ranting and raving at Levein. In that first half, our midfield were abysmal yet again. Harkins, Slater, Fitzpatrick all hopeless. Mansell and Elliott aside, pressing was non existent, we won no second balls, all passing was either negative or went astray, and we seemed barely able to string 3 passes together, all resulting in prolonged waves of pressure. It was a horrific site to behold. Saunders cheap concession of the corner was typical of the poor quality, although he had a fine game aside from that. In fact, the Hazard-Saunders-Anderson apex was the spine that we can thank for withstanding the unreasonable level of pressure, and that's got to be deemed a positive after the County/Dunfermline debacle. Substitutions came far too late in the day and why oh why oh why did he bring McGinty on to hold out for a draw? All common sense told that we should have went in for the kill in the final minutes. Nothing to fear at Tynecastle except fear itself. 'mon tae **** Jags.

Whistle to whistle, it beggars belief how our half-time Saturday position compares to our Tuesday full-time. It's almost as if they were physically and mentally drained from one point to another. Caldwell's post-match reflects how we're all feeling - traumatised. Where Gary's tanker goes from here I do not know, but it's off course and he seems unable to navigate.

I'll have a wee guess later, meantime... 15.07.2004 Royal Highland Fusiliers [a] W9-0 (Friendly) 15.07.2006 Lancaster City [a] W2-1 (Friendly) 15.07.2008 Stirling Albion [a] W2-0 (Friendly) 15.07.2016 Airdrieonians [a] W1-0 (League Cup Group E - game 1) 100% win rate for the Jags in Rab's birthday lifetime, sum boi

Indeed. Another classic second half collapse. http://partickthistleahistory.wikifoundry.com/page/v+St+Johnstone+%28H%29+Nov+1984

Thought our pressing game was awesome in the first half, County never had a minutes peace and our two goal lead came naturally as a result of that endeavour. Bizarrely, the second half was the exact opposite. County did all the pressing, our midfield disappeared, and our much-heralded new defence looked hopeless under the pressure. Could easily have been six. Caldwell, at least, seems to be watching the same game as me these days, but it remains to be seen if he can impress upon them that 90 minute mentality. And by the way, if a fit team, pressing all over the park for 90 minutes, is his game, why on earth are we fielding players who are clearly incapable of lasting the required 90 minutes? He says some of the players will need to take a look at themselves in the mirror this morning; maybe he should be doing the same.

Oh, it's happened alright, don't worry about that. Around 100 times in fact, mostly in the free scoring bygone days of old. The latest three: 29.10.2014 Celtic [a] L0-6 | ht 0-1 (League Cup Quarter Final) 26.03.2014 Celtic [h] L1-5 | ht 0-1 (SPFL Premiership - game 31) 23.01.2010 Dunfermline Athletic [h] L1-4 | ht 0-0 (SFL First Division - game 21) The joint club-record: 12.12.1891 Northern [a] L4-9 | ht 4-2 (Scottish Alliance - game 11) 08.10.1892 Cowlairs [a] L3-8 | ht 0-1 (Scottish Alliance - game 5)

that guy who went to "manage" Dundee United then York, what was his name again... er... oh aye... cunto

Indeed! I'm willing Arbroath on to the title this season, don't tell anybody.

16.02.2019 Alloa Athletic [a] W2-0 (SPFL Championship - game 24) OLD MCDONALD SETS RECORD Blair Spittal, voted player of the month for both December & January, nets his 8th competitive goal of the season, re-extending his lead at the top of our scoring charts to 3. Thistle have now struck the first blow in all 7 of their competitive matches in 2019. 35-year-old Scott McDonald makes his Thistle debut. Remarkably, he becomes the FIFTH player of the 2018-19 season to join our scoring debutants club. In competitive action, it's the second greatest number in any given season of the club's history. The record (7) was set in season 1900-01. As far as is known, Scott (35y, 5m, 26d) becomes the oldest player ever to score on his competitive debut for Thistle. He takes the record from Adam McLean (34y, 3m, 16d), who scored twice in a famous 7-3 win at Douglas Park, the opening game of the 1933-34 League season. Thistle have now listed 36 players on the competitive team-sheets this season. 6 of the current squad are striving to protect 100% competitive win records as Jags: Jack McMillan (4), Callum Wilson (3), Steven Anderson (3), Lewis Mansell (2), Aaron Lennox (1) and Scott McDonald (1). Thistle win 3 consecutive competitive away games for the first time since 2013. The club-record (6) was set by Dick Campbell's Thistle in August, 2006. On a 3 pts-per-win basis for all competitive matches, Thistle's 7 game start to 2019 has yielded 2.43 pts-per-game, the best since John Lambie's Jags returned an identical figure to start 2002. ongoing sequences: 3 consecutive competitive away wins, 2nd Feb 2019 to date. (Longest run since: 4 games; 2nd Mar 2013 to 30th Mar 2013. Club-record: 6 games; 15th Apr 2006 to 8th Aug 2006.) 5 consecutive competitive wins, 19th Jan 2019 to date. (Longest run since: 5 games; 15th Jul 2016 to 6th Aug 2016. Club-record: 10 games; 22nd Oct 1932 to 26th Dec 1932.) 7 consecutive competitive first-half clean-sheets, 5th Jan 2019 to date. 7 competitive games without defeat, 5th Jan 2019 to date. (Longest run since: 8 games; 7th May 2016 to 6th Aug 2016. Joint club-record: 16 games; 15th Nov 1975 to 21st Feb 1976 & 30th Sep 2000 to 13th Jan 2001.) 43 consecutive competitive appearances for Blair Spittal, 31st Mar 2018 to date, a new personal best for the player. (Longest run since: Adam Barton - 54 games; 28th Dec 2016 to 3rd Feb 2018. Club-record: Johnny Jackson - 313 games; 28th Aug 1926 to 25th Mar 1933.)