Partick Thistle have moved to explain the decision to sack Ian McCall in the wake of a battling Scottish Cup defeat to Rangers.
The Scottish Championship side pushed Michael Beale's side all the way at Ibrox but a late Connor McAvoy own goal ensured the holders progressed to the quarter-final stage. In the league, the Jags currently sitting just a point outside the promotion playoff spots, just one point behind Morton, but 10 points behind table toppers Queen's Park.
Defeat to Rangers marked the third consecutive defeat for the club after slipping up against Hamilton and Cove prior to the tough trip to Govan, but the announcement in the wake of defeat to the Scottish Premiership side left many of the Firhill fan base stunned. Club legend McCall was appointed in 2019 and brought Thistle back to the Championship following their controversial relegation during the season that was curtailed due to the Covid pandemic.
McCall lifted the League One title before once again reestablishing the club as force in the second tier, leading the side into the promotion playoffs. With the club on course to repeat the promotion push, the Partick Thistle board have released a further update to fans after Kris Doolan was placed in charge on an interim basis.
The statement read: "The primary aim for Partick Thistle Football Club for season 2022/23 is to regain Premiership status. The management team were given a budget to support this objective.
"Given the playing squad assembled for this season, everyone at the club was united in the belief that this was an achievable prospect. The decision to relieve the management team of their duties in relation to the first team was a strategic decision to achieve this objective. The timing of this decision was to allow maximum preparation time for our vital upcoming cinch Championship match with Ayr United.
"Ian, Alan and Neil deserve a huge and sincere thank you from all at Partick Thistle Football Club for their leadership over the past three-and-a-half years, including winning the League 1 title. They have operated in challenging circumstances, most notably during the pandemic and then as we transition to fan ownership, but there can be no doubt they have left the men’s team in a much stronger position than when appointed in September 2019.
"Our squad remains strong, our season’s objective remains unchanged. With more than a third of the season to go, the squad have already demonstrated they are capable of a strong run of form as evidenced at the start of the season where we sat atop of the Championship standings after the tenth round of games.
"Kris Doolan and Paul McDonald have been asked to step up on short notice from our Academy to look after first team matters on an interim basis. We would ask that all players, staff and supporters give them their united backing throughout this time. The board of directors are also aware of recent speculation regarding the financial situation at the club.
"Having reviewed the Club’s finances following the recent change of control, it has become clear that the club faced significant challenges in delivering its budget for this season. A plan has been developed to ensure budgets are brought in line, and actions will be taken on an ongoing basis to ensure this remains the case.
"In addition, there are several live discussions regarding bringing additional investment into the club to support this process and to contribute to our plans for next season. We will provide updates on progress as and when appropriate.
"Finally, the support the team received at Ibrox yesterday was simply outstanding and we would like to thank all the fans for their tremendous backing, noise and colour."
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