Mark Wilson not expecting much further transfer activity

The Herald Scotland

7 days ago

Wilson will be hoping the view from the away dugout this afternoon will be just as pleasing. Ross County host the Jags in the Premier Sports Cup with top spot in Group B up for grabs, with Thistle currently in the driving seat with three wins out of three in the group stage so far.
The recently-relegated Staggies are certain to pose Wilson's men more problems than Edinburgh City, Stranraer and Queen of the South. And with Thistle only requiring a point to confirm top spot, there is surely a temptation for Wilson to play for a draw.
Not that he's paying it any heed. Their victories thus far have been based on high-pressing and aggressive football and while Wilson was keen to underline that he is not dogmatically tied to one way of playing, he sees no reason to tinker with a winning formula for now.
'No, we're going to go eight at the back tomorrow,' Wilson joked. 'No, listen - if there was a definite way of doing it, perhaps you might think about it. But there are no guarantees. You could set up with the five at the back and just try and defend your box, then something goes in off somebody's backside and before you know it you have to change your full game plan.
'So a lot of what we've worked on from day one in pre-season is what you've seen playing out in the Edinburgh, Stranraer and the Queen of the South games. It's not being arrogant or saying I'm never going to change throughout the season because that would be stupid of me. We will adapt at some times of the season. We will change shape as the season progresses.
'But tomorrow, when everything is going in the right direction, it would be stupid of me to change it. So we won't go up there and sit in and hope for a point. We'll try and play the stuff that we've been doing so far and hopefully we get a positive outcome.'
The long journey north can be an especially apprehensive one for Thistle supporters, given the events of the play-off final that took place in Dingwall two years ago. Those ghosts were somewhat exorcised with a 3-0 win for the Jags in the Scottish Cup the following season.
That play-off defeat two years ago can linger in the backs of the minds of supporters, but Wilson insists it has absolutely no bearing on the football side of things.
'This place, what I've learned is they hang on to the bad memories more than the good stuff! I'm certainly not one that's going to linger on that sort of stuff,' he said. 'That's for a different era.
'We're certainly in a different place just now with different personnel about the club. Of course there are one or two who might have still been kicking about behind the scenes, but not from our point of view. So we've got the fresh, clear heads. I think it's just a different environment we're working in as well and it's obviously a different time of the season.
'So there's a lot of optimism about the club at the minute, particularly in the football department from our perspective. It's a game we're actually looking forward to because it's going to be a really tough test. It's a good gauge for myself and Alex [Rae] to see how our players are compared to a team that's come down from the Premiership.'
Thistle yesterday signed goalkeeper Josh Clarke on loan from Celtic, and Wilson was frank when addressing his plans for the remainder of the window.
'I mean, I'll be surprised if there's anyone - perhaps one again - and then that'll be us,' he explained. 'It's just being transparent and real with our supporters. That's what the budget dictates.
'There was a wee bit of work to be done to fill big holes that were left. Loan players went back to their parent clubs. The main goal scorer in Brian [Graham] was leaving and there were one or two other things.
'We managed the goalkeeper situation. We had no goalkeepers the day before pre-season. So those are areas that we needed to fill first and foremost. But there wasn't much left, if you like, to go and then say, 'We're going to bolster this and double up every position'.
'That would be great, but I was well aware of that before I came in. And I'm quite comfortable working in that kind of environment with the kids backing us up, and they will get their chance this year. But if we get one or two more in, that might be the end of the business.'
Wilson is certainly happy with the players he has at his disposal. Young players will supplement the first team throughout the season, and he believes there is a real sense of togetherness behind the scenes at Firhill.
The players and coaching staff spent Thursday on a team-building session at Langbank's Gleddoch Golf and Spa Resort, enjoying a few rounds of the royal and ancient game before sitting down for a meal together.
Creating a close-knit bond within the squad, Wilson says, is vital for any successful team.
'It's always important at any club,' he said. 'The atmosphere in the dressing room and the football department - because I include the medical team and myself and the goalkeeping coaches - that's the crucial thing. If you've got a bad working environment, just even off the pitch, then you're never going to succeed on the pitch because everybody is pulling in different directions.
'That seems obvious, but it's not the easiest thing to implement really. The wee things like the golf day and sharing time together over a meal, they're just wee bits and pieces, but the full culture around the training ground has shifted in the right direction. Just in terms of eating lunch in the right manner or sharing analysis time together off the pitch.
'So we do spend quite a bit of time off the pitch and we speak a lot. It's not just the guys go on the pitch for 90 minutes and then they jump in their car and they're away at home right away. I think you can quite clearly see the teams that do that. So it's been something that I've been keen to do, something that always found success in the other clubs I've been at.
'When they have that tight unit, they succeed. And of course, when you've got a tight unit - we've never got the depth of squad probably as some of the other teams in this division - so that helps as well. When you've got that tight unit and you're together, you enjoy each other's company, you will run the extra yard for each other out on the pitch.'