It is an unwritten code among managers that whatever so-called mind games they play with each other, they do not discuss the future of a fellow manager’s players. It’s the type of platitude that is offered regularly to mischief-makers at press conferences, along similar lines as “we’ll take each game as it comes” or “referees have a hard job.” The hidden message behind these answers is always clear – I will not be discussing that particular topic.
A week ago that bond was broken, as Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen readily admitted to journalists ahead of their (eventually postponed) match against Partick Thistle, that his interest in their midfielder Stevie Lawless was concrete, and that his club had approached the player.
One may look upon his comments as refreshingly honest in these days of bland sound-bites, or one may look upon them as the work of a man in possession of a rather enormous spoon. It would be fair to say though that no matter the interpretation, a few noses were put out of joint down Maryhill way.
Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald though is sure that one of those certainly didn’t belong to the player in question, as evidenced by his man-of-the-match performance against Motherwell on Tuesday night.
He said: “I think Steven had his best game for a while against Motherwell and the speculation about him leaving didn’t affect him one little bit.
“I think Mixu was asked the question about Steven and he’s an honest guy so he answered it. It’s awkward but it happens to every manager at some time. It’s difficult at any time but more so as we are playing them on Saturday.
“I think he will take the speculation as a compliment. On Saturday I’m sure he will be showing the Dundee United fans what they will be getting if he goes there.
“Most guys want a bit of security, especially when they have a couple of kids, but he doesn’t want to go down that road. Nearly being out of contract seems to spur him on and that tells you all you need to know about him.
“Steven has a job to do here first before he thinks about leaving – that’s if he goes. We are still hopeful though that he will stay here.”
Lawless isn’t the only one of Archibald’s players that is out of contract at the end of the current season, and he revealed that he is trying to sell the less tangible qualities of the club to his players as an incentive to stay at Firhill over more lucrative offers.
“We are talking to all the boys and contract talks are on-going,” he said.
“We know some of them have people interested in them, but we are trying to persuade them it’s not all about money – they are playing good football here. Hopefully they will see that.”
The good football Archibald references will have to be produced on Saturday when Thistle travel to Tannadice on Scottish Cup duty should they have any hopes of returning to Hampden for the first time since 2002 – when Archibald played in a semi-final against Rangers.
He added: “I think the cup still brings you that excitement. Everyone dreams of playing at Hampden in a semi-final or final. If we get a bit closer to the semi-finals then I might start boring them to death about my game there against Rangers.
“I think with Ross County beating Celtic in the League Cup it does start making you think ‘that could be us’. We have seen over the last few years teams like St Johnstone and Inverness have won the cup and we would like a run ourselves.
“We know we are long overdue for a cup run, but we never get an easy draw. It was the same last year when we got a few Premiership teams – then again you have to beat them at some point. Hopefully this is our time.”
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