GARY Caldwell will be given the January transfer window to make things right at Partick Thistle.
But with the supporters understandably furious about a season which at the halfway stage sees them second bottom of the Championship - only a truly awful Falkirk team are worse off - he needs to get his wheeling and dealing spot on.
Yes, Caldwell has had to work with the players left by Alan Archibald and so this isn't his team.
However, given that Thistle are supposed to be a Premier League club having a season out of the top tier, with one of the biggest budgets in the Championship and players with plenty of experience, should they really be five points behind part-time Alloa?
Should they be winning just one from their last 13 games, a run which includes seven straight defeats?
Of course not.
Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Morton was the final straw for some supporters who took to social media to demand a change of manager.
It might seem harsh, but Caldwell is under pressure and will need help from his board to sort it out. If he can.
Thistle are in a mess. The fans are not turning up, confidence is utterly absent and there is a real, a very real chance, that Thistle can go down to League One.
After the latest defeat, Caldwell said: "It sounds like a broken record. Every week is the same. It's not good enough, it has to change and I’m sure it will.
"The first half angered me - people not wanting to take responsibility, people not wanting to run, and then we conceded a ridiculous goal."
He added: "It will change in the next 33 days."
It had better. For him and the football club.
Morton are in fifth place thanks to a fine away win from their perspective.
Goals from Scott Tiffoney and Charlie Telfer, either side of a Craig Slater equaliser, took the three points back to Greenock.
Jonatan Johansson, the Morton manager, was happy with how 2018 ended.
He said: "It was a great way to finish the year. This was a hard fought win.
"The counter attack was something we talked about. At times Thistle play expansively and do leave themselves open - that’s why Tiffoney started.
"His goal was composed and Telfer finished well under pressure.”
Next up for Thistle is a home match with Falkirk who have won only three times from 19 games.
Should they not win, never mind draw, Caldwell might be in trouble.
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