The season starts here, says Murray

RICHARD WINTON January 06 2005

GRANT MURRAY, the Partick Thistle captain, has admitted the change of management at Firhill could be the catalyst to kick-start their faltering season.

Hearts visit Firhill on Scottish Cup duty on Saturday and will meet a club revitalised by the arrival this week of Dick Campbell and his assistant, Jimmy Bone, and Murray is hopeful the match against his former club will signal the start of better times for a club which, as recently as eight months ago, was playing in the SPL.

"The new management team are in and setting their stall out," Murray said. "We're just happy we've got people in and that we're settled now and we're looking forward to working with them.

"The players will get behind them and give everything they've got as we look to turn our season around.

"The supporters are disappointed because they had high expectations of us and we've let them down. It's disappointing for the players as well, we know we've underachieved in the league and we want to get away from there as quickly as possible.

"The new management team are in for their first game, it's a cup tie, which will make it a good atmosphere at the ground as it's always a good atmosphere in the cup. We're at home and hopefully folk will turn out and I'm sure they'll get behind the new management as much as they can."

The defender, who experienced victory in the Scottish Cup with Hearts in 1998, knows that the Maryhill club face a difficult task, but with former St Johnstone team-mate Paul Hartley suspended and Mark de Vries and Alan Maybury bound for Leicester City, he is confident that Thistle can create problems for John Robertson's depleted side.

"A lot of people say that the pressure is off because you're always labelled as the underdogs if you're in a different league, playing an SPL team," added Murray.

"Hearts are a quality side and we know that we'll have to be at our best on Saturday. It's a cup tie so we need everybody giving 110% on the day and I think we need a wee bit of luck as well, but that can fall for you.

"Only a year ago we were playing against teams such as Hearts in the SPL, so we've got to look at that as well.

"So it's a wee break from the league for us so we can put all of that aside. It's a big game, everybody wants to do well in the cup and we're looking to do as well as we can."

Taken from the Herald