Kris Doolan described his Partick Thistle team’s 4-0 play-off win over Queen’s Park as a fitting tribute and the tonic he needed a day after losing his father the day before the game.
The Thistle manager was in the dugout at Ochilview as his side sealed an 8-3 aggregate victory in the cinch Premiership play-off quarter-finals the day after his father, Lawrence Doolan, died.
The 36-year-old said: “It’s probably just what I need personally because it’s been a time of turmoil for me.
“To see us score those goals was exactly the tonic I needed and to see the fans, the togetherness at the club, that’s what we’re trying to build.
“It was great to just stand and watch the way we play. The attitude of the players… I could see it in their eyes, they were giving everything.
“It’s a big thank-you from me because they went over and above and got what they deserved.”
The Thistle manager was on his way to training when he got the news on Thursday morning and missed the final day of the build-up to the second leg.
“There was never any doubt I would be in the dugout,” he said. “It’s what my dad would have wanted.
“He was a big Partick Thistle fan just like me. Nobody wants to see us do well more than me or him.
“He followed us everywhere when I played, he wanted me here tonight. He watched the game the other night and I was with him just after it.”
The Jags set up a semi-final with Ayr, who visit Firhill in the first leg next Friday, thanks to first-half goals from Brian Graham, Scott Tiffoney and Kevin Holt plus a late effort from Danny Mullen.
Doolan, who has only lost once in 15 games as a manager, said: “It was a fitting tribute. There’s no better tonic than watching us play like that.
“He would be proud of the players and the club because everyone has come together.
“We have been given such amazing support, my full family, and we can’t thank everyone enough because these times show in football, that’s when everyone gets together. Football is brilliant for that, it’s a brilliant industry when something like this happens.
“You see the fans at the end, and throughout the full game, the support that we have, and I thank them as well.
“Even my 11 years here as a player, they backed me every single day and they continue to back me as a manager. I am very grateful for that.”
Queen’s Park had the chance to win the Championship title last Friday after leading the table for much of 2023 but a 5-3 defeat by Dundee was followed by more defensive lapses.
Manager Owen Coyle said: “On the night we probably let ourselves down in terms of performance level, and over the last four or five weeks.
“Maybe we’ve squeezed every little bit out of that group we had. The bottom line is it’s not happened. Next year we will be back bigger and better.”
Juventus and Pogba agree to terminate contract
Juventus and Paul Pogba have agreed to the mutual termination of the midfielder's contract after he was banned over a failed drugs test.
The 31-year-old will complete his suspension in March after testing positive for DHEA in September 2023, a banned substance that boosts testosterone levels.
He was initially banned for four years, only for his punishment to be reduced to 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in October.
Despite that reduction, Juventus director Cristiano Giuntoli recently cast doubt on Pogba's chances of representing the Bianconeri again, and he has now been released by the club.
Pogba had a contract with Juventus to run until June 2026, but he will now train in Miami in the hope of finding a new club before his suspension ends.
"The club wishes Paul all the best for his professional future," Juventus said in a statement.
Pogba added in a statement of his own: "It has been a privilege to pull on the shirt of the Bianconeri and to share so many special moments together.
"I cherish the memories we made. They live on.
"Even in the most difficult moments over the past year, your support was crucial and I want to thank Juve fans around the world for their compassion.
"I am looking forward to the next chapter of my career and to stepping out on the pitch with my next club."
Injuries limited Pogba to just 162 minutes in five appearances across the 2022-23 season, his first campaign back in Turin after leaving Manchester United.
He then played a total of 51 minutes as a substitute before being suspended last season, reportedly agreeing to take a substantial pay cut while ineligible to represent the club.
New Man Utd boss Amorim says he must win to be afforded time
New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said he will need to win matches in order to earn time and create his own identity at the club.
The Portuguese tactician, who left Sporting CP to become Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford, was speaking during his first interview with the Premier League club.
"We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games. But the most important thing for me is identity. So since day one we will start with our identity," the 39-year-old said.
"Of course we are going to prepare the games, but we will focus a lot in our game model. How to play, how to press, these small things, small details.
"You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity."
Amorim is the seventh different manager to take charge of the club since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 and will face a trip to Ipswich Town in the league on 24 November on his United debut.
But the former Portugal international added that having a young squad will not be an excuse if he fails to get the desired results in the short term.
"I don't want to say that we need time because we are a young team. They are prepared. They are prepared to cope with the demands of playing for United. They should be because they are here," Amorim said.
"We know it will take time, but we have to start since day one without fear, without thinking that they are not used to playing like this. They will start on the first day with our idea, no matter what. That's the goal."
New Manchester United boss Amorim says he needs to win to be afforded time
New Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said that he will need to win matches in order to win time and create his own identity at the club.
The Portuguese tactician, who left Sporting CP to become Erik ten Hag’s successor at Old Trafford, was speaking during his first interview with the Premier League club.
"We know that we need time, but we have to win time. To win time is to win games. But the most important thing for me is identity. So since day one we will start with our identity," the 39-year-old said.
"Of course we are going to prepare the games, but we will focus a lot in our game model. How to play, how to press, these small things, small details."
"You cannot go 100% on every detail because it will be confusing for the players. So if I have to say one thing, my main goal, my first goal, is identity," he said.
Amorim is the seventh different manager to take charge of the club since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 and will face a trip to Ipswich Town in the league on 24 November on his United managerial debut.
But the former Portugal international also added that having a young squad will not be an excuse for not getting the desired results in the short term.
"I don't want to say that we need time because we are a young team. They are prepared. They are prepared to cope with the demands of playing for United. They should be because they are here," Amorim said.
"We know it will take time, but we have to start since day one without fear, without thinking that they are not used to playing like this. They will start on the first day with our idea, no matter what. That's the goal."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
