Partick Thistle boss focused on next season after avoiding play-offs

Boss Alan Archibald is glad Partick Thistle avoided the "horrendous" Premiership play-off but knows his side will have to work hard again to stay in the top-flight next season.

The Jags won 2-0 at Kilmarnock on Saturday to consign the Rugby Park club to a two-legged tie against either Hibernian or Falkirk with a place in the Premiership for the victors.

Archibald admits his ninth-placed side can relax going into the game against relegated Dundee United at Tannadice on Tuesday night.

However, with the plight of the well-resourced Taysiders in mind, he believes Partick need to start the next campaign well to help their survival chances.

"Last week was horrible," Archibald said.

"It was a long week building up to that Kilmarnock game and it is great that we can now sit back.

"That's not to say we will be complacent, we want to win the game.

"There is money at stake and we want to beat our finish last season which was eighth.

"But the play-offs would have been horrendous. It drags on your whole plan, you can't get anything done so we are delighted.

"Our goal next season is to stay in the league. It (relegation) can happen to anyone.

"You saw it last season with Motherwell, they came close to going out theleague and they were a top-three side for a number of seasons.

"You can't get complacent and you need to make sure you are at it from the off."

Partick were given a further boost on Monday when it was announced skipper Abdul Osman has signed a two-year contract extension.

Osman's new deal will keep him at Thistle until the end of the 2017/18 campaign and Archibald believes the commitment of the 29-year-old former Crewe midfielder will help the club bring in other players.

"I am delighted to get him tied up on a two-year deal," he said. "He is a real leader on and off the pitch.

"We have made him captain this season and he has excelled in that role.

"It will only help signing players and re-signing our players if the captain is committed.

"It is not always about finance, it is about being a good fit at the right club and we have seen that with Abdul.

"The grass isn't always greener so hopefully other ones that we want to sign realise that."

Osman, who agreed the new deal due to his fondness for "the club and the city", will undergo knee surgery which will allow him to start the season fully-fit to help push Thistle towards a top-half finish.

"I couldn't really train too much with the group," he said. "I had to look after the problem and it was difficult because when you come to match days you don't feel fully fit.

"But I had to try to help the team because we put ourselves in a tricky situation and it was a case of 'when we stay up I will get it sorted'.

"There is a good group here, a good coaching staff and the manager is brilliant.

"Next year we have to try to push for a top six, that is very realistic. It was close this year."