Alan Archibald: Kris Doolan backs Partick Thistle manager

Alan Archibald will remain Partick Thistle's manager, following their top-flight relegation

Kris Doolan insists Partick Thistle's board are right to stand by manager Alan Archibald, despite the club's Scottish Premiership relegation.

Thistle confirmed on Wednesday that Archibald, 40, will remain in the post he has held since January 2013.

Striker Doolan, a Jags player for nine years, is backing the former Thistle defender to succeed.

"He [Archibald] knows everybody at the club, he has great working relations with everyone," Doolan said.

"To just cut ties with that would have been a poor decision and I'm absolutely delighted that he's staying."

Archibald made over 300 appearances for Thistle as a player, before taking charge five years ago.

He led the club to promotion to the top flight in his first season at the helm, and secured their maiden top-six finish in 2017.

Doolan scored the only Thistle goal in their two-legged play-off loss to Livingston

The Jags were relegated after ending the season 11th and losing their Premiership play-off final 3-1 to Livingston over two legs.

"The manager is a bit like myself, he's been about for an awful long time and he's got a real allegiance to the club," Doolan, 31, told BBC Scotland.

"I can tell by speaking to him just exactly what the club means to him; I've played with him and played under him.

"He's not just the manager, he's feels a lot more than just being the manager.

"On a professional level there is expectancy, a lot of people with opinions, but personally I still wanted to check how he was as a friend because I think that's important.

"In the modern game it's very rare [for a club to back their manager], I think you see down south managers can have half-a-dozen games, if they don't get results they are out the door.

"Obviously last season we let everybody down. We put our hands up, we let the manager down as well.

"We all made mistakes from top to bottom, maybe we became complacent that we'd made the top six before.

"Football is so cut-throat that you are out the league in no time at all, so there are are a lot of things to learn. But I think the manager is one person who knows the club inside-out."

Doolan and Chris Erskine are two of Thistle's longest-serving players

Doolan, who is currently undergoing his Uefa A licence coaching course, has scored 115 goals for Partick Thistle, and admits the pain of relegation will take time to subside.

"I'm still hurting to be honest; it's probably the worst thing in football to be relegated," the striker said.

"Not only that, it's a team that I love and I've been there for nearly 10 years now.

"Players will disappear and they'll find other clubs but for myself and others, Chris Erskine people like that, it's more than just a football club.

"I'm not just a player, I'm a fan as well, so from that point of view it still hurts and I've just got to learn to deal with that."