Alan Archibald hopes that new signing Ryan Edwards can be the man to kick-start Partick Thistle’s misfiring attack.

The club yesterday tied up a deal for the Australia under-23 internationalist until the end of the season, and Archibald says he can provide the spark the Jags have been lacking.

“I think Ryan can help in terms of creativity,” he said.

“He will bring an energy and is a good age. He will give us a different option that means we don’t have to go with the same things all the time.

“He is an attacking midfielder who can play anywhere behind the striker. He has also played various age levels for Australia so hopefully he will fit in well.

“I would see his strengths as picking up space in behind the striker because he is a very intelligent player. He can play wide as well and is a very fit lad. He can also go beyond the striker and link up.

“He has a decent pedigree. He has been in training for a week or so.

“We were aware of him at the end of last season when he was being released by Reading but we couldn’t get him up in time. But now we have him on board.

“He played in a bounce game on Tuesday and looked ready fitness-wise. It’s just about fitting into the group so I think he’ll be okay.

“He has already started to adapt really well. Anytime we have had any Australian lads here they have fitted in very well.

“We are delighted to have him on board.”

Archibald admitted that Edward’s arrival was a welcome tonic to a difficult week after his side fell to the bottom of the table with defeat at Ross County.

Despite drawing a blank for the seventh league game out of eight, the Thistle boss believes they aren’t far away from getting a result.

He is hoping that will come at Motherwell on Saturday, although he is wary of a reaction from the Steelmen in the wake of Ian Baraclough’s departure.

“Monday was a bit down, I’m not going to lie to you,” he said.

“There are fine margins in games. They scored with their chance. We had a couple and didn’t take them.

“That’s what we have found difficult, especially in the last two games which we have both lost 1-0.

“It’s been about picking the boys up because no-one wants to be bottom of the league. But there is a chance on Saturday to get back into the group.

“It’s obviously a different Motherwell we face now, with a different manager, but we’re looking forward to the game.

“There will be a wee bit of the unknown, because we don’t know what we are going to get in terms of formation or shape.

“Stephen Craigan is in charge and he will have his own ideas. We’ll maybe be facing something different to what we had expected.

“Teams generally get a reaction – or at least they hope for that. Hopefully, they don’t get too much of a reaction from the change, but we have to concentrate on ourselves.

“We have to make sure we are positive and keep trying to make chances – from all over the pitch.”