Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald is grateful for the continued backing of the Firhill board, but he knows that time is running out to turn around the poor run his side are currently on.

Thistle are rock bottom of the Premiership having picked up just three points from their opening nine games, and are yet to taste victory in the league this season.

They have turned around similar situations in the past under Archibald’s stewardship, and thus far, the Thistle board are continuing to place their faith in him to do it once more.

But Archibald himself recognises that the well of their patience isn’t bottomless, and that wins must be put on the board as soon as possible if he is to escape the fate of colleagues like Jim McIntyre and Lee McCulloch.

“I’ve always been grateful,” said Archibald. We’ve had that kind of good relationship over the years and we’ve always looked at the bigger picture; that’s always been the case.

“But look, that can’t last forever, I’m well aware of that. I’m grateful for the relationship I have with the board and that I can speak openly with them, but I don’t take it for granted.

“Maybe it’s because we have been here before that I’ve been given a bit longer than some others, but it is what it is.

“You always draw on your experience, whether it’s good or bad, and we can draw on that. But we can’t just think because we got out of it before that that’s going to happen again. We’ll need to work to get out of this.

“It’s the same pressure that comes all the time. I’ve been here before and it was the same then – you always feel it when you’re in this position.

“But it’s good if the pressure is on me rather than on the players. I felt, towards the end of the Kilmarnock game last Saturday, that one or two of them had stopped showing for the ball and we don’t want that.

“We’ve got to make sure that they keep their chests out and want to get on the ball – that’s the most important thing.”

Archibald recognises that it is a tricky balancing act between getting his point across to his underperforming players and denting their fragile confidence further.

“I think they know,” he said. “They feel it and see it themselves and they hear the crowd and know things aren’t good.

“I don’t think you need to berate them too much. As the week goes on you need to try and pick them up towards the Saturday.

“We want them to come to their work every day and to enjoy it. We don’t want them to be terrified or coming in on a Monday or Tuesday morning thinking they don’t want to be here.

“You need them all to go out and play for you.”

And play for him they must as Thistle approach two monumental games against Dundee on Saturday at Firhill and Hamilton on Tuesday night in Lanarkshire.

“They’re six-pointers, as simple as that and I’m sure I read the other managers saying the same thing,” Archibald said.

“We have the chance to draw Dundee back to within two points of us, while they have the chance to open up a big gap.

“If you don’t win then it is doom and gloom. They are massive games. The first one is at home and gives us a great chance as well. It could be a massive week for us coming up.”