KRIS DOOLAN hopes that Alan Archibald will stay on as Partick Thistle manager following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

Archibald said that he would take time to consider his own future following Sunday’s play-off defeat to Livingston, while the Thistle board will meet in the coming days to discuss their strategy ahead of a summer of rebuilding at Firhill.

Thistle legend Doolan though is praying that Archibald is still around to pick the club up once more as they attempt to bounce back to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

"I hope the manager does stay,” Doolan said. "Personally, I have a really good relationship with him.

"I feel for him as it has been a tough old season and he takes the brunt of it nine times out of 10, but he knows that is the job and that is what he signed up for.

"Ultimately I do not want to see anybody lose their job and the manager is a friend as well as a boss.”

Doolan was visibly hurt after Sunday’s desperately disappointing play-off final second leg, and he was in no doubt that it represented the worst moment he has experienced as a player.

“It’s just miserable to be honest,” he said. "This is the lowest point of my career so far and not something I ever want to experience again.

"It hurts deeply as I love this place and I love the club. I am sure there are thousands out there who are hurting the same way as I am.

"It is over a season and we have had many chances to pull ourselves out of this position and ultimately we left ourselves with a mountain to climb.

"We still felt confident in the play-offs of doing it, but the damage was done at Livi's ground as they got themselves in front and all they had to do was shut up shop and make it incredibly difficult for us from start to finish.”