MORTON boss Dougie Imrie says his new look side will learn the level they are at as he prepares to go into his side’s William Hill Championship opener against Partick Thistle looking to make a statement.

Much of the attention lies on a free-spending Partick side, who’ve hoovered up most of the talent on show in the Championship last season on longer term deals as they eye a push to the Premiership and Imrie concedes that his side are well down the pecking order in terms of what’s on offer in the second tier.

But he wants his side to use the expectation put on Kris Doolan’s men to their advantage as he looks to make his mark early on and get off to a positive start in Glasgow.

Dougie Imrie, Morton manager (Image: alex craig)

He told the Tele: “I think everyone’s looking forward to it. The players have worked hard over the last six-seven weeks in the build up to it.

"The fans will naturally be buzzing to get the season started as well.

“We as a staff are looking forward to it as well – it’s a great place to go and start the season.

“It’s a tough place to go though as well. There are a few teams who’ve spent a lot of money over the summer. Partick are certainly one of those teams so all the pressure will be on them.

“It’ll be on them first and foremost, with the money they’ve spent, to go on and have a good season. But take nothing away from them, we want to go there and show how good we can be this season as well.

“It’s a great place to go and start, it’ll be a great atmosphere and it’ll show us where we’re at heading into the season.

“I certainly know what clubs are now paying players, that’s why we lost three of our key players from last season.

“George, Robbie Crawford and Robbie Muirhead obviously chose to move on which is their decision, that’s fine. But there is a lot of money in the Championship now, a lot of people paying big wages.

“They’re doing that because they realise that there’s an opportunity to go up this year. It’s no disrespect to anyone in the league this year but there isn’t the likes of a Hibs, a Hearts, Rangers like a few years ago or even Dundee United like last year with a budget to go and steam roll the league.

“But I’ve got to give huge credit to the board. They’ve given us extra funds this season to ensure that we can bring in a bigger, more competitive squad, we’re thankful for that.

“Where we rank in terms of that, who knows, but there is four or five clubs spending big money. Partick is certainly one of those.

Imrie says that his side need to work to the strengths of new arrival, Jay Emmanuel Thomas ahead of a potential debut at Firhill tomorrow.

He insists that the former Livi and Aberdeen man can be the focal point at the top end of the park that his side have been longing for as he revealed his new game plan hasn’t been scrapped.

He added: “JET is what he is. We have to work to his strengths and that’s how you’ll make that a success. We can’t work against his strengths.

“If he’s going to be a target man then we need to get the ball into him, the style of football won’t change it just means that we can have that focal point if we want to put the ball into his feet.

“Nine out of ten defenders in this league won’t move him so it means that we can have our quality players in and around him playing off him in the final third.

“That’s the kind of players that you want in your club. You want people who’ve got a bit of a point to prove."