Falkirk FC boss John McGlynn on Scottish Premiership ambitions and latest team news for Stenny game

PFA Scotland Manager of the Year McGlynn, 62, who steered Falkirk into the Championship for the first time in five years after an ‘invincible’ season in League One last term, told the Falkirk Herald: "Falkirk are a massive football club and the fans’ ambitions – like mine – are to continue progress.

“I would want to get to the Premiership.

"What I want you don’t always get.

"I would like to have a yacht and a Bentley, but you can’t always get what you want.

"I don’t think that (getting to the top flight with Falkirk) may be this year, but it doesn’t mean we’re not going to try and get there this year.

"As long as we’re developing, improving and showing signs of that, the fans will look for that.

"That’s got to be reflected in the budget as well. We don’t have a budget that’s anywhere near getting out of this league and people have got to be serious about that.

"The board have got to be serious about that. They can’t be playing silly b*****s."

With Falkirk typically rated as fifth favourites for the 2024-25 league title behind Raith Rovers, Partick Thistle, Livingston and Ayr United with most bookmakers, it would appear that finishing top of the pile will be extremely tough.

McGlynn said: “I can understand those odds. Punters will look at who’s signing who and who’s got the strongest squad and then they’ll put their money on a particular team because of that.

"Our odds will be based on what we did last year, which was very, very good and has not been done very often.

"You could compare that with both Airdrie and Dunfermline (who finished fourth and sixth respectively in last season’s Championship). If you were trying to draw comparisons you might think: ‘Falkirk finished better than Airdrie and Dunfermline did when they were in League One’.

"We’ll wait and see. Obviously when you’re in football you can’t bet on football, but if we go back to the past I have bet many losers who were favourites to be fair.”

When asked if he is now more relaxed than this time a year ago, when Falkirk were still battling to get out of the third tier, McGlynn added: “I’m never relaxed.

"Everything’s a challenge, you just go from one challenge to another.

"The challenge was the first game against Dundee United, then Ayr United, Buckie and Stenhousemuir.

"Everything brings an edge to the way you work as to what happens.

"Heading into the Championship, we need to find our feet very quickly.

"Having played Ayr – they beat us and that can happen because we missed a few chances – show that the games are decided on fine margins in the Championship so we’ve got to make sure we’re on the right side of these fine margins.”

McGlynn was speaking on Thursday, ahead of Falkirk’s final Premier Sports Cup Group B fixture at home to Stenhousemuir this Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

The second-placed Bairns go into the match knowing that a win by any score will lift them above current group leaders Dundee United who have finished on nine points.

However, with rivals Ayr United level with Falkirk on six points and ending at home to Highland League minnows Buckie Thistle this weekend, they could yet pip the Bairns on goal difference for top spot and an automatic berth in the second round.

"It’s all very close going into the last game,” McGlynn said. “It could be a nail biter on Saturday, coming down to who’s going to score goals.

"We obviously have to win our game first and foremost and hopefully we can match the amount of goals that Ayr United might score against Buckie.

"The results weren’t too bad for us on Tuesday night.

"I was quite encouraged by Dundee United’s scoreline, 5-2. It actually means that we did even better than Dundee United up in Buckie.

"But Buckie going to Ayr is a different proposition. Part-time guys travelling away down to Ayr on a Saturday, that could be a big ask.

"However, we’ve just got to do our part of it by beating Stenhousemuir which is a derby game and that can change things at times.

"We’ve got to make sure our attitude’s right, we’re spot on and if we do that I think we can win the game. But we know that we’ll probably need to score a few goals at the same time.”

When asked about team news for the Stenny game, McGlynn added: “Keelan (Adams) was an illness on the day (for the 5-1 win at Buckie last Saturday) so he’s brand new, he’s trained all week.

"Callumn (Morrison), there was a little bit of protection for him. His knee flared up but he could have gone to Buckie.

"We felt giving him an extra few days’ rest would help and he’s trained all week. So we’re delighted with that, Callumn will be available.

"As will Coll Donaldson now. He’s trained the whole week and got through it really, really well.

"Leon McCann also has trained all week and will be available for selection.

"Unfortunately Aidan Nesbitt’s got a little bit of a strain, very, very light strain on his hamstring, so he’s going to miss out this week which is a blow.

"And, we’ve been changing the goalkeepers about in the league cup section, and Jamie Sneddon has picked up a little bit of a hip flexor injury. Nothing too serious, but obviously it’s going to make him miss out on this game at the weekend.”