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Morton boss Johansson wants players to focus on football

Former Morton boss Ray McKinnon returns to Cappielow for the first time since leaving the club after just three months.

Morton boss Jonatan Johansson wants focus to be on the football when former Ton manager Ray McKinnon brings his Falkirk side to Cappielow for their Championship clash.

McKinnon angered the Greenock support in August when he left the club for the Bairns after just three months and there could be a fans’ backlash on his return.

Johansson accepts some players may be fired up but insists they must channel that emotion in a positive way as they look to pick up maximum points.

Johansson, whose side lost 5-1 to Ayr in their last home game, told the club’s website: “The main thing for the players and myself is to focus on the football.

“It is an extra motivation for some of the players, I do feel that, something that they will need to use and channel in the right way.

“It is good for us that there will be an atmosphere.

“These reasons are maybe different from other times, but still it is going to be a fantastic atmosphere and players should grow from that, I certainly will and look forward to it.

“The players can use it in a positive way but all our focus should be on the football side of things.

“This has to be a place where it is difficult to come and play. We didn’t do that in the last home game.”

Gary Caldwell’s first game as Partick Thistle boss is away to Jim Goodwin’s Alloa and the former Wigan boss told the club’s website: “We know this won’t be an easy first game. Alloa came up last season and they are riding the crest of that wave which gives an enormous amount of confidence and belief.

“They have a good manager who has them very well organised. Ultimately it is down to us to compete and match them and that is very much what we’ll be aiming to do come kick-off on Saturday.”

Ross County welcome leaders Ayr United in a top-of-the-table clash and Honest Men’s manager Ian McCall, who has no injury worries, told the club’s website: “We are heading to Dingwall to play the way that we like to play and that is to go and try to score goals.

“We certainly won’t change that because of who we are playing. We are in a great position to have everyone fit and have so many players doing well, however it does leave us with a few big decisions to make.”

Third-place Dundee United host Inverness after Robbie Neilson’s tenure as new manager got off to a winning start in their last outing at Partick Thistle.

Dunfermline welcome Queen of the South to East End Park and the Doonhamers’ boss Gary Naysmith told his club’s website: “We need to take something from the game this weekend, we have only lost two but we have only won two as well so there have been a lot of draws in there.

“I’ve said before, this could be the season that has the most draws in the Championship.”

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