Manager on Thursday
Thursday, 22nd Aug 201922/08/19: SC - “I am convinced that when you have people who want to be part of it, it will bring long term success to the football club.
Everyone will be hoping that Dunfermline will reproduce their Celtic Park form this Saturday, but Stevie Crawford has warned that when Dundee United pitch up at East End Park “it becomes a different game” and he warned:-
“You can’t rest on all the positives that are coming from a very good performance at Parkhead. It will be a different way that we will go about our business. We will also address where we see Dundee United’s strengths but we have got to focus on what we are going to try and do to Dundee United.
“They have won their first two league games of the season beating Inverness 4-1 and then we were at the Partick Thistle game where we watched them started alright. Partick were probably the better side in the first half but Dundee United finished the game stronger.
“I am very aware of how Robbie (Neilson) sets up his teams and the demands that he puts on his players but equally we have got to make sure that they are ready for the challenge that is going to come.”
Dundee and Dundee United are title favourites and expected to be the Championship front runners, SC continued:-
“Funding has allowed both Dundee clubs to bring in personnel. With Dundee coming down, they are going to want to bounce back at the first time of asking.
“Dundee United have been trying to get out of this league for three years but these are games that we look forward to. If they are going to be the two teams that are getting backed as favourites by the bookies then if I am going into it as a player, I want to go toe to toe, head to head with them and see where we are at.
“The challenge for us on Saturday is from a team that is coming down to try and win the league. We have got to make sure that we set our mark on the game and let them know that they are in for a match.”
Who is going to win the league, who is going to go and win promotion is all speculation that the Pars boss claimed was for other people to speak about:-
“Our focus is the togetherness. A massive thing for myself when I reflect on Saturday’s game is Paul Allan, Tom Lang, Euan Murray and Matty Bowman. Euan is different because he was out injured, but the other three were available for selection and didn’t get stripped.
“After reading out the team I gave the boys five or ten minutes just to compose themselves. I wanted them to go away and get rid of the disappointment but then come back and be part of it. I cannot speak highly enough of the three, they never got stripped but they were there for the boys and it is very important to have that backing.
“The substitutes were all positive, there was no negativity. That is something that I am trying to get rid of at the club. It is bringing a togetherness that I have said all along, I understand that we have to try and win games of football but you saw the reaction of the supporters after it.
“That is more important, that culture thing because I am convinced that when you have people who want to be part of it, it will bring long term success to the football club. Disappointed that they did not start or get stripped but they very much want to be part of it.”
Will you change the team for Saturday?
“Possibly. I think again that shows that it’s not a given thing if you have played the week before. There are different challenges with different problems or you can create problems for the opposition. At this moment in time I am not set on what the team is going to be but the pleasing thing is that there are chances to change the team to try and win the game.”
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