Stevie still seeking signings

29/01/20: SC - “We are working behind the scenes to try and strengthen before the window shuts.”

The final week of the January transfer window is probably a stressful time for most football managers and for Stevie Crawford it is certainly a testing one.

He has been attached to his mobile phone all week but claims that even the two Pro Licence courses do not prepare you for all that he is experiencing. His relationship with chairman Ross McArthur has been assuring and in terms of speaking to agents and then to players Stevie explained that the difficulty is thinking that you are getting somewhere but then being dependant on all other things coming together to make it work. He told this website:-

“A lot of time and effort goes into it. Not just with myself, you are constantly talking to your coaching staff. Equally you have got to have trust in your coaching staff and what you are working towards on the football side, that is the important thing.

“I have got that in Jason and Greg, I fully trust them that boys get treated properly. We try and give them the best stage to go and train towards the game the following week.

“It is challenging, it is time consuming but I love it. I wouldn’t see it any other way. I am lucky to have got people round about me who want what is best for this club.

“It is sometimes a tiring job but you get a lot of pleasure out of it when you manage to bring somebody like Jonathan (Afolabi) to help the group. That has always got to be your focus, helping good people who are working round about you and for you. Then everything is worthwhile.”

Stevie maintains that is not a case of x amount of players coming in because x amount have gone out.

“We have identified a few areas that we are hoping to strengthen, whether that comes to fruition because there are other things that would have to happen to allow us to do that. We are working behind the scenes to try and strengthen before the window shuts.”

SC is thankful that there has been no bids for Kevin Nisbet and continued:-

“Hopefully it stays that way. It would take an unbelievable offer for us to allow Kevin to move on. We very much want to kick on in the second half of the season and give ourselves the best opportunity to finish as high in this league as possible.

“We have got to have ambition. Kevin was obviously signed on a two year contract, we had a belief in him and it is great that he is getting that attention. He deserves it because he is working hard, getting better daily with the way that he is applying himself on and off the pitch.

“I have said that numerous times now but it is great that the chairman has a belief that what we are doing is right here. Until an offer is put to him you never know what is going to happen but I firmly believe that Kevin will be with us beyond this window.

When Kevin went to Raith Rovers he did it over the course of a season. Sometimes you can be in too much of a hurry for something to happen. I think it would be right to get a season or two seasons under your belt at Championship level so that you have that platform under you.

“As I say you never know what happens when other clubs or agents get involved. All I do know is that Kevin has showed during the January transfer window with his performances that they have not dropped and that he has continued scoring goals.

“I think he is in a good place, I think I have got a relationship with him where he knows that I want what is best for Kevin Nisbet as well. I want what is best for all my players here and I think he understands that Dunfermline gave him a platform this season and he wants to give something back to the club.”

The relationship between manager and his top goalscorer was demonstrated with the urge that made Kevin race towards the dug out to share his joy of scoring the Pars second goal against Dundee on Friday night. The gaffer revealed that he had to pinch himself that this happened:-

“He is best mates with Euan Murray and I was thinking for the last few weeks Euan Murray has been on the bench, is he running to celebrate with Euan? We were going through a sticky spell with five defeats and it is never nice but when you see a reaction like that relationships do work both ways.

“He took a bit of stick off the boys for it, Euan Murray was asking for him to get fined. I think it showed the work that goes on behind the scenes, not just myself but the rest of the coaching staff that there are boys that have been made already. It becomes a two way thing and it was a nice touch.”

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