Places up for grabs
Monday, 13th Dec 2021Hughes to watch individuals and their performance in closed doors friendly against Livingston.
Dunfermline manager John Hughes is to keep all his squad hungry, not just ticking over but creating competition for places. With that in mind he revealed that Dunfermline will play a closed doors friendly against Livingston on Tuesday saying:-
“I want us constantly playing these games, we need to keep playing football. I`ve had one or two chap on my door, which I expected. So they`ll get their chance to show me what they’ve got.
“A lot of them are talented footballers but we need to be better when they are against the ball. I`m not bothered about the results, although it`s always nice to win a football match. I`m watching individuals and their performance. I`m even looking forward to Saturday and thinking there could be one or two places up for grabs.”
The gaffer stressed that if he was in their positions he would be out there giving it absolutely everything he’s got and he was delighted with the way Kai Kennedy took the opportunity in the last bounce match against Hibs:-
“Kai was outstanding against Hibs and on Saturday, you saw it`s all about getting the ball to him. He`s a match-winner.
“There were moments late on in the game when he had two or three players around him and I have said to Kai that, in moments like that, you just have to come back on yourself. If they are around you, then it means they are short elsewhere on the pitch. Kai got a lift from it and you can see he had a spring in the step. He is a lovely boy to work with and a really talented footballer.”
There are others that John Hughes will be taking a closer look at and possibly seeing them play in slightly different positions:-
“I think one or two have been pigeon-holed so we`ve changed things up. You`re a footballer, you should be able to play anywhere - so we will see on Tuesday whether that`s the case.
“I`m short of a right-winger. Kyle Macdonald is not an out and out winger, he is a right-back. He has done very well for us there and he is everything you would want at your club in terms of attitude and commitment.
“If it`s not him then it`s Ryan Dow and Dowser would rather play in the middle, using that experience. We don`t have that Kai Kennedy for the other flank who can unlock the door. That`s something I need to look at and maybe it will be a case of square pegs in round holes. I hope the fans understand that.
“That`s why we are playing practice matches. Can someone step up and say ‘I can do that`? That is why we are playing these games and for fitness levels. It is a great exercise and hopefully we can keep doing that from now until the end of the season. If somebody has a great game like Kai Kennedy down at Hibs then you just say ‘he has to play in my team’.”
Hughes confirmed that out of contract Lewis Martin will play a part in the game against Livingston, although that will be with an element of caution:-
“I don`t think he has 90 minutes in him, we really need to watch that. We had to take him out of training for a couple of days last week just to rest him up ahead of playing in this match.”
There was no room in the squad against Queen of the South for Lithuanian internationalist, Vytas Gašpuitis and he is one of several players sitting in the stand that the manager fully accepts will not be happy.
“I can understand that, but you pick your team and your substitutions accordingly. Big Vytas could feel really hard done by on Saturday, he has never let me down. As I said on Saturday he is a right centre half, Rhys Breen is a left centre half, Ross Graham is a left centre half. If I’m setting traps you set them usually on a big right footer playing left side who cannot switch the play. I am aware that teams are doing that so you just have to be fair on him.”
There are also three strikers who are looking for a starting place, rather than being substitutes. The manager claimed he could only apologise to them but they will also play against Livingston. However he is grateful for the form that twenty year old Lewis McCann is in at the moment:-
“Lewis was probably the man of the match on Saturday, we just need to get up closer to him but Todorov, O’Hara and Wighton will all play. These guys are suffering at the moment. We might have to switch it up a bit and fly by the seat of our pants like we did up at Inverness when we still came away with the win. When you get that then we have got goals in the team, especially when you have guys like Kai putting deliveries into the box.
“If we can get that on the other side guys like McCann, Todorov, Wighton and Kevin O’Hara who is possibly the best goalscorer at the club, can all benefit. It is frustrating that we cannot get them in the team.
“Paul Allan has trained very well at the moment so it will be a big match for him. He is a nice enough footballer but is he pigeon-holed into the one position? We will see on Tuesday. We are playing practice matches so that I can see who can do it for me.”
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