Manager on Thursday

27/01/21: JH - “The 3-3 game was a fantastic game. If it is like that then we are in for a cracking match.

Dunfermline manager John Hughes says he and his players are looking forward to facing Queen of the South on Saturday and given the Dumfries side have a game in hand the Pars one point advantage needs widening. John acknowledged that everyone was fully aware of the importance of the match:-

“Queen of the South is always a tricky place to go so we will have to be at our best to pick up the three points. If we can play like we did in the second half against Inverness and put that on for ninety minutes then you hope that is the case and hope that will be good enough to pick up the three points.

“We don’t want it easy - we want the challenge of going down to Queen of the South. We cannot, in any shape or form duck out of that challenge and we need to stand up to it. It is a game of football, what will be will be so you have to handle the pressures and perform.”

The last visit to Palmerston ended up a pointless one for Peter Grant’s team but Yogi would only relate to the return at East End Park in December:-

“I can only talk about the last time we played them at Dunfermline, the 3-3 game, it was a fantastic game. If it is like that then we are in for a cracking match. Queen of the South are not a bad side, I can only judge them on what I saw here at Dunfermline and they gave us a lot of problems. We are going to have to be at our best to overcome that and pick up the three points.”

The draw with a Lewis McCann goal levelling it two minutes from full time rescued a point after the Pars had gone behind three minutes into both halves. The manager knows that starting better is a necessary pre-requisite:-

“That is something that we are working on, it wasn’t just against Queen of the South, we seem to be slow starters and I don’t know the reason for that. It is something that we are going to have to address and have to implement it and put into practice come Saturday.

“You can do it as a team, get them out early for the warm up. I was doing that extra warm up at Ross County but I honestly believe that it is a mental thing. It is not so much at the start of the game, it is coming in at half time and you switch off. It is about keeping your concentration so you are ready to go again.

“If we are slow starters, and we have been doing not too bad over the last few games, then if we get right out of the traps the other team better watch out!

“I have played in many teams that have been slow starters and in many a team that has been right out of the traps. It is concentration, I have always as a player wanted an early touch of the ball and get your first pass away.

“I’m sure these boys are no different. No matter what, you still have to manage the game not just towards the end of the game but you have to manage it right at the start as well. You need to try and stamp your authority on it.”

Even after signing Bobby Kamwa today from Leeds United, the manager said that he still has the chairman working hard to bring in one or two more players.

“He is non stop and always wants the best for the club. He is dealing with agents, accommodation, dealing with clubs, getting the deal done and constantly pushing. He is absolutely fantastic.

“I think that we have had a good window and I am still hoping to get another one or two in. That is all down to the chairman for his hard work and being relentless in the pursuit of trying to get good players to the club so that we can be the best that we can be.”

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