Assistant Manager on Thursday
Thursday, 24th Nov 202224/11/22: DMc - “We feel that if we play the way that we can, we will hurt any team when they come here.”
It was Assistant Manager Dave Mackay who met the media on Thursday and he smiled when it was pointed out that Forfar Athletic have something in common with Clyde and Peterhead:-
“That’s the third (opponents) in a row who have recently changed managers. Ray McKinnon has come in and he is an experienced manager. I’m sure that he will have Forfar organised. He has steadied the ship a bit in terms of getting a couple of draws in the league. They will come here and look to put in another performance.
“We will need to make sure that we are ready. In the couple of games that they have played they have changed shape a couple of times. We are not entirely sure how they will come and line up but that should be irrelevant to us. We just need to focus on ourselves. We feel that if we play the way that we can, we will hurt any team when they come here.”
The 41 year old Pars assistant gaffer was a defender who played for Dundee, Brechin City, Arbroath, Oxford United, Livingston and St Johnstone. Dave Mackay captained St Johnstone when they won the 2014 Scottish Cup Final but he modestly brushed off any suggestion that he could use some of his personal cup experiences to inspire his current team:-
“I don’t think so, I think any player when it comes to the Scottish Cup weekend there is excitement there. It is obviously different from your week to week league games so I think everybody is excited when it comes round to the Scottish Cup. I’m sure our squad is no different to that, we will look to get a wee run in this competition.”
Above: Kevin O’Hara last time out v Queen of the South, 3rd September 2022
For the visit of Forfar, Dunfermline will still be without the three players who have long term injuries, Dave explained:-
“Paul Allan had surgery on Tuesday on his foot so he will be out for five or six weeks. That is a little disappointing for him but at least we have got to the root of it and solved the issue. Lewis McCann and Kevin O’Hara are still possibly a month away each. They are getting closer and feeling much better than what they were so we expect to have them back before the turn of the new year. Apart from that everybody else is fit and raring to go.”
Above: 21 year old Sam Fisher, on loan from Dundee
Dave is optimistic that the four on loan players currently at Dunfermline - Sam Fisher (Dundee), Chris Mochrie (Dundee United), Robbie Mahon (Motherwell), Kane Ritchie-Hosler (Rangers) will be allowed to play for the club in the Scottish Cup:-
“We have heard from a few of their clubs. We are hoping all of them will be available but we are still waiting to hear back from Motherwell regards Robbie Mahon. All the rest of them should be available but again that can change whether clubs change their minds on that or if they get a few injuries. At the minute we are hoping to work with all of them.”
Above: 20 year old Kane Ritchie-Hosler, on loan from Rangers
Dave did not make the Reserve League Cup game against Hibs on Tuesday afternoon but received news of it back from James McPake who was there:-
“It was another good performance from the boys with a few experienced players playing to help the younger guys. Anytime they are asked to go and play for the reserves they treat it like a normal first team game. There have been some good reports coming back.”
Kane Richie-Hosler stood out against Hibs and Dave continued:-
“Kane has been brilliant since he came in, he is always very very good in training. You can see the quality that he has got there and he has impacted games when he has come on. He is pushing for a start anyway, he has been really good and can probably feel a little bit unlucky not to have started a game in the last couple of weeks. He is training as well as anybody.”
Above: 22 year old Rhys Breen v Peterhead 19/11/22
Rhys Breen opened the scoring from a free kick but Dave felt that there were a few others ahead of him in the first team list of potential free kick takers:-
“We were just running out of free kick takers. We had a couple up at Peterhead on Saturday on the edge of the box, Kyle Benedictus hit one, Joe Chalmers another and both were pretty wild. I think the rest of the players see that as an opportunity to get on the next one. I don’t think Rhys will be on them though, although the big man is confident and fancies himself. If somebody has that confidence to step up and wants to come forward to hit a free kick, then so be it.”
Dave Mackay also spoke to Jordan Burt for PARStv
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