Jim Jefferies glad to be back

02/07/14: JJ - "Training will be double sessions initially and the first fixture is in the Spartans Tournament on 12th and 13th July.

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Wednesday was the first day back in training for the Dunfermline Athletic squad and Manager Jim Jefferies is pleased his young players have returned fit and well. Getting together for the first time since the extremely disappointing end to last season, JJ is sure that the feeling they experienced when consigned to League One for a further season will act as a major motivation to secure promotion as champions in 2015.

He said:-

"You have got to remember that they were twelve points clear in second place and this season we are without Rangers in the league. With all due respect to Morton who will be there or thereabouts, we will be the target for everybody else." Ever mindful that the fans played their part when it wasn't easy last season getting behind the young team JJ claimed "there will be no easy games because we lost ones last year that we shouldn't have."

Gregor Buchanan, Michael Moffatt and Andrew Stirling

Gregor Buchanan Michael Moffatt, and Andrew Stirling have been added to the squad causing the Manager to admit to feeling that he is starting in a stronger position than he did last season:-

"We have the emergence too of players like Lewis Martin. Lewis Spence and Faissal El Bakhtaoui. They will be another year wiser, a bit more experienced. They will know what they did wrong. You will always make mistakes but if you don't make as many then you will not lose as many games. I am expecting them to kick on. We are all looking forward now and I think there will be a good buzz if we can get a good start."

Jefferies is delighted to have signed striker Michael Moffatt from Ayr United in the close season:-

"If you bring in a winger and ask him to get crosses in then we need somebody on the other end of it. Michael Moffatt will do that. There were times when we were playing three strikers in this division because we had good players.

"Training will be double sessions initially and the first fixture is in the Spartans Tournament on 12th and 13th July. There will be a mixture of younger boys and maybe a few trialists because we have a match against Hibernian on the Tuesday and that is what they are gearing towards."

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