Managers Post Dundee

08/11/08: Comments from Jim McIntyre and Jocky Scott.

Jim McIntyre:-

"I thought we controlled the first half and had two really good efforts but unfortunately we never took them. Second half we just didn't play. We stopped switching the ball., getting the ball down and playing from side to side which I thought was giving us our joy in the first half.

"The bottom line is, that for most of the day our final ball and choice of pass was just the wrong option. When we did get into good areas we didn't deliver."

Asked what went wrong today?

"We just didn't get ourselves into the right areas and when they did get into the right areas they just didn't deliver. We were hitting the first man: we were just picking the wrong option. It was frustrating the life out of us; normally we are quite good at is getting delivery into the box. It just didn't happen for us for some reason today. You have to credit Dundee as well, I thought they worked really hard.

"I thought if we got the first goal then we would have gone on to win the game but we never. They got it and they won the game so credit to them."

Was the Dundee goal offside?

"I think it was onside; one of the boys running back played him on. Until I see it I have no complaints. None of our boys claimed for it anyway so that normally tells a story."

The goal came from a Dunfermline attack, did the Pars gaffer have concerns over that?

"When we attack I like to overload, I just don't think we dealt with it properly, it is a simple as that. We never did the small things well today and that has cost us. Whether that be a cross into the box, watching the runner or choice of pass. It just wasn't there today."

Is this something you can work on?

"Of course we can work on it. You can work on every aspect of it. The final ball for us, for a start - the choice of pass will always be the players. The options might be on but at the end of the day, you can't tell a player on the park where to pass. That's his decision that he has got to make. He has to make more right ones than wrong or else he will be sitting beside me."

Jocky Scott was naturally delighted to record his first away win as Dundee manager:-

"It was a great result. Effortwise - the same as we got last week. It was a fantastic effort from the boys, they worked really really hard. They have a lot to do in terms of gaining knowledge but that, as I said last week, can work on and will work on in training.

"When Dunfermline are going well, to get a victory is the important bit."

Jocky was not concerned that his own fans were critical of the style of play:-

"I am here to do a job for Dundee Football Club, even if it is the fans who are saying that they will go home happy tonight because we got a result. It is not about performances right now because the players have been used to a certain way of playing. I am asking them to do something different so it is just going to take time.

"From the point of view of how I want them to play I would love them to take the ball from the back, pass it into the middle or pass it upfront, midfield support, out wide, cross in - a goal. I'd love that but that is going to take time."

It was a fine goal from Antoine-Curier that won Dundee the three points. Jocky:-

"The big man can finish. That's the one thing he shows, he can finish. Maybe he didn't do it the second time he is through but he can finish. When he misses another opportunity to finish the game and win it we can excuse him for that. It is when we are not winning and he misses then he cannot be excused.

"Rab Douglas has had one shot to save and it was a great save. He dealt with cross balls, he has instructed the people in front of him but I thought the two centre halves were magnificent.

"We were under a lot of pressure, we expected to be under a lot of pressure to be perfectly honest but they handled it very well. They handled the pressure today a lot better than they did last week. They all put in a great shift, that part of it - I cannot criticise their effort. What I think we do have to do is to start to believe in themselves. I don't think they have got the self belief that they are good players. I think it shows in the play; the way we give the ball away, the way we run in support.

"There are 20 games to go so come the end of the season we will be a lot better."