Macca on Friday

08/05/09: Still Clyde to go but pre season friendlies confirmed away to East Fife on Tuesday 14th July, Hibs at East End Park on the following Saturday and Coventry City at home on Wednesday 29th July.

Jim McIntyre warned that his eleven to face Clyde in the last match of the season would be a patched up team:-

"They showed on Tuesday night that they could do very well when the chips were against them in terms of personnel and people playing out of position."

The Manager was not willing to entertain suggestion that they had not mathematically clinched third place:-

"The bottom line is that we want to go and win the game. Our home record has been poor and to finish with two home wins would be more positive. We just want to go out and put in a good performance for the fans."

Both departing Scott's - Wilson and Thomson - are ruled out through injury and so will not be able to make their farewells from the playing field.

"It is a shame but that's football" said Macca. "They have been great servants to the club, Nipper has been here eleven years and Scott (Wilson) has been here seven. They are really good players and we wish them well."

He reflected on what he described as the worst part of his job - telling players that they did not have a contract. His meetings with players on Thursday had meant that four players - Scot Thomson, Kevin Harper, Callum Reidford and Stuart Dearden - would not be returning for next season. Simon Wiles has been given a short term contract to prove his fitness.

"We really need to give him a chance. He set up four goals and scored two in his games played, sometimes off the bench. He is definitely a player who is direct, quick and a good crosser of the ball. He has a nose for goal as well so we feel that it only right that we try and get him back to full fitness before we make a judgement on him."

Next season Dunfermline will have to make do with a smaller squad but that's going to be the case across Scottish Football.

"Players are going to be realistic" warned McIntyre. "The money they have earned in previous years is going to drop. It is just a fact of where we are economically. But we have a few good young boys here and I still class Phinn and Woods in that category. Bell is 24, Holmes is 24 - they are all of an age where its time to grasp your career and kick on to try and get themselves up to the next level. We have a nucleus there in terms of that.

"I think we will get the benefit of Bell next year. He will be better - more consistent especially if he gets a good pre season under his belt. If you miss pre season it is very difficult to catch up and you end up picking up wee knocks here, there and everywhere which happened."

There will be no pre season trip to Austria in 2009 but the Manager revealed that his pre season build up will include friendlies away to East Fife on Tuesday 14th July, Hibs at East End Park on the following Saturday followed by Coventry City on Wednesday 29th July. Another two will be sought but the Manager expressed some frustration over securing opponents because of the differing start dates to the season in many divisions.