Meet the Manager Night

" I believe that we have a group of players who are young, hungry and allied with the experience that we have got, we can do alright.

Over 100 fans attended the Meet the Manager night in the Kingdom Suite at East End Park on Thursday evening.Fans gave their opinions and Jim McIntyre expressed his views.

Macca explained the strategy employed at corner kicks and responded to thoughts that the league form has not been as good as pre season performances had promised:-

"Football this season has been far better than last season; we are playing some good stuff, the only two poor performances have been Thistle away when we were absolutely abysmal - hands up from everybody for that one - and at Dundee where I thought we were really poor in the first half.Other than that I think the boys have played well.

"What we have not done is taken chances when they have come along and we have conceded some terrible goals."

A question from the floor suggested that the team were lacking confidence and backing off in matches and the Manager countered:-

"Confidence is massive in football and we have got to start giving ourselves a chance in games. We have conceded ten goals this season and seven have been individual mistakes. That is quite a staggering fact.  You can do all the coaching in the world and show them on the video every week but you cannot legislate for individual mistakes. Sometimes it happens and you just have to make sure that it doesn't happen again and again because if it does it tells me that it is not registering in the players minds when we are showing them and maybe that they don't have the ability to take it in.

"I don't believe that with this group. I believe that we have a group of players who are young, hungry and allied with the experience that we have got, we can do alright.

"We are in the middle of a major change - we have lost the experience in the back four and our goalkeeper - that's a big hurdle when you are trying to mould a team together - a team that can play exciting, attacking football.

"I think the product has been much better this year but we certainly haven't had the breaks."

The early substitutions of Neil McGregor and Austin McCann in recent league games was another topic that fans wanted to know more about.  The Manager was happy that the subject was raised:-

"I'd like to clarify this.Austin McCann wasn't subbed for losing the goal.Austin McCann was having a poor game and he had a poor game the week before - it was 50/50 whether he played or not.  His first half play combined with the culmination with the mistake meant that his performance just wasn't good enough.

"Ozzy would be the first to put his hand up to say that but I am the Manager who is paid to make tough decisions.  A tough decision was with six minutes to go until half time do I take the chance that maybe something else happens or do I do it there and then.  That is the reason for that.

"In Neil McGregor's case he was at fault for the goal at Hearts and fault for the second goal at Partick Thistle so that (against Queen of the South) was the third in three games that resulted in us losing a goal.I am not here to berate my players because I trust my players but when you a mistake, then another mistake and another mistake then I have to look to change that.I cannot allow that, I have four or five substitutes who are thinking to themselves 'when am I going to get a chance'."

A further question sought an answer as to why goalkeeper Greg Fleming did not get dropped for his mistakes:-

"To be fair I don't want to sub a goalie during a game.  He made a major blunder but Greg Paterson is a young goalkeeper and to throw him on like that I wasn't comfortable with."

Macca elaborated on the content of training where mistakes were addressed, crossing and finishing.He agreed that the end product so far has not been good enough:-

"We come out and keep trying to get a goal.  There has never been a case of giving up after losing a goal."

A suggestion was put that Dunfermline were playing "too much football" for the First Division, Macca replied:-

"I have signed players that can play and I will not compromise my principles for the way I want to play the game.Many a fan gets upset if we just lump the ball up to Graham Bayne.

"We have got to defend what they do and do it better.  There is not a team that has cut us open and scored a goal.If you take the seven goals conceded through mistakes out of the equation then the worst you are going away with is a point.

"It is up to us to break teams down.We are getting into positions but our final ball has not been good enough or our final shot has not been good enough."

Jim McIntyre reeled off statistics from the recent Queen of the South game.Dunfermline crosses - 34 to QOS' 9 - "We are getting into the right areas but as I say, we are not doing enough when we get into the right areas."

Graham Bayne gave an account of how crosses are rehearsed when the team is playing 4-4-2 and added that it was up to the individual on the day just how successful an outcome was derived from all the practice.

Last season's leading goalscorers Andy Kirk and Nick Phinn have been on the bench for many matches this season.  Macca felt that Nick had not picked up where he had left off last season while Steven Bell had "hit the ground running".  Steven Bell scored three goals from the early matches and in Andy Kirk's case the striker has failed to take two great opportunities - one against Raith Rovers and one against Dundee at important times in the match so I looked to change it.

"Overall performance wasn't good enough and that is something that you have to take into consideration."

Gerry McCabe dismissed accusations that the team warm up for the visit of Queen of the South was unprofessional and defended his actions to commiserate with Steven Tosh over his injury.

Jim McIntyre acknowledged that the results and league position was not good enough and said that the team and management were hurting as much as any fan:-

"We need a wee bit of luck, we have not had many breaks yet - Willie Gibson's sending off, Graham Bayne's header that was over the line.  There have been crucial moments in games that have gone against that but we are not going to use that as excuses. We will continue to graft, work hard and try and improve our end product."

Questions were asked about the availability of funds to allow the Manager to strengthen the squad and in what areas he would like to augment his squad.

"Without a shadow of a doubt I'd like to have four centre halves. I have taken a chance and got three central defenders knowing that Austin McCann can fill in and so can Calum Woods.  I also took a wee chance in bringing in the four wide men because I know David Graham can play upfront and I know Steven McDougall can play upfront albeit not in his best position. I took the chance to try and maximise the squad.

"For a long time I would have liked to have had a ball-winning hard midfielder - that type of player - but that type of player is not available and you have got to wait until it is. I won't go and sign one just for the sake of it. There is not that type of player out there.  It needs to be somebody who can come in and complement what we have got. He has to be able to play football as well.

"I feel that Steven Bell can give us aerial and physical presence in there when he plays.  We have got a small midfield but one thing we have got is a gifted midfield.  We have great ball retention in there.  If you are asking position wise I'd like another striker, a 6'5" hard man midfielder and another centre half."

Macca was asked if there was any prospect of him returning being able to play again:-

"I am having a horrific time with injury, I had an operation two months ago and it is last chance saloon for me. It is not looking great and I go to see a specialist in two weeks time.  We will take it from there.  I have had a checkered career with injury but you will not see anybody working harder to try and get fit."