Manager on Thursday

29/03/12: JJ - "We are looking forward to putting pressure on the team above us because they don't play until Sunday. There is a target there to aim for.

Jim Jefferies claims the buzz has really returned to his life after his first week in charge of the Pars:-

"I have enjoyed the week, they have had the sun on their back but they have worked hard especially over Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday gave them a chance to get their legs back, we did a bit today and we will piece things together on Friday in preparation for the game against Dundee United."

The Manager was still unhappy about last Saturday's game describing "causing themselves more problems than St Mirren did" but he did feel that he learned a lot in the first 45 minutes in charge:-

"St Mirren didn't really make our goalkeeper work that hard; their goal was easily avoidable. You can't switch off from set play or you get punished in this league. Our keeping the ball, positional play and some of the decisions we made weren't to my liking.

"From what I am hearing their heads went down when they lost the first goal against Motherwell but they didn't go down on Saturday, in fact they went the other way so that's a step forward."

Jim expects high standards and his demands are hard but fair. He describes it as about being professional and doing the right thing.

"The players respect that. It's not being done for any personal reasons, it is being done because we want to win. They want to win and I want to win; I do not fall out with anybody - I have had plenty of rows with people like John Hughes and other big guys who we sorted out. A lot of ex players call me gaffer still; that's a compliment in itself.

"Joe Cardle took on board what we wanted him to do. He was playing in midfield rather than wide where we wanted him to play. He was giving us the out. When we won the ball in midfield he was always wide but in the first half that wasn't happening. Great credit to the kid for going out and putting it right and responding. We got a result and it proved to him what he did wrong in the first half, he got right in the second and it worked."

Saturday's match pitches Jim Jefferies against Peter Houston and Paul Hegarty who were part of his backroom staff during his successful first spell at Hearts.

"Craig Levein thought a lot of Peter to take him to Dundee United and Scotland with him. Like a lot of managers at clubs like that you can have a good season and then lose players for the lure of better money down south. Buaben, Gomis, Conway and Goodwillie to name a few. To build a side takes a wee bit of time, so the beginning of the season wasn't the best for him. There was a bedding in period while young boys came through to find their feet. They came through it great and are now the form team.

"We know that it is going to be a very difficult game, we are going to need to get the breaks while at the same time hoping to go up there and cause them problems. By all accounts we were a little fortunate to get all three points last time, I'd take the same again. It will be a hard game but one that we are looking forward to.

"We are looking forward to putting pressure on the team above us because they don't play until Sunday. There is a target there to aim for. As long as they give it their best shot, it might not be their day, they might be unlucky on the day to get beat but as long as we go with the same determination, effort and commitment then you accept that.

"It's about results and not performance but if the performance is good you always have a better chance of winning."

The Manager expects to have a stronger squad to select from yet again. The three missing last week - Ryan Thomson, Paul Burns and Kevin Rutkiewicz - have all trained this week. Priority has also been given to the goalkeeping situation at the Club:-

"Right from day one when I was being interviewed the Chairman made me aware of the situation. Iain Turner had just left, Paul Gallacher was out for the season. Just to have one experienced goalkeeper and two young kids when this is not the time to throw them in, I have had to do something about it.

"We are close to bringing in somebody with experience of playing at a decent level in his home country. It is a bit of a gamble but we are hoping that the paperwork can be done. We do not have a lot of options because time is running out; we have to do it by five o' clock on Friday. The SPL ruled out a keeper who had been playing amateur with a club just to keep himself fit. We had to find somebody who had been out of contract since January."

This was one, Bernardo Dominguez who left Spanish Second Division side, SD Huesca three months ago. The 32 year old will arrive subject to international clearance. The gaffer explained the acquisition:-

"One of our contacts has fixed us up with him. This contact has recommended players in the past who have done quite well. It is a good contact that both Jim Leishman and myself know of and we are willing to take a little gamble on the strength of knowing players he provided for me and Jim in our time in management. Hopefully he will come in and give competition to Chris Smith and also cover if anything happened to Chris.