Jim Jefferies Post Rangers

03/05/14: JJ - "We were in a no lose situation

Listen to this Jim Jefferies` interview

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The smile on Jim Jefferies' face reflected his pleasure with the performance that earned a 1-1 draw against Rangers. Speaking after a match that he described as a no lose situation the Pars gaffer revealed:-

"We said to the players that there was no pressure on them and just to go out and do themselves proud; do it for the club, do it for themselves. Rangers played a very very strong side, probably their strongest given they have Lee Wallace and David Templeton injured.

"It was the strongest that was available and looking at the two team sheets you could think this was going to be one of those days. Every single man was magnificent today; the way that we asked them to play and the shape. Rangers couldn't really do anything about it.

"They were getting into areas that weren't hurting us and when they played it forward they found it very difficult against us."

The only goal conceded came just 35 seconds into the second half through Dean Shields:-

"It was just disappointing because we had talked about it at half time, about how well we had done. We knew that the first fifteen minutes of the second half were going to be crucial because they would be getting a bit of a roasting from Ally (McCoist) and would come out, step it up.

"The boys are saying in there now that the video suggests that the boy who scored was offside. It was the wrong angle and there were too many bodies for me to see. It could easily have led to the heads going down but it just shows you the character of some of them.

"Remember that there were nine players out there - apart from John Potter and Craig Dargo - who all came through our youth system. That speaks volumes for what we are doing behind the scenes here. To go out and do the club proud and do themselves proud with that performance and deservedly get a result.

"Rangers had very little, we had to deal with set plays. One or two were trying to go down pretty softly but the referee was very good today and stood firm.

"I have to say that I have nothing but admiration for the way those players stuck to their task. Sometimes they played some good football and just did everybody proud. It was one of those games where everybody would have said, put up a performance.

The play offs start on Wednesday, at Stranraer and Jim Jefferies explained that the preparation for that starts on Sunday.

"One or two have given me a selection problem but that's what I wanted! These young boys played at Ayr a couple of weeks ago and it was great.

"A lot of these players showed today that they were first team material in the near future. It is terrific and as I have said many times that they are a great bunch to work with. They want to do well.

"You can have ability but you need passion and they had that in abundance. The play offs will be tough games. We will look no further than Stranraer away on Wednesday and then bring them back here to see what we have to do in the second leg."

The match demonstrated to the manager that if he has to do without Ryan Wallace in the play offs that he has others who can step up:-

"Allan Smith, and even wee Dargo was terrific today given his 36 years, he looked like he was still 26 years old. He is very clever, knows where to go to pick up the ball. Young players should learn off players like Craig Dargo and John Potter at the back. That was the idea behind playing them because with such a young team they could talk and encourage. As John always says, the first five yards are in your head."

Jim Jefferies had a bit of a laugh before the game coming in wearing an oxygen mask when he read out the team.

"I handed over to John but we didn't have any oxygen so I stuck the tube n a bottle of Stella and he sniffed it a couple of times. It was a right laugh just to calm things down and break the ice for the players.

"I have nothing but admiration for those players. I thought they were absolutely magnificent to a man. Even the substitutes that came on, it looked like they really wanted to get that result.

"Getting the goal gave them a huge lift at the right time in the game and Rangers had very little after that. We knew that with the quality that Rangers have got, they are always going to cause you problems but we stuck to our task.

"We got a couple of breaks with John. That's why I had to take John off - he was having trouble getting his leg off the ground. It came off his leg, hit the post and that was time for me to get him off. I could see the oxygen sandwiches were finished.  They can be very proud though - two boys who have hardly played for the team this year - to go out there with nine young boys speaks volumes for their attitude, application and will to get something out of the game.

"That was just one of the best results and best performances of the season because it also gives a little timely reminder to the experienced boys in the side. They can now say 'listen we have to get out there and emulate that sort of performance'.

"That is the message but a lot of these experienced boys will be needed when it comes to the crunch. That is too much pressure to put on a lot of those boys. There was very little pressure on us today but the result was great because even if we had lost, we are in second place by 14 points so I said 'just go out, you have got everything to gain'.

"People looking at the teamsheet would expect them to win four or five nil. We were in a no lose situation 'go and do the club proud, go do yourself proud' and they carried that out one hundred per cent."
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