Manager on Thursday

06/02/14: JJ - "What I will say is that if we don't play well, we'll not win.

Manager Jim Jefferies just hopes that his young team go to Ibrox and give a good account of themselves. The Friday night cup tie is the third meeting between the teams this season Rangers played well on the first visit to Ibrox but Dunfermline started well and could have been ahead themselves before McCoists' men scored from a 70th minute penalty. Jim knows where it all went wrong:-

"Rangers played well and what they did was cash in on errors that were pretty simple really - bad passes or a missed clearance. So if you can eradicate all these things and the players learn from them, then I think we've shown that we could always be in there with a chance.

"The experience at Ibrox last time will stand the players in good stead knowing they have gone there and given a good account of themselves. The penalty went against them, they lost a man and then it was suddenly going to be a tall order, but they never gave up and even after losing a goal they got it back to 2-1 and just got caught at the end."

That performance should give them a bit of belief and the Manager admitted that everybody was buzzing in anticipation of the game:-

"They've nothing to lose. Our targets this year are pretty simple: to get into the play-offs and give it our best shot. The play-offs would be cup finals for us if we manage to get there, which we'll try hard to do.

"So we can go to Ibrox thinking you never know in cup football. Rangers will be big favourites and quite rightly so.

"They are at home, they've got a stronger and more experienced team than us, and I don't buy into this idea that every time they've played Dunfermline we've been more physical. I just find that a bit of an unbelievable statement when you look at the strength and power of Rangers.

"If it means that we competed well against them then I'm delighted about that because that's one thing you've got to do against good players - make sure they know they are in a game. But we're a footballing side, everybody should know that, and we'll go there and endeavour to play, not give the ball away so easily and grab our chances if we create anything.

"That's the only disappointment from the last performance is that I think we got into areas where we could have done better - the final ball, whether we made the wrong decision to pass it instead of taking people on or vice-versa, having more shots, have a go more.

"That's the bit we lacked the last time and we never really threatened them as much as we could. Every time we broke we looked dangerous but it never came to very much, but we'll try to put that right because we are a team that makes chances and scores goals.

"We've got to have that belief when we go there. It was a great experience for them the last time because most of the players hadn't really been to watch a game at Ibrox, let alone play there.

"Two or three of them missed last week because of the new boys coming in, so you are looking for a wee reaction. They'll know that ahead of the next league game they've got to go and make it tough for me when it comes to selection by going out against Rangers and playing well. The players have nothing to lose and we'll go there and give it our best shot."

Jim Jefferies was not interested in the odds that suggested that the bookies had written off the Pars chances of getting past Rangers:-

"What price were Morton to beat Celtic in the League Cup? What price were Gretna to get to the Scottish Cup final? What price were Ross County to get to a cup final? What price were Albion Rovers to beat Motherwell?

"It happens in football. Cup football is all about being in the next round at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how you play. One thing we'll have to do, we know that Rangers - by their own admission - have been in games where they've not played well and won. That's always a sign of a hard team to beat, if they've not played well and won.

"What I will say is that if we don't play well, we'll not win. We need to play well because Rangers have proved that they can not play well and win. Everybody has just got to give that little bit extra, concentrate harder, do the right things and not make mistakes, and if you do that you are always in with a chance."

Callum Morris has trained all week and he is in contention for a starting place. Allan Smith has had a tough time all week with illness but he is also approaching fitness to play a part. Ryan Thomson is fine surprising his Manager who feared he would be out for two or three games. There were concerns about an ankle injury sustained at Bayview in the final two minutes of the match.

"I thought he'd be doubtful with his ankle but fortunately it didn't come to anything over the weekend. It was maybe just a jar, but he's been training all week and he'll be in the squad."

The only ones who are out are the ineligible new boys: Jonathan Page, Ross Forbes and Danny Grainger.