Manager ahead of Aberdeen

29/09/11: JM - "Their public will be demanding more but I am sure that Craig and Archie will get that. It makes it more difficult for us going up there.

Jim McIntyre accepts that as professionals he and his team have to fulfil fixtures whenever they are decided. The Friday night fixture in Aberdeen has been unpopular with the travelling support and following two lunchtime kick offs on a Saturday, there will be a five week gap between the Pars three o'clock kick offs on a Saturday.

"I can understand the concept and why they are wanting to do it; trying to get more punters through the doors but I think the game that they have chosen is the wrong game. People trying to get from Dunfermline to Aberdeen is just not going to happen, it has put a few of our fans off and we will take less there because of that."

The Pars Manager was not asked for his opinion on the fixture move but he did feel that the authorities should be applauded for coming up with different ideas:-

"Friday night games have been happening in England for years, they have been well attended and I played in a few when I was down south. Personally I love playing at night under floodlights with a wee bit of dew on the grass. Players just adapt; if you say to a player 'look here's when your game is' - 'right okay'. They don't think twice about it, it is just the supporters that I feel sorry for."

Dunfermline want to use the match at Pittodrie to bounce back from what Jim McIntyre termed 'abysmal' against Rangers last Saturday:-

"It is important that we learn from it. We are not expected to beat the Old Firm but I expect, and they expect, to compete far far better than what we did. You are not happy losing any game but the manner we lost last week was our first performance this season where we were not at the races at all. That was the most disappointing thing because we are a far better side than what we showed. We looked nervous and went into our shell. That is out of our systems now and there's a chance this week to go and get a result.

"Out of the results at home this season we have deserved another couple of victories from the way we have played, so do you accept your point and know that you have played well?  There have been a lot of good things within games but last week we deserved absolutely nothing and we got that because of the way we played."

The Pars Manager agreed that Aberdeen are a huge club who have not started the season particularly well by their standards:-

"Their public will be demanding more but I am sure that Craig and Archie will get that. It makes it more difficult for us going up there. Reading some of their players comments, nobody's place is safe they have left everybody in no uncertain terms knowing that your future is at stake here. Of course it makes it difficult but every game in the Premier League is difficult and because one team is bottom it doesn't mean to say that they are a bad side.

"A victory can change everything and things can change quickly. You  need to make sure that you do your homework on the opposition and prepare your team as best you can to try and get a result. Nothing changes on that score, no matter if they are bottom of the league or wherever."

On the positive side Craig Easton and Steven McDougall have rejoined training this week to give the Manager a couple of extra options even though both of them will be short of match fitness. Martin Hardie (ankle), Kevin Rutkiewicz (thigh), Nick Phinn (hamstring) and Steven Bell (Achilles)are still all sidelined through injury.