Manager on Tuesday

31/07/12: French Moroccan signs for Dunfermline; El Bakhtaoui Fayssal from Racing Club de la Baie, France

19 year old French Moroccan to sign for Pars

Jim Jefferies warned that expectations for the coming season had to be tempered given the new build that has gone into his squad:-

"It is because of the name that Dunfermline is. In the First Division everybody expects you to be title favourites because of the club you are. Falkirk and Partick Thistle have had a few years in this division; they are not starting from scratch we are virtually doing that with a young team.

"We are seeing signs of improvement; but whether we do it or not, as long as we are up there putting in the effort and challenge in. There will be ups and downs and at the end of the day we will have something to build on for the following season.

"I don't want everybody to become frustrated expecting them to go out and win the league, just remember we are not working on the same basis as what other managers have been able to do here. They had bigger budgets to bring in experienced players. There was a decision made and I have had to follow it and bring in younger ones because that's the way they want to do it.

"We will get on with it, try and do the best we can and we might surprise a few. It might takes us a wee bit longer to come together but the good thing is they want to improve. It is patience that people need now. We might look at things one way just now, but come Christmas we might be saying 'this is much better'. There is a will and a determination about them but they will mistakes and get punished for them."

The Manager confirmed that Slovakian Michal Hrivnak had signed for Dunfermline and he was happy to clinch that deal ahead of Partick Thistle who were reputedly also interested in the goalkeeper.

"We needed a goalkeeper like that to develop and be good enough to be an understudy to Paul Gallacher. He has a good pedigree - he comes to us from Brescia - and Slovakian keepers have always got a good reputation. He is 21 years old but he is still raw and Scottish football is new to him."

The gaffer also revealed that he had signed the Moroccan trialist who played at Berwick and Lochgelly last week. He rattled his name off fluently and it is El Bakhtaoui Fayssal:-

"He is a talented young kid, 19 year old and not far away from the first team. We will get him settled in and I am sure he is one to look forward to watching once he gets to grips with Scottish football."

The Manager confirmed that Neil McCann is currently helping the coaching staff on a voluntary basis:-

"He has done well to help me out but he still has commitments to Sky. He understands that the team is the most important thing but if we free something up or something happens we would try and sort Neil out. He is definitely part of our backroom staff for the season although there are one or two times we will have to accept that he has a Sky contract. For example we will be missing him for the first game of the league season."

Liam Buchanan has decided to leave the club having turned down Jim Jefferies offered terms:-

"It was his decision, he was one I wanted to keep."