Manager ahead of Caley Thistle

20/10/11: JM - "We have goals in our team and we have proven that. We have not done that in the last few weeks. We need to get back to being a goal threat;

Jim McIntyre knows that his team needs to cut out the mistakes. But for two individual errors last Saturday, the Manager is confident that they would have taken a point against Hearts:-

"You find the higher the level you go, the better players you are up against then if you make a mistake - nine times out of ten you get punished. We have found that to our cost this year but we are really looking forward to the game at Inverness on Saturday. It is a big game for both clubs."

Macca was pleased that even in defeat against Hearts his players had got back to playing as a team.

"We got ourselves into some really good areas, particularly in the second half but didn't make enough of them. In the first half we never threatened Hearts goal enough but we looked solid enough and didn't look like conceding ourselves. That's what we have to get back to after recent results. The performance was pleasing in terms of playing as a team but the two goals were two individual errors and there's not much you can do about that apart from showing the players and hopefully they will take it on board."

The gaffer knows that hidings like his side received from Rangers and Aberdeen can dent confidence. The Hearts match went so far to repairing that but he feels that Dunfermline have to recognise where they are as a club:-

"What we have in comparison to what other clubs have got has to be put it in perspective. I said at the start of the season when we started so well 'lets not get carried away, there will be darker days ahead'. Nobody is downbeat here; we are not a team that is detached. A win means you can jump three or four places but we know that we need to improve."

Performance is so much but the game is all about picking up points and for Dunfermline there has only been one of those in the last six matches. Macca is clear that the most important thing is winning and in the end it does not matter too much how that's achieved.

"You hear others talking about philosophies but is about winning. Yes, I want to play the ball on the deck but if we play the ball in the air and win three points I will be quite happy."

The Manager never wants to bemoan the fact that some of key players have been out for most of the season. Kevin Ruitkiewicz is reported to have broken down again, Nick Phinn and Steven Bell have yet to return to the training ground, Martin Hardie is improving but still not ready and Andy Barrowman is now recovering from having his appendix removed on 8th October.

"Availability does affect your choices and the way you can play but at the same time I am confident that we can get results with the group that we have got. We had key players missing at the start of the season when we were doing well."

Pressure is something that all managers have to deal with when things are not going well but he says it is all about how you react to that.

"That's why you are in the job and that's why we love what we do. I am no different. I love it. You couldn't get a better job outside playing football. It is the next best thing, so if you cannot handle that you are in the wrong job."

Jim McIntyre compared current form with a stretch in the First Division from the end of August 2009 until mid October when his side lost five games in a row but followed that with one defeat in the next 12:-

"These are times when you are tested. Then we went on a run of eight undefeated, that's all it takes - a result to kick start that again. We have goals in our team and we have proven that. We have not done that in the last few weeks. We need to get back to being a goal threat; I am positive we will do that and don't have any qualms about that.

"The fans are well aware of where we are as a club but there's still expectations. Don't get me wrong, these come from the players and come from myself as well. I would say though that when you are in a higher league they are a bit more patient and so they should be because it has taken us a long time to get here. A lot of work went on to get us here."