Manager's Janus assessment

The month of January was named in honor of Janus by the Romans. Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past.

This time last year Jim Jefferies was enjoying the taste of the holiday season that is an unusual experience for someone who had been submerged in football for as far back as he can recall. He took time however to have a look back on 2012 and look forward to consider what he'd like from 2013.

"When I left Hearts, for the first time for a long time I had a relaxing break. I've always had two or three weeks between jobs and that was the first time in my career that I had a nice break.

"While I was getting my batteries charged I had turned down a couple of jobs; one abroad and one at home. When Dunfermline originally came calling it was just for the remaining games of the season and that was not what I wanted; I didn't think it was right. I saw a good challenge there - they weren't favourites to stay up. I said I'd do my best to try and do that and if we had had a bit longer, we might have done it. The challenge was there and I have enjoyed it.

"So it was nice to have Christmas and a break to see my daughter who was living in Cyprus at the time. A couple of wee trips with the missus and also a bit of golf in the sun. It was a nice break and the job coming into Dunfermline was a tough one but I wanted to take it on with the proviso that if it didn't work out I would have one more season. The Club needed to work out what they wanted to do."

The discussion took place at the start of the season between Board and Manager with two choices laid out; one - to go down with the experienced side and try and come back in one go. To do that Jim would have needed to have retained a lot of the experienced players in the squad and maybe add to it. The Board's view was that they had learned from past experience. When that was tried before the Pars finished fifth and took four years to gain promotion. Jefferies explained the route that was chosen:-.

"The other scenario, with no guarantee that we would get back in one go, was to try and build something where we were up there challenging and playing good football. If we missed out then we had done the spade work for the following year. This team will improve next year if they do the right things. Whether I take them on for next year depends.

"I was happy for the decision to go either way but it was tougher down this young boy route. The wage bill had been dramatically cut - when Dunfermline were winning and doing well they were paying players a lot more than they pay them now. You can only find a certain level of player for the wages you are paying. Our average wage bill is only going to attract young players from lower divisions who are part time.

"That is not easy and the Club has enjoyed the fact, with no disrespect to anyone else, that I am going down a path where I am the first manager for a wee while who has gone down the youth side. I have had to integrate the youth team here and have a lot of these boys train with us to see if they are ready - the likes of Shaun Byrne and one or two others. They get to train more with the first team than ever in the past. That is all with a view to find out if our youth policy is bringing through players who are good enough to play in the first team. Everybody has been encouraged with that because that is the way that we have to go.

"You cannot guarantee success immediately with that even though the expectation level is there. These boys have got to take that challenge on and right now they are making a good fist of it. If we don't, people shouldn't get too upset, the spade work will have been done, this team will improve and be a better team next year. In the summer some might leave and move on but I think the ground work has been done to have a decent side over the next couple of years."

So where did Jim Jefferies see himself this time next year?

"It will all depend; I have said to the Club that I would come to the Club and give it a good go for the year and see where we go. I am enjoying it immensely at the Club - obviously some of the things that have gone on off the park can be a bit frustrating for players as well as staff - but I said that I would review everything at the end of the season. As it is the Club has asked me which is nice but I said that we'd wait and see, it all depends on what happens. If we are going to continue down that path we have to have it right.

"Nobody knows what will happen at the end of the season, we might lose players. Is it a different scenario? Do we have to get up that following year, then we will have to improve it greatly? If they said no, then we would happy to keep gradually moving on integrating the youths. That is something I'll have to think about.

"I am not making any decision before the end of the season and if I still have the desire and drive - that I cannot see me never having - I will continue. If I don't think that it is right and I have got it started and somebody else takes it on, then I will leave that decision until the end of the season. I want to see how we go first and how they do. They are terrific - I enjoy coming in and if I didn't I'd stop now.

"It is frustrating right now but I have been in football long enough to know that there are hard times and there are good times. Now is not bad times but frustrating times because we deserve more out of the last few games apart from Saturday. They are young, sometimes naive and guilty of not taking chances. The ball not falling for them right. It is not the end of the world because there are a lot of games to go.

"What I want to do is come in and make sure that Dunfermline are on good sound footing with their squad in terms of playing. I think the fans at the majority of times, especially after coming off the park against Aberdeen in the cup and against Falkirk beaten. That is normally a cue for boos and groans but no they have been tremendous because they are appreciating what effort these boys are putting in."