What if, asks Jason
Friday, 28th Apr 2017"The majority of the squad is playing for their futures at the moment, I know I am."
Jason Talbot has started every league match since the end of September and the 31 year old who signed from Livingston in the summer of 2015 must be one of the first names down on Allan Johnston`s team sheet. He told the website:-
"It has been a good season overall, it has been frustrating at times. We have dropped points where we shouldn`t have dropped points. If that hadn`t been the case we could have been a lot higher than where we are.""
Reviewing the season only reveals points dropped in matches where the Pars should have clinched all three points but Jason feels that the luck that was around as Dunfermline sailed to win League One has not really been around in any measure this season:-
"A lot has gone against us. The start of the season wasn`t great. We didn`t pick up points or get the performances that we needed. We are getting them now and hopefully it is something we can improve on next year."
Jason`s contract expires at the end of this season and like the majority of the squad is playing for his future.
"There has not been any talk yet, I am just biding my time and hopefully I will hear within the next week. I have stated before that I want to stay, I have always said that I`m a Dunfermline player until someone tells me otherwise.
"I will do what I can for the club for the time being and hopefully I deserve another contract. Obviously we were a few points away from the play offs but then a few points away from being relegated. It was a kind of sticky situation to be in.
"That is understandable and as players we just need to accept that, put it at the back of the mind and get on with the games that we have got.
"Now that we are certain that we are staying in this league I would like to get things wrapped up as soon as possible. I would like to stay and hopefully I have something that the manager would like as well."
Having ambitions and targets are all very well but Jason feels that targeting the play offs was reasonable and if some results had gone their way then that objective was maybe not that far off.
"We weren`t too far away and that is something we can improve on next season. Mid table is comfortable for this club in the first season back up. We could have been hanging about the bottom for a much longer period and been in serious danger but that wasn`t the case."
Saturday`s opponents Morton are examples of what Dunfermline can hope to follow. While the Pars finished seventh in League One in 2015 Morton were promoted as champions and after a year consolidating their status in the Championship, they have now secured an opportunity to win promotion through the play offs. Jason continued:-
"I think you have to consolidate. Clubs like Gretna went straight away and that`s not what clubs like Dunfermline want to do. We have had problems in the past, we have to be a self funded club and not in debt again."
Saturday is likely to be a strange experience. It is mathematically possible but it is a slim chance that Morton can overtake Falkirk in second place. With the home side safe and the likelihood that barring some strange results Morton are destined to play Dundee United in the play offs. Jason said that it might feel a bit like a pre season friendly, especially if the weather is nice.
"The boys have been buzzing in training and hopefully we can get the three points because we want to end up with as many points as possible.
"We want to put a show on for the fans, put on a good performance. There are two league games left and if we don`t put the work in, then it affects some of the boys futures. I don`t think anybody wants that to be honest. The majority of the squad is playing for their futures at the moment, I know I am."
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