Manager's Review of 2014
Thursday, 1st Jan 2015Described elsewhere as an unforgettable year for the nation, the Pars view might be the same way but for the wrong reasons.
John Potter reviewed 2014 for the website and how it turned out not to be the success that everybody had hoped this time last year. The year got off to a winning start at Stenhousemuir on 2nd January recording a a 2-1 win and John immediately recalled the impact of giving a player his first start:-
"In the build up to the game Jim Jefferies said that he had a funny feeling about Faissal El Bakhtaoui at the time. He said that he was going give him his starting debut and he scored early on. We had eventful games against Stenhousemuir last season and this was typical when Andy Geggan scored a 91st minute winner."
First defeat of 2014 was to Airdrie 0-1 at home on 18 January but in February four league wins over East Fife, Forfar, Ayr United and Arbroath earned JJ the Manager of the Month award. That consolidated the Pars play off place challenge but the curse of that award emerged as March followed with one draw and three defeats. John reflected:-
"Last season we played very well up until January. We strengthened with signings but we never really kicked on with consistency. We never got a run of seven or eight games going together. That went all the way through to the play offs."
The team actually only won two league games after 25 February as they were beaten at Stranraer and Ibrox, at home to East Fife and inevitably at Airdrie. A win at Arbroath on 26 April set up them up for the play offs but after beating Stranraer they were to fail in the final match of the season for the second year running.
"I am sure we had a few injuries and the odd dispute over contracts. Form dipped in March for most of the team if I remember right. We didn't go into the play offs in the best of form but we got through against Stranraer with a good home performance.
"We went to Cowdenbeath and were solid enough, it was not a great game but finished 1-1. We were confident going into the second game but Cowdenbeath were better than us on the day. They got the early goal, we lost it for a while and was a big disappointment on the day.
"It took us a while to get over that because it was a massive disappointment for the players and the club at the time.
"We were second to Rangers and twelve points clear of third place and that was with not having a great finish. We felt we were the second best team in that league and had it not been for Rangers we would have been up.
"Even coming back to pre season that disappointment took a while to get over. We had to get the point over to the players that we had to go again. There was no point in feeling sorry for ourselves. We had to start all over again and we had to try and win it this season.
"We didn't win our first two against Brechin City and Forfar. We had a good performance against Raith in the cup, there were some bits and pieces that were good but results were never great. We won three in a row after losing those first two; that is probably the only run of the season so far. Good at the time but it didn't last long enough.
"We did enough to get us top but slipped up against Morton and for the last three months it has been up and down."
The Pars were to be top by mid September but failed to take a grip there. As a consequence of games where they failed to take their chances, they slipped from 2nd to 4th, went from 3rd to 2nd and back to 4th.
"We know that has not been good enough. It has been inconsistent; that is our main problem. We have gone from being top and looking to pull away but it didn't quite happen. Other teams went on good runs - Forfar, Stranraer, Morton, Brechin to a certain extent - and we haven't.
"I do not think we have performed anything near how we can and yet we are still in amongst it. Yes we are a few points behind but we are only at the half way stage in the season."
Dunfermline have taken 27 points from 17 games and with 19 league games to play, four points off the top with a game in hand over Stranraer and Morton.
"We don't feel that we have been great so if we can string together winning performances then I think we can be confident that we will start climbing the league."
John is hoping that this season can be the opposite of last with a stronger challenge mounted in the second half of the season.
"Now we have got to try and hit a good run. The next two or three months are the most important time to try and catch the team's above you. The only way to do that is to win games starting this week."
Final question, where would you like to see yourself this time next year?
"In the Championship! It is important that we try and get up this year. It is going to be difficult, we know that but we want to be in the league above. We have to try and get promoted.
"We are just looking from week by week at the moment. There is a new team with me and Neil just getting the job but if you are talking about in a year's time, we need to get promoted it is as simple as that.
"We want to do that for the fans. They have been great and supported us all the way through. It was special to see the turnout for the Cowdenbeath game at the end of last season; there were over 8000 there.
"If you think forward to the end of this season and what could be if you get back up to the top of the league and what it could be like playing in some of the games towards the end of the season. It could be that again and a great atmosphere to play in. It could be a great end to the season but we need start performing now. I have said that to the players and if they produce then the fans will be great and turn up in their numbers again. There is no doubt about that.
"I wish everybody a Happy New Year, we will be trying to give you plenty to cheer about."
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