Manager on Friday

10/09/10:- "We are playing against a team that is justifiably up there as favourites for promotion. They acquitted themselves well against Falkirk so it is up to us to go and put on a performance.

Jim McIntyre feels that his team is going into the game against Dundee in good form.

"Hopefully a big crowd will turn out, I am sure that after their win Dundee will bring a sizeable crowd but our supporters too will be desperate to see us at home again since it is our first home game in three weeks."

In the context of the season fans see Saturday's meeting as very significant but the Manager wouldn't agree:-

"It is not any more important that the rest of them; it is the same three points but we are playing against a team that is justifiably up there as favourites for promotion. They acquitted themselves well against Falkirk so it is up to us to go and put on a performance. We are at home, we want to take the game to them and that's exactly what we will try to do. We will be trying to win the game, there is no doubt about that."

The record shows Dunfermline having won only one match in the last twelve league meetings and that was the 2-1 win in March this year. Jim McIntyre felt that the Pars should have taken more from the four games last season:-

"There has never been more than one goal in it for the last dozen games; they have been very tight games. Last year we definitely outplayed them in three of the games and only managed four points. But that was last season. Dundee are a different team now, there are probably only four players who played in their last game here still playing for them.

"We are facing a new side; there have been a lot of changes and that is what happens when a new manager takes over. He puts his own stamp on it so we are facing players who we haven't seen before."

Turning away from his opponents Macca preferred to view things from a Dunfermline perspective:-

"It is all about what we do. We have to go and take the game to Dundee, be positive in everything we do and play our football so that our better players win it for us on the day.

"The first goal is vital in any game; the stats back that up - if you take the lead you are more likely to go on and win the game. We have got character in the team if we don't manage to get the first goal. We will need to defend well too because they have some very exciting attacking players who are a major threat and they have just added two more to that four they had so they have plenty options up front."

The Pars gaffer confirmed that his squad is healthy and fit. Greg Paterson and David Graham are the longer term injured but Paul Willis might not be considered. Paul was back running on Friday but he is still recovering from a slight calf strain and Macca indicated that they might not risk him against Dundee.

Since the 5-1 win at Stirling, Macca said that his squad had been busy playing games. There had been the Reserve League Cup Final v Raith a week past Tuesday and closed doors matches against St Mirren last Friday and Hearts on Tuesday.

"We played Tuesday, Friday, Tuesday so the boys have worked hard. They had the luxury of an extra day off to give them a long weekend but that's the only extra that they have had.

"The bounce games were for players to get minutes on the pitch and also an opportunity for me to get a look at the young lads who have gone full time in the Under 19s. It gives me a chance to assess them and see if they are going to be good enough going forward in the future. They will get far more out of playing Hearts and Hibs, who we will be playing next week, than what they would against Reserve League Cup sides with no disrespect to that competition.

"I feel that they will benefit far more because they are playing against better players. It is a great learning curve for them because you have got to remember that some of these boys are only 16 and 17. They are playing against 20 year olds and some men so they will definitely learn more from that, it is better to learn young - look at our own Head of Youth, Stephen Wright he was around about the Aberdeen first team at 17 and made his debut at 18. If you are good enough you are old enough."