Manager on Thursday
Thursday, 17th Aug 201717/08/17: AJ - "there’s nothing better than playing in front of a big crowd, with a good atmosphere. I think it raises your game"
Allan Johnston spoke to the media on Thursday and first commented on Callum Smith`s call-up to Scotland under-19s:-
“It’s different class and he deserves it, he’s been doing really well. If he keeps playing the way he’s been playing I don’t think it will be long until he’s in the under-21s squad, never mind the 19s.
“I was a wee bit disappointed that big Stuart Morrison never got in, because he’s been doing really well as well and is playing first-team football. I’m sure if he keeps progressing the way he’s progressing he’ll be in it in the future."
The manager thought that talks of involvement at international level was extremely healthy at a club like Dunfermline Athletic:-
“It’s about trying to get into the first-team squad and being round about it. If you’re good enough you’ll be involved. That’s always been the message at Dunfermline. It’s great to see these boys improving and doing well, and taking their chance in the first-team when they get it.
“At that age it’s important to play first-team football, that’s how you progress. That’s why at some of the bigger clubs some of the players maybe go a wee bit stale, because they don’t play first-team football and they go backwards a wee bit.
“Whereas our boys are progressing really well and trying to get involved with the first-team at a really young age. They’re training with the first-team every day and that can only help as well. I’m sure it will make a big difference."
Turning to Saturday`s Championship match against Falkirk the Pars manager admitted that "you always look forward to derbies, they’re always special games" and naturally wanted to get a result.
“We’ve started the league campaign well, we’ve started the season well, in general, and we’ve just got to make sure we continue that."
Falkirk finished second last season and that achievement was greatly assisted by taking ten points off Dunfermline, AJ said that he was obviously disappointed with results against Falkirk last season:-
“To be fair, when you look at the games, there was a couple where we did really well, and a couple where we were poor. We know we’ve got to improve on that.
“Falkirk will be up there challenging at the end of the season, so it would be a great one to win, to show that we want to be up there challenging as well.
“They’ve got good players and it’s going to be a hard game. I don’t think there’s much between all the teams in this league. It’s going to be a tough test. It’s a new season, there’s a few new players at both clubs, and at the end of the day it is only one game. But it’s certainly one that we want to go and impose ourselves on and win."
Would the injustice of the last game in be in the thinking, and could it be used as motivation?
“I don’t think they will, because there’s new boys here and new boys at Falkirk as well. It’s a new season, players have moved on, and it’s a new challenge, and we’ve just got to focus on ourselves."
It’s an occasion the fans will be desperate to enjoy especially if they can witness the first victory over the Bairns in ten meetings:-
“As a player, there’s nothing better than playing in front of a big crowd, with a good atmosphere. I think it raises your game. If you look at the performances of our boys lately, we’ve been playing really well and there’s a lot of competition about the squad. I’m sure that will push them on to bigger and better things."
The gaffer revealed that he would have to wait and see if Jean M`Voto would be available but Lewis Martin and Lee Ashcroft would return after suspension in Irn-Bru Cup tie.
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