Boss reveals ‘knockbacks’ in player search
ATHLETIC spent the “full transfer window” seeking reinforcements in the wide areas and missed out on targets due to being in League One.
James McPake has revealed that players he was interested in bringing to KDM Group East End Park to bolster his squad turned the move down in favour of other options they had available from clubs in the second tier.
The Pars boss did manage to take advantage of the ability of clubs outwith the Premiership to sign players on loan until the beginning of this month, after the transfer window closed in September, by bringing in wingers
Kane Ritchie-Hosler, from Rangers, and Motherwell’s Robbie Mahon.
Their arrivals brings the number of players brought to the club by McPake, since he took over in the dugout from John Hughes in the close season, to seven as he bids to guide Dunfermline back to the Championship at the first time of asking.
Following the closure of the summer transfer window, there was concern among supporters that the squad needed more depth but McPake has spoken of the club’s efforts to bring players in.
“We spent the full transfer window looking for wide players, and we got a couple of knockbacks because of the league we’re in, but that’s fine,” he told Press Sport.
“If the players don’t want to come and play for our football club, then we move on to the next one.
“There were a couple that had options in the Championship as well, so that’s fair enough, but we’re pleased with the two that we got in.”
One of the strengths of Dunfermline’s start to the season – they are the only unbeaten team across the SPFL and, at the time of going to print, top of League One – is the togetherness and spirit that has been forged within the squad.
As well as seeking players with ability, McPake said it was “key” that they had the right attitude to match, continuing: “They’ve got to be the right character, they’ve got to have the right attitude to come into the group because we have got a very good group at the minute. We don’t want to disrupt that in any way, and these two won’t.
“They’re the right types and it’s important that, when we’re recruiting, we do that. That’s an ongoing process and it can be tough at times because you see good players and you want to bring these types in but you hear about their attitude, or maybe know about their attitude, so you go away from it, and you wait, and you can look picky at times.
“But I think it’s really important you get that side of it right because we want to have a good group of people, and we believe we’ve got that at the minute. When we’re recruiting, that’s what we’ll try and add.
“Whether that’s a staff member or a player, whoever comes in, they’ve got to be the right type because we are trying to build, we’re trying to progress the football club, and you need good people.
“You need good players, good staff members, but they need to be good people first and foremost, and we believe we’ve got that.”