‘I can’t wait to get going’
“I got offered the position and I couldn’t really turn it down... so I’m just looking forward to getting started.” - Jason McCrindle
THE new manager of Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts believes the quality of player he has inherited has given him a “great starting point” as he bids to lift them up the East of Scotland League Premier Division.
Jason McCrindle took up the role last month, following the departure of Jason Dair, and is set to take charge of his first competitive game this Saturday against Penicuik Athletic.
The 45-year-old was denied a first league match in charge at the weekend when the Swifts’ scheduled home derby against Hill of Beath Hawthorn was called off due to the heavy snowfall that substantially hit the sporting card.
He has, so far, taken charge of two friendly matches - against Whitehill Welfare and Newtongrange Star and is looking forward to getting going in the league, after whirlwind week that saw him depart divisional rivals, Luncarty, and then take up his post at Inverkeithing.
“It’s been really positive,” McCrindle told Press Sport. “There’s a great bunch of guys there, and I’ve obviously met other coaches, and everybody involved with the club. I’m just looking forward to getting to work.”
After McCrindle left Luncarty, he receives a call from Swifts chairman Craig Reid, and it all moved quickly from there.
“I met up with him and had some really, really good conversations. They were quite positive in terms of what they were looking for, how they wanted to run the club, and I felt as though I could offer what I wanted to do in terms of that as well.
“I got offered the position and I couldn’t really turn it down. I’ve known the league and played against the majority of teams in the league, so I’m just looking forward to getting started.
“Even when playing against them (with Luncarty), I could see they had a lot of good individual players. Working closer with them, there’s a lot of good players here. There’s a lot of good technical players.
“They are still relatively young, so I think the biggest thing that they need now is confidence. I think when you look at their results they’ve beaten Sauchie, they’ve beaten Dundonald, they’ve beaten
Dunbar - so it’s a group of players that, when they’re confident, they can go and beat anybody in the league.
“For me, it’s a great starting point knowing what they’re capable of doing, and it’s my job to get the best out of them.”
McCrindle, arrives at Inverkeithing with the club 13th in the table, one place immediately above the relegation zone, continued: “They need to play to their strengths. Their strengths are they’re a good technical side, so we want to have the ball, and we’ll just work hard when we don’t have it.
“For us, we’ll probably look to play more, we’ll probably look to keep the ball more, so we’re having a wee bit more control in games.”
Meanwhile, the Swifts have been drawn away to either Gala Fairydean Rovers or Luncarty in the fifth round of the East of Scotland Qualifying Cup. If they were to progress, they would then face either Tranent, Jeanfield Swifts or Broxburn Athletic in the semifinals. Dates for the ties are to be confirmed.