| Jocky met with his new players just prior to being unveiled as new boss yesterday and took his first training session today.
He has also now had individual meetings with several players, but is first to admit he is not familiar with most of the names on his squad list.
Accordingly, he will rely heavily on old friend and team-mate, youth coach Gordon Wallace, when it comes to putting together a side for tomorrow’s home clash with fellow-strugglers Airdrie United.
“I’ve got a good ally there in Gordon, who will be a considerable help to me. The team will be based on information that Gordon will give me — we’ve known each other a long time and I trust his judgement.”
Another factor in finalising the line-up will be the injuries that have ravaged the pool so far this term.
Jocky admitted one of the first things that’s struck him is the length of the injury list, though it is something he is determined to cope with.
“What I was reading is correct, it’s horrendous. Right now, I have two goalkeepers and 14 outfield players and, of them, four are under 20.
“That’s not an excuse because you always expect injuries and suspensions through a season and there is no use greeting about it — we just have to get on with it.
“There is a squad of players there and you just hope that, through organisation and determination, you can do well — and we will organise them.”
While, in the long term, his definition of success means getting out of the First Division, initially he will be looking for his men to get back to basics and get away from the bottom half of the table.
“I am not stupid enough to come out and say we are going to do this or that, or we are going to take the league by storm and start winning tomorrow.
“Unfortunately, we are in a position where we have had a run of defeats and I know from experience losing games is a habit the same as winning games is.
“When you start losing, the confidence dips, players stop looking for the ball and, if you lose a goal, they think ‘here we go again’.
“It’s my job to lift things and make sure the players look the other way — that they want the ball and they want to play — and that will get us results.
“The initial thing will be that, if you don’t lose goals, you don’t lose games. If we do that, we can build from there.”
n TOM DUTHIE will be at Dens tomorrow as Jocky Scott returns to the home dugout. Read his in-depth view on proceedings in Monday’s EVENING TELEGRAPH. |
