Dunfermline and Jim Jefferies to hold more talks over manager’s vacancy

DUNFERMLINE hope to appoint Jim Jefferies as their new manager this week, although initial talks have not yet produced an agreement and negotiations will continue in the coming days.

Jefferies held talks with Dunfermline on Sunday about replacing Jim McIntyre, but no deal was reached. Both parties put their views across and it remains unclear whether the former Hearts and Kilmarnock manager will come to an agreement with the Dunfermline board.

The length of the contract on offer is believed to be a stumbling block with Jefferies thought to be looking for a deal which would take him further than the end of the season.

Jefferies, 61, was removed from his role as Hearts manager three games into the season despite leading the club to a third-place finish in the SPL last year.

Dunfermline, who have not played since a 3 March defeat by Motherwell, sacked McIntyre last Friday. They host St Mirren on Saturday looking for their first home win of the season and bidding to cut a four-point deficit on Hibs at the foot of the SPL. While not specifically naming Jefferies, the club’s director of football Jim Leishman confirmed talks with their preferred candidate would continue. He said: “The board had a meeting on Sunday to discuss possible candidates and the way forward. They have someone in mind and they’re going to be having ongoing discussions.”

McIntyre’s assistant, Gerry McCabe, has been put in charge of training and will take the team on Saturday if no appointment is made. “I think the idea is to get someone in for this weekend because it is a huge game,” Leishman added. “But Gerry’s under contract here just now and he’s a professional and a great football person. Gerry will do his job and get on with it and he’ll lift the guys for Saturday.”

Meanwhile, striker Liam Buchanan has promised Dunfermline’s new manager they will be taking over a squad with the belief and ability to save their SPL status. He said: “It’s not nice when a manager is sacked and undoubtedly the players have to take their share of the blame. The manager tried his hardest and there’s not many managers work as hard as Jim McIntyre did with us. But we were the ones on the pitch and the ones who didn’t get as many results as we probably should have.

“You don’t want to look for excuses but we have been hampered badly by injuries – I don’t think I’ve ever played in a team that has suffered as many injuries as we have this season.

“It’s going to be difficult, but there’s eight cup finals for us to play and we’re only four points behind Hibs, which is not a massive gap. But we need to start winning games and picking up points. Whoever comes in will have a difficult task on their hands, but hopefully we will turn things around.”