Peter Grant admits former Scotland and Dundee star Graham Dorrans has felt the strain of Dunfermline’s lamentable start to the season.
Dorrans, 34, penned a two-year deal with the Pars in July and was immediately pitched into action.
Although he was training with the Dens Park outfit prior to his arrival in Fife, he visibly struggled to get up to speed in those initial outings.
Dorrans’ frustration was evident amid a barrage of criticism from the away section in the aftermath of Dunfermline’s 3-1 defeat at Ayr United earlier this month.
“Younger players take the criticism and get on with it but Graham has been over the course before — and he is desperate to play in a team that is successful,” said Grant.
“We all have tough evenings when we don’t win games of football.
“People think it gets easier when you get older. Well, it gets much harder. It gets harder to stomach a Saturday night when you have not won a game of football.
“When you are a senior player like Graham you feel it more. I know it sounds crazy but you do. I know that it has been a tough period for him.”
‘Terrific’
However, Dorrans — sporting the captain’s armband — has notably improved alongside Dan Pybus in the heart of midfield in successive 0-0 draws against Inverness and Hamilton.
A silly first-half booking aside, the former Rangers and Scotland man covered the ground against Accies, snapped in to tackles and was far more tidy in possession.
“I have got to tip my hat, I thought Graham was terrific,” continued Grant. “He came in ten weeks behind everybody with his fitness.
“We had to throw him in straight away because, otherwise, when was I going to play him? There are no reserve games; no under-23s.
“He had been doing his own training but that is completely different from matches.
“It would have been fantastic if I had been able to get him in for the [Premier Sports group phase] cup ties but that couldn’t happen.
“Graham was still in Australia then, coming back to the Covid situation, had to give up another period of time.
“So, he has been training extremely hard in difficult circumstances.”
Doggedness
Dorrans’ display was a positive in Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Hamilton, as was a bright first half in which Craig Wighton struck the post and Josh Edwards flashed a shot wide.
However, the Pars faded after the break — not helped by the enforced withdrawals of Wighton, Nikolay Todorov and Kai Kennedy — and Accies struck the woodwork themselves through Lewis Smith.
Dunfermline remain winless in the league and rooted to the the foot of the Championship.
Wednesday’s Fife derby against Raith Rovers looms large for embattled Grant.
“I’m still expecting a lot more quality,” he added. “We had great opportunities in the first half and we made the wrong choice. People were snatching at chances.
“But it’s a clean sheet and we’re showing doggedness.”
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