John Hughes was seeking to poke the bear; to spark a reaction.
When the new Dunfermline boss used his first Pars TV interview to tell his players that Scottish football viewed them as a ‘laughing stock’ and a ‘soft touch’, it was a challenge.
Are you going to take that?
Those words certainly hit home with Dom Thomas, Pars talisman and scorer of the sensational solo strike that secured a 2-1 win at Inverness on Saturday.
🔥 Just Dom Thomas things, as the Pars grab their 1⃣st win of the season!#cinchChamp | @officialdafc pic.twitter.com/k5TAxnIFEn
— SPFL (@spfl) November 15, 2021
“That [soft touch accusation] is something that I take personally,” said Thomas candidly.
“Scottish football is a small bowl and everybody talks to everybody.
“That was the word on the street: we were soft. We could play nice stuff but we were being bullied.
“That is not something I’ve experienced in football, so I knew that I had to stand up and be counted.
“I think everybody did that on Saturday. That is one of the things that I am most proud of the boys for. Getting the result is great, but we showed fight and determination and laid down a marker.”
Perfect partnership
One suspects the ‘Yogi’ revolution may suit Thomas down to the ground.
The waspish winger is an irrepressible figure in the Dunfermline dressing room, while Hughes has never been one to mince his words.
But his management of mercurial mavericks such as Derek Riordan, Anthony Stokes and Russell Lately in the past suggests that Thomas could be right up his street.
“After coming in on Friday, I have already spoken to him quite a lot,” continued Thomas. “He wants his creative players to create — but do the other side as well.
“He knows that we will make mistakes and maybe not get that cross in, that goal — but as long as we react, that’s okay.”
Hughes oversaw his first training session on Monday, but he formally met his new charges on Friday afternoon.
A jovial half-time intervention in the Highlands then helped to inspire the Pars’ 2-1 triumph over the Caley Jags; their first league win of the campaign.
“He is no shrinking violet; right up my street,” laughed Thomas. “He came in on Friday and was great with the boys. Lifting spirits can be hard when you have been on a bad run.
“But he told us what he expected. He doesn’t mess about and if you work hard for him he will work hard for you. That is the way it has to be.”
The only way is up?
Now just two points adrift of guaranteed safety, Dunfermline could feasibly ascend to sixth spot on Saturday if they beat Ayr United on Saturday.
How things can change.
“As a football player, you do look at the table but — honestly — we just need to move on,” added Thomas. “We’ll prepare, be ready and hopefully get three points.
“We want to climb the table and, in a few months, be able to look back on the start of the season and see it as just a bad run.”
What can Dunfermline expect from John Hughes? ‘Teacher’, character, taskmaster
