John Hughes admits he is weighing up tactical tweaks in a bid to get relegation-threatened Dunfermline firing.
The Pars have tightened up at the back in recent weeks, conceding just six goals in their last seven outings — including three clean sheets.
However, a lack of incisiveness at the other end has been damaging.
Hughes shook things up in the final third for the 1-0 defeat against Arbroath last Saturday, bringing in Kevin O’Hara in place of the tireless — if far from prolific — Lewis McCann.
He also has Nikolay Todorov as another experienced, proven Championship attacker.
And Hughes is considering whether a two-pronged attack could shoot the Pars out of trouble.
“We’ve chopped and changed and they’re all different kinds of strikers,” he said.
“Big [Lewis] McCann has a physical presence and can be a handful — but he’s not a prolific goalscorer.
“[Kevin] O’Hara is a prolific goalscorer and I felt he led the line very well last Saturday. He worked hard and is probably the most natural goalscorer we’ve got.
“It’s horses for courses and you ask questions. Can we get two up there? Can we play a different shape? We’re looking at all avenues in terms of team selection to give us an advantage.
“That’s what I enjoy about management — you have to come up with the team and the shape you think will win you the game. It doesn’t always work. Sometimes you have to have a little bit of nous about you.
“Against Arbroath, we went five at the back, which we’ve not really done since I’ve been here, and it worked well at times. Can we go five at the back again against Hamilton? Those are the questions and that’s where the work is done.”
Respect
The Pars sit at the foot of the Championship ahead of their crucial clash in Hamilton. They are two points adrift of Queen of the South, albeit with a game in hand over the Dumfries outfit.
Queens, Accies, Morton and Ayr United have all picked up crucial results in recent weeks, worsening Dunfermline’s plight.
And tuning out those revivals is paramount to Hughes.
“I cannot control what other teams are doing,” continued the former Hibernian and Raith Rovers manager.
“All I can do is control my own team and that’s what I focus on.
“From now until the end of the season, we know what we’re up against; we know who we’re playing and I think the boys are saying, ‘come on then, let’s bring it on!’
“If we play like we did on Saturday and in the second half against Kilmarnock, for the nine games remaining, then I’m more than confident that will be enough to keep us in the league.”
