Dunfermline Athletic boss James McPake insists Alex Jakubiak is ‘too good’ for the Scottish Championship if he can reach his peak.
McPake believes the former Dundee striker was ‘the best player on the pitch’ in the Pars’ 3-1 victory over Dundee United on Friday night.
It was a performance that came as no surprise to the Fifers boss, who signed the now 27-year-old for Dundee in 2020.
But he has urged the one-time Watford youngster to find those levels consistently to prove he can move back up the levels.
He said: “We need more of that from Alex. I’ve told him that as well, and he knows.
“He’s got a bit of everything and hence the reason I was desperate to sign him at Dundee.
“When we got him there was a couple of Premiership teams interested. He had the loan spell at St Mirren and Motherwell were interested as well.
“In the best possible way, he’s a frustrating player, for me, because I know the levels he can get to.
“And he showed that on Friday night. But he’s better than that, there’s still more to come.
McPake says Jakubiak ‘too good’
“You don’t make your debut for Watford in the Championship in England at 17 if you’ve not got something.
“Or be at that club for a while and come right through when they were in the Premier League. He’s a very good player.”
He added: “Friday was the Jakubiak we know. And, no disrespect to this level, when he’s like that he’s too good for this level.
“There’s other players out there in the Championship who, when they’re on their game, should be playing in the Premiership.
“There was Luke McCowan when he was on his game for Dundee in the Championship last season, and look what he’s done in the Premiership. He’s lit it up.
“To get back to those levels, to go and play every week in League One or the Championship in England, then there needs to be a level of consistency.
“If he finds that then we’ve got a hell of a player.
“And Alex has got a lot left in his career if he gets to that, and I’m confident he will.
“But, for me, his performance was by far the best on the pitch.”
McPake was disappointed for Jakubiak that he did not get a goal to cap his display.
Pars strikers deserve credit
However, he is adamant that, just like on-loan St Johnstone striker Chris Kane, there is more to the marksman’s game than finding the back of the net.
He added: “Even with Kano [Kane], I don’t think these types of players get the credit they deserve.
“Alex is getting it just now, Kano got it when he came in and scored the goal [against Ayr].
“But some people look at it and say, ‘he’s a striker, he doesn’t score goals, what does he bring?’.
“Well, look at what Kano has brought since he came in, look at what Jakubiak brought to that game on Friday night.
“When you get players like that, sometimes goals don’t matter, because they’re setting up their team-mates or they’re getting you up the pitch or getting fouls.
“Then, you just keep working and the goals do come. I’m confident in that for both of them.
“They’re two very good strikers, regardless of whether they score in the game or not.”
Meanwhile, Kane is set to return to the squad for the trip to face Morton on Saturday following a calf problem.
And Josh Edwards has trained after suffering cramp in his hamstring against United.
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