Jim Jefferies Comments

Feb 27th 2002 thru July 20th 2002

If it came out of Killie boss Jim Jefferies mouth then you'll find it here (if it was picked up by the press.  Dates shown are dates reported)......

July 20th on next season's goals...."I think every club outside the Old Firm has got to be realistic. Rangers and Celtic are difficult to even challenge, but that is what you set out to do. You have to take advantage if they do slip up, but it is very unlikely that the two of them will. You can see that from their track record over the past few years, and they have spent some money on some quality players. But the rest can compete for third and fourth and the European places that come with them. Third or fourth is a good, satisfactory season and qualifies you for Europe  So that's what Kilmarnock will be going for, along with plenty of other teams."

July 19th Baz gets an ......Exclusive pre-season interview with Jim Jefferies - Here

July 10th on the younger players role for the forthcoming season......"The young boys will play a part this season, but they won't be appearing in all the games,. I had a track record at Hearts of bringing through youngsters, but they have to be handled the right way."
On Gary McSwegan ....."Gary is showing good appetite and is looking very sharp, We've also been working behind the scenes to bring in a taller striker."

July 8th on Kevin McGowne leaving....."It was with reluctance that we agreed to let Kevin go. However we understand that in this stage of his career it was too good a deal for Kevin to decline."

July 5th on this years squad......"We need someone who can guarantee us 14 or 15 goals a season, Dargo was our top scorer last season with eight, so I'm looking for a more natural striker. I want a guy who can get goals out of nothing, I'm looking for someone who has a bit of presence up front and who can also finish. That's what this team needs, although at the same time we need to create far more chances. Hopefully we can get someone in before the deadline. However, I'm really happy with what we have to work with and I'm delighted with the people I've brought in."

July 4th on Gary McSwegan coming in on a trial...."Gary has a lot to prove and we are pleased to give him this opportunity. It's now up to him!"

July 1st on additional signings.... "I hope to bring in someone else before the season starts, someone up front. I am in negotiations with one and there is another I am trying to get. We lost out on a few. Two were up here and another two down south."  More

June 2nd on the Shield's deal...."We have spoken to both Charlton and the player and the deal is virtually certain to go through. There are a few minor details to be ironed out before it is signed and sealed. We have spoken to both Charlton and the player. Both clubs are nearly there and the deal is almost certain to go through."

June 2nd on Jess & Locke...."It is almost inevitable that Kilmarnock are going to be linked with players like Gary Locke and Eoin Jess because I took them down to Bradford when I was manager. We are like every other club working to a budget and we are looking at a lot of options before we decide anything."

May 23rd on Stuart Elliot of Motherwell..."I don't know where that kind of figure (300,00 grand) came from at all.To be honest if I did have that kind of money to spend it certainly wouldn't be on one player - I could go out and get three."

May 18th on upcoming signings..."I want to make four signings at least before the start of next season. Greg Shields, from Charlton , is the next target."But he's on good money and has two years left of his contract, so Greg has a decision to make about his future. In the end everything comes back to money, whether it's too much of it or too little.

May 18th on the "Old Firm" situation.... Here

May 15th on Squad Planning..."We have brought in Barry McLaughlin from St Mirren but much depends on the resolution of a television deal. Like us, clubs have drawn up lists of who they would like to sign but, obviously, we are all in the same boat regarding budgets for next season. Kilmarnock are a great club and has been run very well so we do not have the same difficulties as some of the other clubs. But, like everyone else, we have got to work within our means."

May 14th on Martin Baker..."It's unlikely we will be offering Martin a new contract so he will be free to move on. He was out of things for a while and when he got back there was a minor injury problem that has been sorted."

May 12th on the Arabs Port Match...."We should have had the game won before they came back. "However, United sensed they could come back after the first goal and we made it easy for them. We played well for an hour but you have to admit it was a special strike from Craig Easton for their equaliser."

May 12th on Ian Durrant..."He has done a great job for Kilmarnock."It was good for him to get a run-out at the end, to let the fans appreciate him. "He's joining us on the backroom staff in the summer and I know he'll make a big contribution."

May 10th on the Player Situation at Killie..."We've notified some of the players and for one or two younger lads, like every club, it's the worst time of year for them because you're killing their dreams. We've done all the talking really. Tommy Johnson is out of contract, along with Michel Ngonge. I'll speak with Michel but with Tommy it's the reality check now because he'll be on his last contract and he'll be looking for the best deal for himself, which is understandable. We just aren't in a position to offer him anything like the contract he's on. I'm no different from any other manager in the Premier League now and you can see the effects that has had on other clubs so we're probably very fortunate at Kilmarnock that we haven't had to take as drastic steps as some. The people behind the scenes, the board of directors, have been terrific. They're trying to give you every support they can and they're going to work their socks off and that's credit to them. If we get some sort of budget it might not be as big as we'd like it to be but you just have to cut your cloth accordingly. So a lot of it will be down to trying to wheel and deal a bit to make the squad stronger. The good thing is that there are going to be a lot of players available and it's just a case of finding out where we feel we need to strengthen the squad."

Apr 27th on the Well Post Match..."The players were warned before that to have adversity like that through the week acts as a spur."They got a few extra fans and they got behind them and we had to make sure we were up for it. But at 1-0 I knew it was a difficult game and at half-time I was quite happy with the team.We probably deserved to be in front at half-time and then we got the equaliser then four minutes later it was 4-1. It was crazy. It wasn't a fair reflection, but to lose those goals was just sloppy on our part."

Apr 20th on the Saints Post Match...."When we got the first goal, the confidence just grew from there. I said last week that we would be up for this game. We knew it would be a game without much atmosphere and that we would have to rise above that and I thought our application was excellent."

Apr 13th on the Hibs Post Match...."I thought we played very well especially in the first half but we struggled a bit after losing Jesus Sanjuan shortly before the break. I thought the whole team worked very hard and they showed a lot of application to win the game. All the players have another three games left to further impress me."

Apr 12th on the Hibs Pre Match...."The game will certainly have a bit more spice with Bobby coming back. I have been in that position myself and at every club, when the old manager comes back, they get a hot reception. But Bobby had a fantastic time at the club and I went through it myself when I went back to Falkirk with Hearts. It is something you just have to get on with and get through and I'm sure my players will want to put one over on their old boss.  

Apr 6th on the Dundee Post Match...."It's always disappointing when you lose, But you learn a lot by playing players in different positions and it was a chance for me to try and change things around, and the last 15 minutes I saw an improvement in things.

Apr 5th on the Dundee Pre Match...."There is still a lot to play for. The lads have the chance to impress me to make sure they can figure in my plans right from the start of next season.
"The games left also give me an opportunity to see one or two players in action who, since I arrived, have been nursing injuries."We really aim to be going into next season knowing exactly what we want, so the challenge is there for the players to show what they can do from now until the end of the season.

Mar 22nd on his task ahead..."There are a lot of lads out there who are making mistakes. I know what the team lacks - quite a bit of strength The ones we've got with that are all out injured so that is something I hope to address in the close season and put right for the new one. I'm going to be a busy man."

Mar 21st on the Rangers Post Match...." I felt that right from early on we were not positive enough,I felt that when we lost the second goal it looked as though their heads went down. If you are a young side you make mistakes and at places like this you can get punished. But you can still compete and do the right thing and I didn't feel we did that."

Mar 20th on his management style...''When I've lost, I don't want to be smiley and cheery. I'm down and I can't be jovial. My past experience is that people say I'm at my best when I'm moaning because it shows I'm concentrating on doing my best, I've always worked on the basis that you protect players as best you can from things - but, if you go in laughing and joking all the time, then you lose respect a bit. 'I'm only here to make Killie as big a success as I can. My image doesn't bother me."

Mar 20th on the Rangers Pre Match...."We're under enough pressure to make the top six without bothering about the title. We need to try and get a result that will keep us in the top six. We've had two chances at it so hopefully this will be third time lucky."

Mar 16th on the Livi Post Match...."I thought we started the game well and we had a couple of good opportunities."The decision with the penalty got the crowd going and all the boys said it was one. We seemed to pick up from then."I felt we were the team pushing for a winner at the end although they had three great second-half chances though - I suppose a draw was a fair result."

Mar 15th on the Livi Pre Match...."We are not looking at anyone other than ourselves. You can't really look elsewhere, but that's only natural at this stage of the season. "We know this is a big game but we are disregarding the fact that they are having a bad run at the moment "

Mar 9th on the Pars Post Match...."I thought we played extremely well in the first half and if we have maybe got a break or two, we could have gone in leading at half-time."But I have to admit that we got a bit overrun after half-time when Dunfermline stepped it up a little bit. This is the problem with having lots of inexperienced young players in your side, when teams step it up - you have to respond, but we couldn't."

Mar 8th on the Pars Pre Match...."It's a tricky one.Dunfermline are a good, hard-working side like us and have been battling to get in the top six. It's a very big game for both of us, but if we win it will clinch a top-six finish."

Mar 3rd on the Dundee Post Match...."Hopefully we will be able to get the best out of him, (Andy McLaren) Sometimes I asked myself what I was doing coming back but after shouting at the referee and linesman, it's great to be back."

Mar 2nd on the Dundee Post Match..."We started the game quite well and took the lead but then we tried to play too many winning passes. All we did was hand possession back to Dundee. I think the youngsters in there showed a wee bit of naivety, although I can't fault them for effort. They have big hearts. I tried to get the message over at half time to keep the ball and make Dundee do some chasing for a change."

Mar 2nd on Gordon Marshall....."Big Gordon is a credit to both himself and to the game. He has looked after himself physically and in no way does he look 37. To me, Gordon is a winner, pure and simple. Every keeper is different and there aren't many like Gordon around. I know him well from our days at Falkirk a few years ago and, as far as I'm concerned, Gordon is still playing first-team football on merit. 'Even when I wasn't here, he was consistently playing well and he has been doing that throughout his career."

Mar 1st on the Dundee Pre Match...."I know the experienced players very well of course and some good young boys coming through as well. They had played against Hearts in Under-18 and Under-21 games. It will take a wee while for me to get to know everybody well but   Ian Durrant  knows the boys well and that has been a help now that he is involved in the coaching side of things."

Feb 28th on his Killie goals...."The infrastructure's here and there's not a lot that needs tampering with. Obviously we'll develop it as it goes on, but there's no major overhaul needed."

"There's been a lot said about clubs being bigger than others. But that's a source of motivation for us to say, 'Right, if you look at it on the park, some of these clubs that are supposed to be bigger than Killie haven't been bigger on the park'. Because Kilmarnock have been doing better than them over the last five or six years consistently. One of our board members said it must just be a case of them having a bigger following by four or five thousand that makes them the bigger club, because it's certainly not performances and achievements."

"We've all got the same aim, we're not all on different wave-lengths, we're all sharing the same cause and that's to get Kilmarnock up there challenging, making them a big club. And I'm just going to be part of that."

Feb 27th on being considered for the Killie job.... "Kilmarnock are a very good Premier League club, but it is like an umbrella when a job becomes available and many people are linked with it. After 14 years in management, you never know what is round the next corner for you. If an opportunity comes up, you have to be interested in it, but I am sure a club like Kilmarnock would attract a lot of people."