Cowdenbeath’s new boss Jimmy Nicholl called his players in for an extra training session last night and told them he expected them to “fight tooth and nail” to stay in the Championship.
The Fifers currently sit second bottom in the table, but Nicholl said: “It is not a dead loss. There have been some good things and there is quality in the squad, but this is a massive season for the club because what can happen at Cowdenbeath in the future all hinges on staying in this division.”
He added he would not be entertaining any passengers or players not “toeing the line”, and declared: “I am not going into the unknown and know exactly what needs to be done. We have to make sure we start getting performances and results.
“The only way to go about the job is with enthusiasm and dedication.”
With the financial considerations attached to the almost certain arrival of Rangers in Scotland’s second tier next season, Nicholl, beginning his second spell as Beath boss, said: ”We don’t want to miss out. Everyone is going to feel the benefit of Rangers in the division next season.”
The ex-Manchester United and Rangers star, who took over from Colin Cameron who resigned last Tuesday, said: “When I left Cowdenbeath in 2011 to become Kenny Shiels’ assistant at Kilmarnock we had just been relegated, and from a professional point of view I have now got the opportunity to put things right as far as I am concerned.
“I have spoken to Colin and he is all right with the situation. He has made great improvements about the place, but whatever has happened the team has lost its way recently and we have got to get to the bottom of it.
“We are conceding too many goals three times as many as the league leaders Hamilton and I will be looking for a massive effort from the players.”
Nicholl, 56, has previously been manager at Raith Rovers and Millwall as well as assistant boss with Northern Ireland and at Dunfermline, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and most recently Hibs.