John Robertson wishes Fifers well and points club in direction of Gordon Durie

Published on Saturday 3 March 2012 04:14

IF JOHN Robertson had any form of football commitment phobia, he wouldn’t have accepted the challenge of managing East Fife – while based in Inverness – in the first place. It is further to his credit that a sacking from New Bayview this week hasn’t doused Robertson’s desire to prolong his management career at all.

East Fife’s loss at Forfar on Tuesday leaves them just a point outside the Second Division play-off places. A mitigating circumstance – if one is needed – for not being at closer promotion quarters can be found in runs to the Ramsdens and League Cup quarter-finals.

Robertson now recalls the events of this week. “I thought we were really unlucky to lose to Forfar,” the former Hearts striker said.

“We missed loads of chances and they took theirs. I had actually spoken to the board on Tuesday about getting another player in on loan.

“I was out at the theatre on Wednesday night and missed a call from the chairman. By the time I picked the message up, it was too late in the day. I rang back on Thursday to be told they wanted to freshen things up, that they felt the travelling wasn’t good for me.

“I found that strange, because I don’t see what difference another eight weeks of the season would have made. It wasn’t as if I had ever complained about travelling.”

Robertson may well have ended his association with East Fife in the summer, in any case, although he stops short of confirming that would have been the case.

“The plan was to get to the play-offs this season and re-assess from there,” he added. “And we were still in a position to reach those play-offs.

“When I took over, the team was third bottom of the league. I left them challenging for promotion, having guided East Fife to two quarter-finals including one – the League Cup – which the club hadn’t been in for more than 50 years.

“I don’t think anyone can judge my commitment. I was making six-and-a-half hour round trips, three times a week, with no ‘home’ games as such. I wanted to see that through until the end of the season.”

Robertson, then, would be forgiven a strong sense of resentment over his departure. The reality is otherwise, from a man whose football knowledge alone means he should have been worthy of greater coaching opportunity than has actually transpired.

“I am surprised, but that’s football. I definitely don’t regard this as a low,” he says. “It hasn’t put me off. In fact, being at East Fife has reignited my passion for management.

“East Fife’s fans go along every week without aspirations of winning trophies. They go and support their team, they don’t goad anyone. The loyalty there is fantastic and something supporters of SPL clubs could learn from. There is also playing talent there that full-time clubs should pay attention to.

“It was a real eye-opener on many levels, not least the fact you literally wouldn’t know your team on a matchday until everyone turned up at the ground.

“Hopefully for the sake of the players and the fans they press on and secure that play-off place. I know they can do that.”

Gordon Durie, Robertson’s assistant, has taken charge of first-team affairs for now. “That was always part of the deal, I was to try and get Gordon ready to take on the job and he is ready now,” Robertson confirmed.

“He will no doubt do his own thing and change some bits and pieces, which is only natural. Hopefully he gets an opportunity until the summer at least. If he does what he is capable of, hopefully that in turn allows him a longer run.”

Robertson has the benefit of a “day job” at the successful Inverness-based Orion Group to pass the time for now. He will also return to media work, starting at Victoria Park today as Ross County host Queen of the South.

“I think people may regard my location as a problem but I showed over the past 16 months that it isn’t insurmountable,” he insists. “And if something full-time came up, it would be easy enough to relocate. In football management, you never can tell what will happen next; Neale Cooper was relegated with Peterhead then picks up the Hartlepool job.

“I still think I have one more crack at full-time management. Whether or not I get that opportunity, I can’t dictate. The one thing you cannot determine in football is where a chance might arise.”