JAMES McPake is at risk of neck strain as the "crazy" Scottish Championship has him constantly looking both up and down the table.
Two fine wins against Dundee United and Morton have put the Pars a point off the promotion play-off spots but it's so tight that without those six points they'd be second bottom and facing a relegation scrap.
The Dunfermline boss has a team in form and players back from injury but, ahead of the trip to face a "desperate" Arbroath side, he's still looking over his shoulder.
McPake said: "This league is crazy. Something will happen somewhere on Saturday that you just don't expect but all we can do is take care of ourselves.
"We look up the way and see who the team ahead of us is and what the impact of our next game could be but you look the other way as well.
"It's far too tight. Genuinely the way I look at it, same as last season, is we can only affect our next game.
"All we can do is go up to Arbroath and perform on Saturday and what will be will be."
Ex-Dunfermline boss Jim McIntyre is in charge of the Gayfield team who are currently bottom of the table, nine points behind Inverness.
The last two encounters have finished 1-1 and McPake isn't expecting an easy ride.
He said: "It was a tough game at East End Park not too long ago, we drew and we drew up there earlier this season as well.
"They're in a dangerous position at the minute where they know they need to get wins and get them quickly.
"They're a team that is fighting for everything. Like every team in this league, there's always something to fight for, but when you're at the bottom it becomes more desperate.
"They'll be doing all they can to get the three points so we need to match that."
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Pars are in a far better position after back-to-back victories and the mood is good for the last six matches.
McPake said: "The boys have been great and are upbeat. Coinciding with the wins has been the return of almost everyone.
"At the minute Craig Wighton and Aaron Comrie are the only ones out, the players coming back have given the whole group a boost.
"They've been training really well.
"When you get a couple of wins, particularly the Friday night game against Dundee United, and then backing it up at Cappielow with a really assured performance, it's been a good couple of weeks."
Miles Welch-Hayes and Chris Kane were subbed at the same time against Morton - the former with an impact injury - but the boss declared both will be fine for the Arbroath match.
Kane, who netted against Ayr and then missed the next three matches, returned at Cappielow and McPake described his loan signing from St Johnstone as "crucial".
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He went on: "With Wighton being out, it was important we strengthened at the top end.
"Chris Kane is a really good striker and does a lot of good work.
"Getting him in has been a crucial bit of business in my opinion."
Rhys Breen, whose last game for the first team was on January 2, and Sam Fisher were part of a strong Pars side that won 3-1 at Hamilton on Tuesday to reach the Reserve Cup final.
Andrew Tod, Joe Chalmers, Paul Allan, Xavier Benjamin, Owen Moffat, Michael O'Halloran and Brad Holmes also started the match with Allan, Moffat and O'Halloran on the scoresheet.
They'll face Livingston in the final and McPake said: "I was impressed.
"A couple of them had asked to play. We've got three reserve games in a row so we would have utilised them anyway.
"I'm a big fan of reserve football for the ones that maybe aren't playing, the ones coming back from injury and the younger ones so it was a good mix."
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