ATHLETIC manager James McPake says he is happy with the squad at his disposal but believes having an additional month to recruit is helpful.

The January transfer window closed at midnight on Tuesday and ended with no new players arriving at KDM Group East End Park.

In the hours before the deadline, Dunfermline were linked with a loan move for former captain Euan Murray, who was also said to be interesting Falkirk, having worked previously with their manager, John McGlynn, at Raith Rovers.

Centre back Murray, 29, made 44 appearances for the Pars in two seasons with the club before departing for Kilmarnock, who he helped win the Scottish Championship title last term.

He is currently with English League Two outfit Hartlepool United, and McPake, speaking to Press Sport before the window closed on Tuesday, said he was unaware of reports linking him with a move for the player.

With Sam Fisher having been recalled from his loan by parent club Dundee prior to the recent Scottish Cup tie at Partick Thistle, central defence may be an area McPake is looking to strengthen.

Although Dunfermline were the only side in League One not to recruit a player in January, their boss did say that they “have been working on a few things for a while”, and that there could be movement this month, or in terms of securing players to join in the summer.

Clubs outwith the Scottish Premiership can still sign players on loan during February and McPake, who also didn’t envisage any player departing the club, said: "I could never really remember if I’ve had that before, whether it’s been in the Championship or not. Obviously, it happened at Dunfermline earlier this season, but, normally, you try and be on the front foot.

“It does help in terms of other clubs, and the Premiership clubs hold a lot of the aces when it comes to putting players on loan, because they’re their players, and they can see how their squad is come midnight (on deadline day).

“I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

“I think that’s the situation a lot of clubs will find themselves in, where they’re waiting on a club that’s maybe moved a player, trying to bring a target in, or moved a player because they’ve done really well, and they want to get in players that can help them at the other end.

“You just need to wait and see.”

When asked how he finds transfer deadline day as a manager, McPake, who made such a move from Livingston to Coventry City as a player, continued: “It doesn’t bother me.

“I think, as a player, I moved once on deadline day. That was exciting but, as a manager, or certainly the way we’ve done it, is we’ve tried to get players in, whether it be this window or the last window, and tried to do it over the period.

“We’ve got our targets identified, so nothing really pops up that surprises you really.

“We’re happy with the squad. Like I’ve said all the time, we are always looking to see what we can bring in to help us.

“That doesn’t change, whether it’s the last day in January, or the last day in November. We’re always looking at targets, and there’s a lot of work goes on in the background to do that.

“As a manager, I think that’s the key point. All these things go on in the background, but our job is to prepare a team, and that’s what we’ve been doing.

“The main focus daily is on that and then, later on in the afternoons, with your scouts, your analysts, that’s when you can sit down and go over stuff like that.

“Whether you’re in a transfer window or not, or down to the last week of a transfer window, it doesn’t really get in the way of anything else that’s ongoing in the background because the main focus is getting a team ready for a Saturday.”

McPake added that midfielder Paul Allan is stepping up his recovery after undergoing surgery in November for a stress fracture in his foot, which has kept him out since August

He has started treadmill running, and McPake said: “It’s good to see him getting to the end point of his rehab, and he’ll be a very welcome addition to the squad when he’s back.”