Del breaks stalemate
QoS v KILMARNOCK Hendry says new boss has refreshed Killie
CALLUM HENDRY insists Derek McInnes is the perfect man to breathe life into Kilmarnock’s title challenge after claiming it had gone stale under Tommy Wright.
Killie landed the former Aberdeen boss on an 18-month contract this week and Hendry admits he’s brought the “wow” factor to the dressing room.
The striker knows his new boss well having been on loan at Pittodrie from St Johnstone a year ago.
He can’t wait for the new era to start for real when Killie visit Queen of the South today.
Hendry said: “It is a big statement from Kilmarnock to bring the gaffer in. It brought the wow factor to the dressing room. All the boys came up to me straight away and said: ‘What’s he like?’
“I don’t think we quite expected it, but you can see from training that all the boys are at it.
“It’s been an eye-opener in training, a lot more intense than I’ve seen it.
“The gaffer has come in and spoken to all of us, we had a meeting on Thursday morning, and now everyone is ready to start picking up some results and getting up and running.
“I think it is the best thing for us really.
“We just became a bit stale. When Tommy brought me in I was excited and I looked forward to it, I have no respect lost for Tommy, I think he is a great man and a great manager, but it went a bit stale and something needed to change.
“Everyone is on a high now, everyone is wanting to impress, everyone is wanting to do well again. Hopefully we get a bit of form.”
McInnes has taken long-standing sidekick Tony Docherty and former Pittodrie coach Paul Sheerin with him to Rugby Park.
Hendry, who scored four goals on loan at the Dons last season and has five to his name from 13 appearances at Killie, reckons the trio’s demands on the training ground are the secret to their success.
The 24-year-old said: “When I found out he got the job I knew he, Tony Doc and Peanut would all come in and want training intensity to be at 100 miles and hour. “He made it clear that even if you are not in the team one week, he wants everyone at it every day. I knew he would come with his demands and it’s good for us. “His man management is really
good.
He is really good at getting the best out of his players.
“If you are not in the team, you are the first to know about it. There are no secrets, everyone who plays for him feels comfortable to go and knock on his door.
“The training tempo is the best it’s been for a while. He gets the best out of everyone at the same time and that’s why he has been successful. McInnes was a team-mate of Hendry’s dad Colin at Rangers and the striker admits that connection helped ease him into life at Aberdeen. He was only seven games in when McInnes’ eight-year reign at Pittodrie was brought to an end and he’s desperate to pick up where he left off with his own future up in the air. Killie sit fourth in the table, five points behind leaders Arbroath with a game in hand, and Hendry knows firing them to promotion would help his chances of a permanent deal. He said: “It’s nice to know there’s a connection there. Dad said it was an impressive appointment. He just said to me to make sure I do what I did at Aberdeen. “I’m out of contract at St Johnstone at the end of the season so I’m open. “I need to keep myself in the team and keep scoring goals and keep playing well. As long as I work hard and keep doing that it will take care of itself.”