Upturn under Clarke is no surprise to Dicker
WHEN Kilmarnock midfielder Gary Dicker last felt this much belief in a managerial appointment, he ended up with a league winner’s medal in his possession. This time, Dicker will take his side’s remarkable rise under Steve Clarke as a reward in its own right. Saturday’s comeback success against Rangers made it 13 points from the last 15 for Kilmarnock ahead of tonight’s trip to Hamilton. You might think this excellent form had caused some surprise within a squad that managed only three points from eight games prior to Lee McCulloch’s sacking. Dicker, though, was convinced about the future from his very first meeting with Clarke. ‘I felt it from day one, the day he walked in,’ said the Irishman. ‘I’ve only ever really had that feeling at my previous clubs once before, when Gus Poyet came to Brighton. ‘He steadied the ship the first four months and we won the league (England’s League One) the year after, so you can’t underestimate the role of a manager at a club. ‘You just get a feeling in football. Someone comes in and gives everyone a lift. ‘The standards were sky high. It’s not complicated. As players, we know our roles and what the manager expects. ‘That is what being a good manager is about and we are so lucky to have a manager like this. ‘I was delighted when he came in because right away you know you are going to learn something and enjoy working for him. The proof is on the pitch and in the results. ‘But football changes quickly. Everyone knows that and no one is getting carried away. ‘We’re on a good run, probably the best run since I’ve been here, but we just look at Hamilton. We have two games left before the break and it’s about getting points.’ Dicker’s midfield partnership with Youssouf Mulumbu was a foundation stone of the win over Rangers. The former West Brom player has arrived in Ayrshire without any airs or graces. ‘Youssouf is brilliant,’ added Dicker. ‘You don’t play in the Premier League and have the career that he has had without being good. ‘We laugh when he says he isn’t fit yet. You think: “What’ll you be like when you are fit, mate?” ‘It’s brilliant as he’s also one of the lads. He’s down to earth and does his talking on the pitch.’