PAYBACK TIME AS CLARKE STEADIES THE KILLIE SHIP
From stormy waters to a place of relative calm, Killie can now look on with pride as Clarke steadies the ship
PUSHING the boat out was never a problem for too many Scottish clubs. The difficulty arose when dry land quickly disappeared from view and the vessels soon began taking in water.
Petrified of being the next institution to slide into insolvency, many others resolved to look upon every penny as a prisoner. In one sense, you can hardly blame them.
There remains, though, a compelling case to be made for throwing a little caution to the wind when it comes to investing in the most important person at the football club — namely the manager.
Celtic and Aberdeen, to name but two, are tightly run ships. Yet it’s no coincidence that a recognition at boardroom level of the snowball effect of hiring and retaining managers of pedigree has resulted in ongoing success at both.
Kilmarnock have belatedly woken up to the fact the appointment of a top-class manager isn’t so much an indulgence as imperative if you are serious about elevating the various facets of a club to a new level.
No harm to Gary Locke, Lee Clark, Lee McCulloch et al but securing a man in Steve Clarke who helped crown Chelsea as Champions League winners was simply a significant step up in quality.
If it goes without saying that Billy Bowie, the club owner, won’t be paying his manager in empty lemonade bottles, that significant investment is already reaping handsome rewards in terms of an improved league placing and the gradual return of supporters
‘Let’s be honest, you aren’t getting Youssouf Mulumbu or the boy from Aston Villa (Aaron Tshibola) unless Steve Clarke is the manager,’ former Killie stalwart Garry Hay told Sportsmail.
‘That’s what he gives a club — a status. Just him being there allows them to push the boat out and get those one or two quality players who can make the difference to the rest of the boys.
‘By getting a top manager, so much has fallen into place. The board deserve big credit for that. It’s certainly worked and I’m sure it will continue to work for as long as he’s there.’
If there was a prize for the most improved club in the country over the course of a season, Clarke would already be clearing a place on his mantelpiece. In eight league games before he took charge, just three points were gathered. They have subsequently taken 23 points from 14 matches since his arrival.
Somerset Park last July 14 might as well have been a century ago, so distant does it seem now.
Killie lost to Ayr United in the Betfred Cup that night and most supporters immediately braced themselves for another gruelling campaign.
‘I actually still felt optimistic,’ insisted Hay. ‘I thought big Lee had recruited well by getting the likes of Kirk Broadfoot and Stephen O’Donnell in.
‘In those early games, any team is still finding its way. But obviously eight games into the season you’re worried that the team hasn’t managed to get the results they needed.’
By the time McCulloch quit at the end of September, Killie had been knocked out of the Betfred Cup and had taken just three draws from eight games. It’s no exaggeration to say they were a club in freefall.
To arrest the decline would have been laudable enough. To turn the team into one of the form sides in the country has been akin to a miracle.
‘I didn’t think the turnaround would be quite so dramatic,’ admitted Hay. ‘In the first eight games of the season, they really struggled.
‘What’s happened since he came in has been unbelievable. He has obviously added a bit of quality into the squad. Youssouf Mulumbu was outstanding at the weekend and has been in most of the games I’ve seen.
‘He just takes the team up a level with his quality. Clarke has done a fantastic job.’
Speak to anyone involved in this quiet revolution and there’s a recurring theme. Not one of Clarke’s charges is being blinded by science. Square pegs have been placed in square holes. The remit of all is clear and grounded in common sense.
‘The players have responded to him. Essentially that’s what’s happened,’ said Hay.
‘If you get a fairly simple message, then it’s more likely to work.
‘If you know your job and what’s expected of you from the manager, that’s half the battle.
‘If you can help your team-mate out at the same time now and again, invariably results will go your way.
‘There’s not much difference between a lot of the teams. Sometimes simple organisation and structure can go a long way.’ It’s no exaggeration to say that Saturday’s 1-0 win over Celtic was a tactical masterclass from Clarke.
Sizing up the opposition and formulating a plan is one thing, though. Having the trust of players who will execute it is another matter altogether. ‘I went at the weekend and I felt the win was well deserved,’ said Hay.
‘Celtic had plenty of the ball but they didn’t do much with it.
‘Kilmarnock defended brilliantly. They didn’t counter too well in the first half but in the second they were much better. Jamie MacDonald had two saves to make in the game.
‘The players all showed good patience, as well. Sometimes when you are sitting deep and rarely getting out of your own half, it’s easy to lose your discipline and you maybe go that extra two or three yards and, all of a sudden, the opposition are in behind you. That didn’t happen on Saturday.’
After years of off-field squabbling and the spirit being sapped, Scotland’s oldest professional club is finally standing tall again. With five straight home wins, Rugby Park has again become a place where others fear to tread.
Amid the jubilation, though, a fear inevitably lurks. Will Clarke inevitably outgrow the place before he has even completed a full campaign?
‘It’s the price of success, isn’t it?’ added Hay. ‘The impact he has made is going to get people talking about bigger jobs.
‘It’s just the nature of the beast. But he certainly seems happy. Hopefully he’ll stay in the longer term and not just the rest of this season.
‘It would be great if they could build on this.’