FLYING SOLO
Modern-day managers are & tested by criticism, focus spotlight ..everyone is an expert and it’s so different from when I first started. It can be lonely job and it’s why I have such a regard for my fellow bosses
DEREK McINNES knew he was putting his career on the line by taking over as Kilmarnock manager.
After cementing his place as one of Scotland’s top gaffers for almost a decade at Aberdeen, it was a gamble.
But boy, has it paid off for him. The Ayrshire club were fourth in the Championship when he got there.
Two and a half years later, they’re fourth in the Premiership and heading for Europe.
If the Killie gaffer took a big risk in January 2022, he’s now reaping the rewards.
And it’s not just his team getting plaudits.
Tonight in Glasgow, McInnes will be crowned the William Hill Scott ish Footbal l Wr iters Association Manager of the Year.
And given the journey he’s been on since arriving at Rugby Park, it’s no wonder the 52-year- old feels a sense of personal achievement.
Killie were toiling when he replaced Tommy Wright in the second tier.
But McInnes’ ability to build a side and get the best out of it should never be doubted.
Not now.
His methods are tried and tested. He puts trust in players who repay him with results.
And having secured a Europa League spot for Ki lmarnock this term, McInnes more than deserves the accolade, beating Philippe Clement, Tony Docherty and John McGlynn to the prize.
In an honest interview, McInnes talked about:
The fears he had when he took on the Killie job.
The inf luence of the late Walter Smith.
The ambitions he still has to manage at the highest level.
Why he believes Scotland’s gaffers should have a bigger say in the running of our game.
After picking up the SFWA award for only the second time – he last won it 10 years ago – McInnes said: “I’m thrilled.
“Any recognition at the end of a season is indicative of good work done at a club.
“And I’m totally appreciative of how tough a job it is for us as managers.
“You get tested by criticism, focus and spotlight now.
“Everyone’s an expert and it’s different from when I first started in the job.
“There are far more issues and challenges so I have such high regard for my fellow managers.
“I know how it feels when you’re not winning and searching for results. It can be a lonely place sometimes as a manager.
“I can relate now to what Walter once told me about when he went to Everton.
“He thought he did his best work there because he was fire fighting and trying to plug holes.
“He had to do so much just to keep his head above water.
“And he was getting awards like this all the time in Scotland with Rangers.
“He thought the job was easier at times during that period – and I know what he means by that.
“A m I a better manager than I was last season? No.
“But my team have been better. The way we work has been better, our recruitment has been better and my staff have been unbelievable.” Killie were get t ing bogged down in Championship mediocrity when McInnes took the job on.
And given what he’d achieved at Pittodrie before, he was aware that if he wasn’t successful, his reputation was in danger of being tar n ished . Ul t imately, a confidence in his managerial ability ensured that wouldn’t be the case. He said: “I didn’t apply for the job.
“I hadn’t g iven it a thought which, with h inds i g ht now, I ask myself why not? Of course, there was an element of risk but it cuts both ways. For the club and also for myself.
“I’ve always been protective of my career. I ask myself if I’ve made the right decisions.
“I was offered a job 10 days after leaving Aberdeen in England at a decent club. But I rejected it because I felt I needed a break.
“When I had the conversation with Kilmarnock I felt there was a big job here.
“There was no certainty that we’d get up and the club were in a poor state.
“We were fourth in the Championship and couldn’t win at home. We were struggling.
“So it was far from straightforward. Was there a risk on my part? 100 per cent.
“But I weighed everything up and you don’t just work for a club, it’s the people within it.
“I saw a chance for quick gains if I could get the whole thing
Am I better than last season? No .. but there’s unity here. We’re a real credible club again DEREK MCINNES SAYS HIS
KILLIE GAMBLE HAS PAID OFF
moving.
Now , two years on, if we’d said we’d be where we are – it would have been brilliant.
“I t shows there’s a lot of unity here. I feel l ike we’re a real credible club again.
“We were a million miles away from that when I came in but, thankfully, it worked out.”
And not just for Killie, but for McInnes as well.
The success he’s had at Rugby Park will undoubtedly be of interest to potential suitors.
Hibs are without a manager currently and the last guy to perform miracles in Ayrshire ended up with the Scotland gig. McInnes couldn’t be more content where he is. But there’s still a burning desire within him to manage at the very top.
He said: “There’s certain things I would like to do and certain jobs I would love to have, to experience.
“Sometimes you need to have a plan for yourself.
“It’s the same in any walk of life – where do you see yourself in two, five, 10 years?
“I feel like I still have loads to do and the enthusiasm is there.
“I take my son, Harry, to work every morning in Cambuslang.
“I drop him off then I can’t wait to get to work. I want it to be the same for my players – for them to bounce in and enjoy being here.
“Never to be in a rush to leave. That’s where I’m at. By the same token, the motivation to rinse everything I can out of my managerial career is there.
“It’s sometimes folly to look too far ahead and see what’s next.
“But if you’re going well and getting recognised, good things normally happen and then you get decisions to make.
“Hopefully in the future, there will be some decisions to make.” Meantime, McInnes will continue to excel at Killie.
He believes Scottish gaffers still have plenty to offer, especially in their own country.
And he wants to see them get together more regularly – and have a bigger say on our game.
McInnes said: “If clubs don’t want a Scottish manager and decide to go their own way, that’s their call.
“They live and die with the consequences of that.
“But we’ve got a lot of good managers and coaches.
“Scottish managers sometimes underplay themselves a wee bit.
“Maybe that’s human nature, people don’t want to get carried away with themselves.
“But I would like us all to be closer. We get together maybe once a year to discuss things.
“The only other time we see each other is at games.
“I think managers should be getting together a lot more and having far more inf luence on decisions that are made in Scottish football.”