RELEASE THE PRESSURE
Donati delighted to assist Alessio as Killie’s Italian connection strive to maintain standards set by former boss Clarke
WHEN Ally McCoist was confirmed to be replacing Walter Smith as Rangers manager, he likened the challenge of following in such esteemed footsteps to taking the microphone from Frank Sinatra. All of 52 days after Steve Clarke’s serenading of an adoring Kilmarnock audience with a swansong speech sincere, emotional and striking all of the right notes, an assignment similarly unenviable in the extreme commenced for real.
The stage was Rhyl’s ragged Belle Vue ground on the north coast of Wales, the occasion a Europa League first qualifying round and the scope for slipping up on opening night considerable against a combative — and frequently crude — Connah’s Quay crew.
Long term, Angelo Alessio’s task of improving on the ridiculous success inspired by Clarke at Kilmarnock throughout 20 months of consistently high achievement is surely a mission impossible.
Sustaining it by holding off Aberdeen, Hibernian or Hearts for any longer is an arduous enough request.
Regime change is rarely a footballer’s friend when an uncomplicated working environment such as Clarke’s helped contribute to a period so
enjoyable and fruitful. It doesn’t take much for discontent to grow if results don’t usher through an easy early buy-in.
For nagging concerns to mount that not enough pre-season time was devoted to fitness work, that it was too much about shape and not sufficient sweat.
For scrutiny to be shone on the methods of Antonio Conte’s former right-hand man if the transition proves tricky in today’s rush-tojudgment culture.
For one high-profile departure to trigger several others as Killie inevitably become victims of their success under Clarke and have their best, most-improved players picked off by clubs with greater resources offering bigger wages.
What was key to cutting some immediate threats off at the pass was avoiding the trap set by Andy Morrison’s Nomads.
Against obdurate part-time Welsh opponents, there were no such worries thanks to Thursday’s deserved 2-1 victory.
Stuart Findlay’s headed winner in added-time stopped any awkward questions about how a new order was bedding in. And there were no stamina doubts following a twogame pre-season in Spain as Killie confidently snapped back at Greg Taylor’s 75th-minute own goal.
There has, predictably, been further backroom upheaval since Alessio was unveiled in the middle of last month as the left-field and ambitious appointment to replace Clarke.
Ex-Lazio goalkeeping coach Marco Garofalo has been recruited, with Billy Thomson shunted to work with the Under-20s. In a move that should at least help veteran winger Chris Burke avoid suffering full-on flashbacks to Paul le Guen’s pitiful period at Rangers, Kilmarnock have a coaching go-between in former Celtic and Hamilton midfielder Massimo Donati and a nod to the Clarke era in retaining the well-liked Alex Dyer.
Speaking pitchside after the debut dramas for his colleague and countryman Alessio, Donati stressed that the new boss has been all too aware of the need to preserve the core qualities of a winning formula while attempting to open up the playbook to take in his desire for a more expansive outlook.
‘It’s just a different style of approaching the games,’ said Donati. The idea of football we have is very good and it is normal that you need time for players to understand the way the gaffer wants to play.
‘I like that way, but the gaffer knows the most important thing is that the players play angry, like last season, and to the same level. After such a great season, the one after is always risky.
‘The fear is maybe you will go down — because you think you are good. But this group of players are fantastic about this. We can tell that from their attitude in training every day. At the moment, we are very happy about that.’
Donati’s role currently takes in the job of translator in addition to his coaching work.
He broke away from his warmdown duties with the Kilmarnock substitutes to join Alessio in the makeshift media room on Thursday night, stepping in when required to nurse the manager through the post-match inquest.
The former AC Milan midfielder explained: ‘It’s a bit of a problem, the language, but not a big one. Angelo is learning. He already knows the key words on the pitch.
‘I speak English with him as well because if he has just English around him, he will learn quicker. If he just speaks Italian, he will not learn a lot.’
Kilmarnock’s return to European club competition after an 18-year absence was a road trip.
Under Bobby Williamson, the club qualified four times in five years and their continental quests took them to the likes of Nice.
However, in the clingy rain of Rhyl, the Alessio reign faced the fortitude of two banks of four used by
I speak with him in English to try and help him learn the language sooner
Connah’s Quay in carving out a 0-0 draw against Aberdeen in a friendly a week earlier. The Welsh side were bidding for the same outcome, or better, in the Europa tie.
And, for all that it was a slog and Killie’s flair players were victims of multiple meaty challenges, the goals their endeavours merited arrived as the sun broke through on the 800 travelling fans, whose research on booking up for Belgrade doesn’t seem so presumptuous now.
When Burke was fouled in the box 10 minutes from time with Killie trailing, Eamonn Brophy drew on his impressive previous for pressure penalties. He had fired Killie into third place with almost the last kick of the season, a penalty against Rangers, to secure a 2-1 win on Clarke’s fond farewell.
Donati was pleased that Brophy’s prowess had not diminished since their time together as team-mates at Hamilton.
The striker did not make the breakthrough while Donati featured for Accies but was picked up for a pittance by Lee McCulloch at Killlie, blossomed under Clarke into a Scotland international and now has an intriguing Italian influence to effect his game at the age of 23.
‘Eamonn still has the same powerful shot I remember from a couple of years ago — left foot, right foot, it’s great to see,’ said Donati.
‘He’s a big talent. He concentrates because he knows he has such good potential but that he still has to work very hard every day.’