THIS is a story of artists and soldiers.
It was July 2011 and Kenny Shiels was sitting in the lobby of The Lodge Hotel in Coleraine as he outlined his plans for the season in his own unique manner. His Kilmarnock squad had been decimated over the summer and he was looking for a mix of craft and graft as he began the rebuilding process.
Loquacious as ever, Shiels had recently been made permanent manager at Rugby Park following Mixu Paatelainen's departure and covered myriad topics as he previewed the forthcoming campaign. Words such as "philosophy", "principles" and "entertainment" were prominent in his statement of intent. "Every good team needs a mix of artists and soldiers," he said, memorably.
Days earlier, at Belfast's Windsor Park, Shiels sat with local journalists for almost 40 minutes and spoke with great passion about wanting to give the people of Kilmarnock "a team they can be proud of". He has already managed that.
The origins of Kilmarnock's historic Scottish Communities League Cup triumph can be traced back to that six-day Northern Ireland trip. It was designed to boost fitness, integrate new signings and allow a new-look team to gel. "We have everything we need here, it's a perfect setting," said Shiels, as he savoured a happy homecoming to his native land.
Kilmarnock won two and drew one of their three games against Linfield, Ballymena United and Coleraine. Key players Mehdi Taouil and Alexei Eremenko had departed, but with new signings like Gary Harkins and Paul Heffernan fitting in seamlessly, they did not look like a side who would struggle in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. Expansive and inventive, Kilmarnock immediately impressed.
"We have lost a lot of quality but we have tried to replace the players as best we can," said Shiels at the time. "There are a lot of changes in the squad but we believe we have added good quality.
"It might take a little while to gel but we are committed to playing the right way and entertaining. We are trying to install a certain philosophy at this club and all the players we have signed fit in to this style."
Harkins, immense against Celtic on Sunday, shone immediately after completing a move from Dundee. Shiels knew that by giving Harkins a roving role behind the attack, he would get the best out of the gifted playmaker. "Gary fits like a glove into our system," was the Kilmarnock manager's early verdict. James Fowler went a step further and christened Harkins 'Zizou' – claiming his balding pate made him a dead-ringer for Zinedine Zidane.
Heffernan, a tireless presence in attack for Kilmarnock in Sunday's final, was immediately seduced by Shiels' outlook on the game. "Sexy football is one way to describe our style," he said, smiling. "The manager always encourages us to get the ball down and play passes. The challenge for us is to turn that into winning football." That has already been achieved.
Camaraderie among the new group was immediately evident. The experienced James Fowler, at the start of his testimonial season, Garry Hay and Manuel Pascali took on responsibility to help ease summer signings into the new environment. The Italian, who missed the League Cup final through injury, relished his new role as captain. "It is a huge honour and I am up for the challenge," he said.
A 3-1 win over Linfield was followed by a 0-0 draw with Ballymena. When Shiels said: "It wasn't about penetration tonight, it was about getting it right in the first third," he basically admitted he did not care that his side failed to score. That seemed an outlandish statement at the time, yet it was part of a bigger plan. He wanted his team to always play short from the back, and used the fixture to hone this risky strategy. The fruits of that labour could be seen at Hampden.
Penetration was in evidence as Kilmarnock beat Coleraine 2-0 in their final game of the tour. Afterwards, the players were able to relax with a well-earned Saturday night team meal and light refreshment, but you sensed there was no chance of any drunken shenanigans. A real focus was evident among the group from the start.
With a successful trip over, Shiels' preparatory work was almost done. Some players would depart and others, most notably his son, Dean, would arrive, but the foundations had been laid for a season that will become a part of Kilmarnock folklore.
As he left his homeland and sailed back over the Irish Sea towards Troon, Shiels approached the new season with typical enthusiasm and confidence. His main aim was for a top-six finish in the league, but only in his wildest dreams would he have envisaged Hampden glory. Sometimes dreams come true, though.
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