The January transfer window can often lead to the kind of unhinged, panic-buying you’d get when the general public are informed that Brexit will mean the end of Prosecco.
Unlike the political shambles engulfing the UK, however, Kilmarnock continue to prosper through the benefits of stability and clarity. With the glistening touch of Midas, Steve Clarke has turned a team toiling at the foot of the table into title chasers.
“I don’t think you should underestimate it,” said Gary Dicker of Clarke’s influence. “The proof is in the pudding. Look at all the other teams who are down at the bottom just now? Everyone is ripping their squads apart and getting players in.
“The manager didn’t really do that here after he took over. He added two or three and was probably brave enough to work with the squad he had. Not a lot of people want to do that or back themselves to do so. That shows what a good coach and manager he is.
“I think it’s so important for us to have the manager and staff we have because it is basically the same squad that was scrapping down the bottom. If you do underestimate him then I don’t think you are the brightest.”
Saturday’s stalemate with Aberdeen may have led to Kilmarnock losing ground at the top – they are three points behind reigning champions Celtic – but if you’d told any Rugby Park regular a year or so ago that by January 2019 their team would be in the title mix, you would have been burned at the stake as a heretic.
Clarke’s experience, nous and general demeanour has brought considerable rewards to Kilmarnock and Dicker continues to savour the environment.
“It’s about being organised and knowing what he wants,” added the Irishman. “He paints a picture for you, but it is not a scatter gun picture that you might get from other people.
“Some managers will worry about a lot of other things that don’t really matter. But he’s about simplicity and good information.
“With some managers there can be too much or it goes the other way and you can get nothing from a manager; ‘we should beat them’, basically.
“The manager has a quality that a lot of people don’t. His personality probably helps. He doesn’t say a lot. The most he probably speaks is when he comes up to do the press.
“But he is not one to say something for the sake of it. It is about the right information and he gives the lads a lot of belief. That’s reflected on the sideline. I don’t think you ever see him jumping around,looking flustered and screaming about things. That approach breeds into the team.
“We had a rocky 20 minutes against Rangers and maybe other managers would have panicked and changed things. But we stayed calm and grew into the game. That comes from the staff and feeds down to the boys.”
It continues to be a true team effort. “The boys who are playing are getting all the plaudits but the lads who aren’t involved and pushing us every day have helped as much as anyone,” noted Dicker.
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