Kilmarnock have enjoyed an exceptional turnaround since Steve Clarke took over the reins at the Ayrshire club in October last year.
After enjoying spells in charge of West Bromwich and Reading, the 54-year-old used his extensive contacts and years of experience to bring both stability and quality to Kilmarnock and improved what was already there.
Every week or so someone – whether it be a former professional, a current manager or the media – is talking up the job that Clarke has done at the Ayrshire club.
No one can undermine his role in the turnaround of the club, taking the club from relegation battles to assured top finishers, started an unbeaten run that extended into March, won Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month three times since December, reignited a long lost spark among supporters which had lain dormant in the previous few seasons before his arrival…
The list is endless. But perhaps the most impressive thing is that he managed to achieve all of this with mostly the same group of players he inherited from Lee McCulloch eight months ago.
With the exception of the occasional good signing like Youssouf Mulumbu, Clarke managed to take a struggling, unimpressive squad and turned it into one that can prove to be an impressive, pressing challenge to some of the country’s top teams.
Here are five players who have massively improved under the leadership of the former Chelsea defender.
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd is undoubtedly the biggest, and most impressive, transformation. Having been a regular first team player for two seasons, he was beginning to turn into the older player that’s hanging about waiting on a chance.
However, he has completely galvanised under Clarke. This season Boyd has scored a massive 23 goals, which is more than his total from his previous two league seasons. Last season he netted only 8 goals and the season before it was 7. Clarke has brought out the form he’s shown previously before his ill-advised return to Rangers.
But he’s not just finding the net more; he’s contributing to the game more as well. He’s helping in the attack even when he doesn’t score, creating more space for others and pressing defenders.
Alan Power
Unlike Boyd, Allan Power wasn’t a regular first team player. Instead, he has been slowly adjusting to Scottish football. When he first arrived he wasn’t great for Killie and came across as completely out of his depth even against League One Ayr United.
It’s hard to say exactly what came over him under Clarke, but whatever Clarke did it worked. Power turned from a player that seemed borderline incompetent to a midfielder sustained spell in the early winter months where he was basically Killie’s man of the match in every game.
Rory MacKenzie
Another midfielder who has been reinvented under Clarke. Rory MacKenzie has always been a player with good pace, but what he lacked before Clark was discipline, tight control and a strong hold on the ball and never managed to influence the game much.
Now, Clarke has trained him to use his stamina and work rate and channel it into his performance. In doing so he has better control and can really put his worth into the team, making it to the starting XI for most of Killie’s tougher games.
Lee Erwin
Lee Erwin’s story under Clarke shows not only Clarke’s ability to manage a team but also how he harnesses and looks after his talent and players. It’s not hard to see that at the start if the season Erwin wasn’t the clubs best striker, and if Clarke wanted to, he could have easily got rid of him during the January transfer window to bring in a better striker that was more his style.
But he didn’t.
The former Motherwell striker’s confidence has been damaged after a particular difficult spell down south, and Clarke has spent much time building that back up again and showing him the player he can be. Erwin’s recent performances show that is strong, dynamic and capable of scoring goals. Under the right management from Clarke, he is progressively returning to the player he used to be at Motherwell.
Eamonn Brophy
During his time at Hamilton, Eamonn Brophy came across as one of those players who had good individual skillsets and would be a good prospect, but struggled putting everything it all together on the pitch.
Clarke has transformed him into a ruthless finisher who is also an excellent link-man with midfielders and his attacking partner. He’s regularly in the middle of things and is far from being the attacker who looked as though he wasn’t sure how to influence play.
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