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skygod

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8 hours ago, Fletch said:

It's always been known that we paid much less than we would have paid elsewhere going through MJ. It was one of the few plus points to having him here.

I'd guess the rise in costs is because MJ no longer has a guaranteed client so is charging more in line with what other companies would be charged.

He didn't need to charge full whack all the time, he was compensating with skimming players wages on the side and laying the foundations for his great escape with the hotel swag. Also a fair percentage of the legal work the club were being billed for were caused by MJ in the first place. How many claims for wrongful dismissal and accusations of bullying and sexual harassment did we have to bat away? Good job all his threats about using the name Killie didn't all make it to court.

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Maybe Clarke should pin up a copy of this in the dressing room so it reaches all of its target audience! 

 

A top table seat at a Kilmarnock AGM is usually about as comfortable a vantage point as a place in the stocks, but that is something else which Steve Clarke has managed to change upon his return to his native Ayrshire. The 54-year-old from Saltcoats was well nigh carried out of the place on Wednesday night and it wasn’t just because he has presided over just two defeats in his ten matches in charge.

It owed every bit as much to a pledge he gave in response to a question from the floor, re-iterated for public consumption as he met daily newspapers yesterday, which will surely do much to dampen the speculation which suggests he would be a plausible next port of call for a Rangers board still seeking a permanent manager after being snubbed by Derek McInnes.

“My quote was ‘it’s not my intention to leave Kilmarnock for any other Scottish club’,” said Clarke. “That’s it. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that. It’s quite clear.

“It probably says a lot about me as much as what it says about settling in here,” added the former West Bromwich Albion and Reading manager, a veteran also of countless stints as assistant manager at some of the biggest clubs in Britain. “I came here for a reason. I said at the time that a lot of different reasons fell into place at the right time. Nothing has changed that.

“I didn’t come here to leave. I came here to do a job. I came back to Scotland for Kilmarnock. It’s always hard to look too far into the future but it’s definitely not my intention to leave to go to another Scottish club. For me, it [the Rangers link] is a non-story because there is nothing in it.”

You can pick holes in anything you want – Clarke would be a plausible candidate too, of course, for the Scotland international vacancy – but there was no reason yesterday not to take this man at face value. Two home wins in a row has re-connected this club with its fanbase in a way not seen since the club’s League Cup win in March 2012. “They told me one or two stories about previous AGMs,” said Clarke. “But it was nice – a good environment. The supporters are appreciative of the efforts of the board to get me on board. They are also appreciative of the fact that the players have done so well in recent weeks. We just have to try and continue that.”

Quizzed repeatedly about the club’s top six ambitions, Clarke admits “he is a worrier” who knows how quickly things, even as apparently serenely as they are progressing, can turn. There is no better evidence than his first match in charge, the return match against Pedro Caixinha’s Rangers at Ibrox. There Kilmarnock were, staring at a last minute penalty kick which would have secured a 2-0 win for the Ibrox club, before Ryan Jack gets sent off and Jamie MacDonald saves Daniel Candeias’ effort. Before anyone knew it, Chris Burke was tapping in an injury-time equaliser at the other end and Caixinha was getting his P45. “So I’m sitting on the bench at Ibrox, first game in, thinking ‘well at least I can tell the lads that they’ve put on a really good performance and we can build on that’,” he says. “Then Jamie saves the penalty, we’re down the other end and it’s 1-1.

“The second half unfolded a little bit like I told the players it might at half-time so suddenly they’re thinking ‘that guy’s not daft’ and they’ve got a lot of confidence from the result as well. We managed to carry that on to the next game at Celtic Park and slowly, by taking small steps, we’ve managed to build ourselves into a decent run of form. All we can do is try to continue that over the weekend. But it’s just what happens in football. I watched the game on Wednesday night between Bristol City and Man United - it’s what happens in football with last minute goals and a lot of drama. Things can change very quickly in a short space of time.

“I know football,” added Clark, who downplayed transfer speculation about a move for Sebastian Bassong and Aaron Tshibola. “And I know that as soon as you get complacent, relax a little bit and start to dream about going up the way, it can quickly bite you on the backside. There’s not one team this year that you are looking at and thinking ‘they’re gone’. In this league, with three games this week, the whole picture can change. Until we are far enough away from the bottom of the table to stop worrying about that then I won’t think about how far up the table we can actually finish.”

Clarke and Saturday’s opposite number Graeme Murty are both revered in Reading but their paths have never crossed. “I don’t know Graeme but obviously I know his reputation and what he is about,” he said. “I know he did very well at Reading and he’s doing ok at Rangers as well, he’s gone in there and steadied the ship quite well. I look forward to catching up with him at the weekend.”

(Herald)

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Steve Clarke has looked to kill off mounting speculation of a quick switch to Rangers by insisting his future lies at Kilmarnock.

The former West Brom manager has transformed the fortunes of the Rugby Park club since taking charge in October, winning four and drawing four of the ten matches played.

With Rangers yet to find a long-term replacement for Pedro Caixinha, the vastly experienced 54-year-old is aware that his name has been linked with the post.

But Clarke, whose side entertain Graeme Murty's men tomorrow, insists he won't be breaking his three-year contract to move to Ibrox — or indeed anywhere else in Scottish football.

Asked to confirm suggestions he had clarified the matter at Thursday's annual general meeting, Clarke stated: 'My quote is: 'It's not my intention to leave Kilmarnock for any other Scottish club'. That's it. I don't think I need to elaborate on that. It's quite clear.

'It probably says a lot about me as much as what it says about settling in here. I came here for a reason. I said at the time that a lot of different reasons fell into place at the right time. Nothing has changed that. I didn't come here to leave. I came here to do a job.

'I came back to Scotland for Kilmarnock. It's always hard to look too far into the future but it's definitely not my intention to leave to go to another Scottish club.'

Now sitting eighth and just two points off the top six, Killie's upsurge in form has left many supporters revisiting their hopes for the season.

Eyeing a festive programme that encompasses Rangers, Hamilton and Hibernian, however, Clarke is adamant that securing the safety of the club remains his priority.

'I don't think you should ever lose sight of what the original goal was,' he added.

'I know football. And I know that as soon as you get complacent, relax a little bit and start to dream about going up the way, it can quickly bite you on the backside.

'You can quickly find yourself back in the dog fight. Credit to all the teams that are down there.

'It looked like Partick might get cut adrift but they produced a great win against Motherwell. Ross County are down there just now but historically they always do well in the January window and get one or two players in.

'We have to be careful of that. Dundee looked like they were going to get cut adrift but they had a marvellous run and are back involved.

'So there's not one team this year that you are looking at and thinking: 'They' re gone'. Maybe teams were looking at Kilmarnock earlier in the season and thinking that but look at where we are.

'In this league, with three games this week, the whole picture can change. There's nine points up for grabs. All the teams I'd say from Hearts down will all be thinking they need to pick up points this week and we are no exception.

'Until we are far enough away from the bottom of the table to stop worrying about that — because I'm a bit of a worrier — then I won't think about how far up the table we can actually finish.

'We've done it short term but we haven't done it long term.'

Clarke has already recruited former West Brom and Norwich midfielder Youssouf Malumbu but he insists a move for his Carrow Road team-mate Sebastien Bassong won't materialise.

'He came up as a friend of Yousseff's,' Clarke explained. 'He spent a couple of days with him and did two days' training then he went home. I haven't heard from him since.'

The Kilmarnock boss also poured cold water on suggestions of a move for Aston Villa midfielder Aaron Tshibola.

'He moved for £5million and is on a hell of a lot of money at Aston Villa, so he's probably just a bit outside our wage bracket,' he added.

Clarke offered his support to former Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson after it emerged the 1997 Scottish Cup winning manager has been receiving treatment for cancer.

'I didn't really come up against Bobby. I think he might have phoned me once about a player we had at Chelsea,' he said. 'Obviously, it's not nice when you hear somebody is fighting cancer and hopefully recovering very well so I'd just like to send him my best wishes from everyone here at Kilmarnock.'

(Daily Mail)

I don't know how many different spellings I've seen of Mulumbu's first name (I think it's Youssouf).

 

 

Edited by skygod
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2 hours ago, skygod said:

Clarke offered his support to former Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson after it emerged the 1997 Scottish Cup winning manager has been receiving treatment for cancer.

'I didn't really come up against Bobby. I think he might have phoned me once about a player we had at Chelsea,' he said. 'Obviously, it's not nice when you hear somebody is fighting cancer and hopefully recovering very well so I'd just like to send him my best wishes from everyone here at Kilmarnock.'

Very nice sentiment

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i would like us to fight fire with fire on these things. Leak a story about one of their players signing for us because he wants a team with history. Theymake up stuff about us pre-games we should do the same back. With online media something could easily garner attention. Dont waste a second talking about their made rumours of SC and JJ. Just talk up our story. they are horrible new club that want everything in their favour.

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This man is currently doing absolutely no wrong. Long may it continue. This next couple of years has the potential to define the next decade of the club - a reasonable level of success on the pitch (top 6 would be amazing, maybe a wee cup run or two), some youth coming through and being sold on to greater things and total club/board engagement with the fans.

We are the cusp of something really, really good. Exciting times!

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