Q&A: Why former West Brom and Aston Villa coach Steve Clarke is doing the business at Kilmarnock

Helping lead Albion to an eighth placed finish in 2013, Clarke was highly thought of at The Hawthorns before he was sacked the next season after a run of nine wins in over 40 Premier League games.

He then headed to Reading for a season before linking up with Roberto Di Matteo at Villa Park.

Yet, following the arrival of Bruce, Clarke was not kept on at B6, and a year later - took on the hot-seat at Kilmarnock, and has helped lift them from bottom of the Scottish Premier League table to the lofty heights of fifth place, recording wins over Celtic and Rangers in the process.

But how has the former Baggies boss and Villa coach found success north of the border? Luke Hatfield spoke with Mark McDougall of the Daily Record and Scottish football expert Stuart Hodge to find out...

We've seen Killie beat the likes of Rangers recently and fly up the league table, since taking over how has Steve Clarke got on?

MM: Since joining it has been an incredible turnaround for Kilmarnock. Steve Clarke took over when Killie looked destined to be relegated. They couldn't buy a win, their summer signings were struggling and it was going from bad to worse for them.

If the league had started when Clarke took over, Killie would be second in the table and just three points behind Celtic. It's an incredible run they've been on and Clarke has arguably been the manager of the year. They've beaten Rangers twice since Clarke took over, as well as getting a draw at Ibrox in his first game in charge. They've also earned a point at Celtic Park and beat Celtic at Rugby Park in February.

Probably the biggest thing is he's managed to get Kris Boyd firing on all cylinders again. Boyd was on his way out, he's spoken about how he was considering ending his career before Clarke took over but since he came in Boyd has been on fire. He's the top scoring player in the Premiership and back to his very best and that's all down to Clarke.

SH: Steve Clarke has transformed Killie from a side which has been feeling fairly glum about itself for a few years now into a club where people have a spring in their step again.

There’s a positive vibe around Rugby Park now and that’s all down to the fact Kilmarnock fans are enjoying watching their team again - and that’s down to the efforts of the boss.

Is there any potential of Kilmarnock joining the elite sides in the SPL, and maybe one day challenging the likes of Celtic consistently?

MM: As good as Killie have been this season, there's very little chance of that happening.

Kilmarnock aren't a club with a lot of money and any good young player who comes through will quickly be snapped up by either side of the Old Firm or head down south if they have anything about them so it'll be harder for Clarke to build a side that is capable of challenging Celtic at the top.

When you look at the history of the league, with nobody outside of Celtic and Rangers winning it in more than 30 years then you can see how hard it would be.

SH: No chance.

The best Killie could ever hope for given the financial disparity is to build themselves into an Aberdeen-type side which has consistently been proving itself the best of the rest, behind Celtic, over the past few years, and perhaps Rangers once again as they continue to return to prominence.

Even that will be hard to sustain, as clubs like Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have a stronger fanbase and off-field infrastructure which allows them to pay more money than the men from Ayrshire.

How have fans taken to him? Obviously he was a boyhood fan, but at West Brom he had a mixed spell, eventually leading to his exit.

MM: The fans love him. It's been great to see because there's fans flocking back to Rugby Park that maybe haven't went in a few years because there's been a lot of boardroom issues and relegation battles that put supporters off.

Killie went out of the cup last midweek but there were more than 7000 fans there and it's probably the first time in years the club have got a support like that at the stadium outwith when the Old Firm come to town.

There's a real belief that something big is happening at Rugby Park and fans are as excited as they have been in years.

It's only six years since Kilmarnock won the League Cup but it's been a hard six since with constant relegation battles, numerous managers that have brought in so many players it would be impossible to remember them all and fans are just loving Clarke and how he is acting. He's done a fantastic job and deserves everything coming his way.

SH: Well he’s an Ayrshire man, first and foremost, I think that’s why he took the job - to rediscover his love of the game close to home.

Kilmarnock fans thought it a real coup at the time to manage to attract a manager of Clarke’s pedigree and he has even exceeded their expectations such is the standard of football and belief that the team has shown.

He is operating with a similar squad to Lee Clark, but the difference is the players seem to know their jobs and he’s getting the best out of everyone.

Can you see Clarke looking to stay in Scotland for a while longer now? Or could he eye another move to England and the Premier League, maybe even West Brom once again?

MM: I'd be surprised if Clarke got a move back to the Premier League on the back of this season so definitely think he'll be in Scotland next year.

The worry for Kilmarnock might be that Rangers are on the lookout for a new boss in the summer and they would be mad not to make a move for Clarke.

Add in the fact Brendan Rodgers is being linked with a move to Arsenal and various other Premier League clubs, Celtic could also be searching for a new manager and Clarke would be an option there.

But right now, Clarke's at his boyhood heroes and living back in the place he grew up, he's loving life and will definitely look to stay in Scotland for a while.

SH: Any answer to this would be fairly speculative…

I’m sure Steve Clarke believes he has the ability and gravitas to manage in England once again, but whether he’s enjoying himself more back at home, and how much sway that holds over how he sees his future remains to be seen.

He was quick to refute any suggestions linking with the Rangers vacancy earlier in the season.

Clarke's also linked up with some other local names to the Midlands in Youssouf Mulumbu, Aaron Tshibola and Aaron Simpson - How have they individually got on under him?

MM: Mulumbu has been sensational.

The vast majority of his games he has been the best player in the pitch. In the 1-0 win over Celtic in February he bullied Scott Brown all over the park and has been a key figure in Kilmarnock's season.

That's what Clarke brings to Killie, Mulumbu might not be the player he was at West Brom but he's still arguably one of the best players in the Scottish Premiership. He's been the real shining light.

Tshibola and Simpson haven't had as much chance to get going. Tshibola has had a bit more game time and done alright but not really stood out too much.

He's doing a decent job alongside Mulumbu in the middle of the park but he's not had the same impact.

Simpson has only played three times so it would be unfair to judge him on that, but he's battling against a very good right back in Stephen O'Donnell for a place in the team.

SH: Like the appointment of Clarke as manager, Killie fans couldn’t really believe it when a player of Youssouf Mulumbu’s calibre agreed to join the club.

Although he’s a different type of player, it’s similar to the situation a few years ago when they had Alexei Eremenko and he stood out as the real star player at the club.

Mulumbu is a more defensive type of player and doesn’t score or create as much as Eremenko did, but he is arguably the best midfielder of his ilk in Scotland and looks to be enjoying his football once again.

And he did score the goal which beat Celtic, that will see his name live on in Killie folklore for years to come.

Tshibola is technically gifted, and I think it will benefit him coming up to the ‘blood and snotters’ of the SPFL, it should round his game as a player.

He has a good passing range but he’s struggling to earn the right to show it off in games and has looked a bit casual at times.

He’s young though and still learning, and he’s one of the better footballers in the squad.

As for Simpson, he has hardly played. Consistent performances from first choice right-back Stephen O’Donnell have kept him out the team.

Can you see Aaron Simpson maybe considering a permanent move? Or is this deal something you expect to stay as temporary?

MM: As above, he's not played much so it would be a surprise if he made the move permanent in the summer.

It might be the case that Clarke is looking at him for next season if O'Donnell is snapped up by someone who can offer more money but at present it seems like there is very little chance of Simpson's move being made permament.

SH: Doubtful, the lack of game time means player and club will probably be unlikely to extend the relationship beyond the end of the campaign.

If something happens which sees him break into the team that could maybe change, but time is running out.

How about Mulumbu? He signed a deal until the end of the season at the club, will he be hoping to stick with Clarke for the long-term?

MM: This one will all be down to money and whether Kilmarnock can afford to keep him.

They would be mad not to but it's not going to be easy. He did turn down a move or two in the January window and if he's only at the club for a year then Killie fans will remember it with fondness but they'll be hoping to sign him up for next year.

As mentioned above, if Rangers had sense they'd be making a move for Clarke and it's the same for Mulumbu with both sides of the Old Firm, he'd walk into both sides he's been that good.

SH: Bordeaux came in for him during the window but the deal fell through.

No doubt his relationship with Steve Clarke is strong, but I think the mutual respect there means that Clarke will let him move on should he wish to progress his career elsewhere.

The player himself has kept fairly quiet on his future.

Tshibola meanwhile saw his loan at MK Dons cut short before heading north of the border. Villa seem happy to let him go, could he find a permanent home at Killie?

MM: Again, this one will be down to money. Tshibola cost Villa in the region of £5m and there's no way Killie would be able to afford even a tenth of that to sign him on a permanent deal so a lot of leeway would need to be given by Villa, as well as Tshibola.

The likelihood is Tshibola could go down south and pick up a club in League One and even League Two who can afford higher wages than Killie can so a permanent move would be a real surprise.

SH: Perhaps. No doubt he is an asset to Killie’s squad and offers something a wee bit different.

He’s been getting plenty of game time recently and that, as well as working with Clarke, may be enough to convince him to extend his stay in Ayrshire.

You can follow Mark and Stuart on Twitter by searching for @McDougall1994 and @hodgeythehack