McCulloch puts talk of Kilmarnock future on hold
Lee McCulloch has put talk of his Kilmarnock managerial chances on hold before his first match in caretaker charge - but thinks he has a lot to offer for the main role.
Lee McCulloch has put talk of his Kilmarnock managerial chances on hold before his first match in caretaker charge - but thinks he has a lot to offer for the main role.
Assistant manager McCulloch has only had brief discussions with the Rugby Park board since Lee Clark left to take charge of Bury on Wednesday. The outcome was for him and first-team coach Peter Leven to focus on Sunday's Ladbrokes Premiership contest with Aberdeen on Sunday.
But the 38-year-old gave several hints that he might be willing to take the job on a longer-term basis as he spoke at the club's weekly media conference.
McCulloch stated he had a "lot to offer'' and added that the club was in real need of stability.
And he recalled a discussion with Motherwell manager Mark McGhee during his previous stint as caretaker boss, little over a year ago, which seems to have removed some of his reservations about accelerating his coaching progress.
The former Rangers captain did not want the job when Gary Locke left last season, McCulloch's first as a coach, but Clark has given his former assistant a ringing endorsement as his potential successor.
The former Scotland international is certainly not ruling out that situation coming to pass.
"Naturally people will look at me as a candidate or not a candidate, there is nothing I can really do about that,'' McCulloch said.
"The thing I want to do is just get the game out the way on Sunday and then that will give me a day or two of thinking time about what I want to do in my career.
"Everything happened really, really quickly. It's not given us much time to think so it's all about getting sorted for training.''
McCulloch, with the help of Leven, led Killie to a William Hill Scottish Cup draw against Rangers and a victory over Motherwell during their brief spell in charge last year.
"It's been a year so it's a year's experience,'' he said. "But the one thing that sticks in my mind, the last time I was interim manager we went to Motherwell away and I was speaking to Mark McGhee before the game.
"I was saying: 'It's my first league game and I'm a wee bit nervous'. And he said: 'I've got over 1,000 games and I still get a little bit nervous and I'm still learning'. 'I've got 1,000 games more than you,' he said, 'but everything stays the same'.
"It's little things like that. People are still learning.
"I'm not an experienced manager, I'm not an experienced assistant manager, but I feel as if I've got a good understanding of the game, having played under a lot of very good managers and played in basically every position in the pitch. I feel as if I have a lot to offer.''
Clark certainly agrees with his advice to his former employers being to promote from within.
"It's brilliant to hear,'' McCulloch said. He was a manager that I learned an awful lot of. A great character, a man's man, really honest with the players.
"I have worked with a few good managers and he was one I really, really enjoyed working with.
"I'm sorry to see him go but he has gone to a good club down in England, so this club has to move on, that's the most important thing.''
Kilmarnock are now looking for a seventh manager in the seven years following the departure of Jim Jefferies. Their playing squad has been even more transient - Clark signed 26 players and 26 left, some of them in both categories.
And McCulloch admitted "stability and continuity'' were much-needed.
He added: "I include managers and the dressing room in that, even some of the staff, that's something the club needs to get back, a wee bit of continuity and give the right people time, as long as they have a good enough plan.''