LEE McCULLOCH has this week been linked with the job he's currently doing, the team where he began his career and the club he is most closely associated with.
But at Rugby Park yesterday afternoon, asking him about the vacant manager roles at Kilmarnock and Motherwell, plus the notion of him returning to Rangers as a coach, proved rather difficult. He was speaking to a scout and therefore unable to meet his media duties.
Hmm.
Did this mean that McCulloch, ordinarily one of the easiest people to deal with in Scottish football, was avoiding having to speak about Saturday’s game, as luck would have it Kilmarnock take on Motherwell at Rugby Park, because there was a chance of him going back to Fir Park?
It’s a fine theory; however, when Peter Leven, McCulloch’s number two at the moment, spoke about what the pair felt about their current club, you would not put the mortgage on them going anywhere no matter what offer comes in.
Leven said: “We are contracted here and it’s the second time we’ve taken charge. It is a compliment to Lee and for what he has done. Let’s hope it continues.
“We have been here a while now. It’s coming up to two years. We know the players, the fans, and in fact we met supporters last week, and it was good to get to know them and for them to get to know what we are about. We are enjoying it.
“The club is about the fans and it’s vital they know us, what we want to do, what they want for the club, and we agreed to make it a regular thing.”
And making it a regular thing would be difficult if one or both moved on.
Leven added: “Of course it would be difficult to walk away. Both of us owe Kilmarnock loyalty. When I left Rangers as kid, it was Kilmarnock that gave me chance to play. And for my first coaching job, it was Kilmarnock where I got my chance.
“I have strong links here, as does Lee. Kilmarnock gave him his first coaching job as well. The club have stuck by us twice. They gave us the reigns for a bit, first of all when Gary Locke left and now obviously Lee Clark has gone.
“The board have told us to get on and show them what we can do, and I think we’re doing alright at the moment.”
It was put to Leven that in football it is unusual for anyone to speak about loyalty.
He said: “It’s not a word you hear a lot these days. You only have to look at the Leicester situation.”
So will Saturday be strange given the match is between two teams who quite fancy having McCulloch at their respective clubs?
Leven said: “Nah, that’s in the background. It’s not about the manager, it’s about the team, the club. Both teams are looking for a win on Saturday. It’s all about the three points.”
Except, of course, it’s not.
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