By Joe McHugh
After a long apprenticeship and spells as first-team coach and caretaker manager Malky Mackay stepped out in his own right as manager of Watford on Saturday with a 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers.
AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH MALKY MACKAY
Malky started in 39 games for Celtic in the mid nineties before heading south to a successful career spent almost entirely in the Championship where he had the distinction of helping Norwich, West Ham and Watford to promotion in successive seasons.
…..MM SAID: “The first year that I came to the club we had no parachute payment… we’re in a transitional phase as a club with a new board in place…we have to adapt to being a slightly different club but you go into every season aspiring to finish as high up the table as possible… I’ve been in this division for twelve years and it gets harder and harder every year”
Nothing has ever been handed to Malky on a plate, as a youth there wasn’t much of a clamour for his signature but his attitude and ‘professionalism’ at amateur Queens Park earned him a move to Celtic.
…..MM SAID “You always get one team that surprises in this league, it was Burnley last season, before that Hull and Watford the season before…on any day bottom can beat top and that’s the magic of this league.”
Despite suffering a cruciate ligament injury early in his Celtic career he battled back to become a valued member of the first team squad, capable of scoring important goals, before moving on to Norwich for regular first team football.
Malky’s career is a lesson to any young player, through his dedication he battled through the ranks to carve out a good career in the game while also keeping his eye on the coaching side preparing for the day when he’d have to hang up his boots.
…..MM SAID “It’s not all sunny Saturday’s on a bowling green at West Brom, there are wet Tuesday’s in December at Plymouth followed by a five hour drive home then a trip up to the north west at the weekend… there are 46 games and a lot of Saturday/Tuesday’s and the prize of £60m at the end of it”
Aidy Boothroyd brought Malky to Watford as the club took off in spectacular fashion, earning a place in the Premiership for the 2007/2007 season with a spectacular 3-0 play-off win over Leeds United.
After missing out on appearing in the Premiership at Norwich and West Ham Malky made 16 appearances in the top flight with Watford and although it ended in relegation they did reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup where they lost out to Manchester United.
…..MM SAID: “Tony(Mowbray) and Yogi (Hughes) both look a lot older than me, they have both did well and if I have the success that they have I’ll be delighted… they are both really passionate men… they are two good friends that I had at Celtic.”
By then the journey into management had begun in earnest. When Boothroyd was sacked in November 2008 Malky took charge on a caretaker basis for three weeks before Brendan Rodgers got the job.
When Rodgers quit to take charge of Reading Watford wisely turned in house to give Malky the job. The days of parachute payments are over at Vicarage Road with Scott Severin from Aberdeen and Don Cowie of Inverness CT amongst the club’s recent signings.
…..MM SAID “At the Tommy Burns match big Billy even said ‘What a dressing room I have here to choose from’… there was some great camaraderie and characters…it was a really good day to see so many people”
The Championship is apparently the fifth richest league in Europe and will come under the spotlight more than ever this season with Newcastle United getting the car crash treatment with supporters and media watching their every move.
Fighting it out for promotion will be a tall order for Watford with relegated Newcastle, Middlesbrough and West Brom looking for a quick return with upto a dozen others, including the well financed Ipswich and QPR scrapping for a chance in the top flight.
Owen Coyle’s Burnley are the role model for Watford and others. Last season’s impressive cup performances were matched by consistent league form that took them into the Premiership via play-off wins over Reading and Shefield United.
…..MM SAID: “From my time at the club there is a really good group of us that stay in touch with each other, when you go back and meet others from different eras there is definitely a bond there.”
It’s always interesting to follow the fortunes of former Celtic players whether playing or managing. As a player Malky showed all the qualities to make a success of management but the relentless Championship season of 46 league games is no place to ease yourself into a job that is unrelenting.
Video Celts will be following Watford closely with regular interviews with Malky.
AUDIO INTERVIEW WITH MALKY MACKAY
Malky previews the new season in the Watford Observor
