Q&A With… Ruari MacLennan

Following the defeat to St.Johnstone, the Official Website’s Grant Morton caught up with young midfielder Ruari MacLennan for the latest in the popular interview series…

GM: Saturday was a disappointing result. Can you talk us through what went wrong?
RM: It’s hard to say. In the first half we were very poor and lost two bad goals. I thought we came out and did ok in the second, showing some determination with ten men. But when the third went in, that was it finished.

How do you rate St Johnstone?
They’re a good team, but anyone can beat anyone in this league. They’re up there at the moment, although I think they’re weaker this season than they’ve been for a while, so it’s disappointing to lose.

Yesterday’s game ends the unbeaten run. How will this affect the team?
The run had to come to an end at some point. Although it was a good run we drew three games, so this might give us the get-up-and-go to up our performances and win more games.

How has moral been?
Moral is always good. Colin and Dougie know how important moral is from working at big clubs so they always make sure that it’s high.

Does Saturday’s result make you more determined to get a result on Wednesday?
Yes. We need to pick ourselves up and get the three points. Partick being our main rivals means that we are really up for it and want to get some revenge for the last two games.

What lessons do you think have been learnt from the last two performances against Thistle?
In the first game against them we had a couple of trialists in the team, which didn’t help, as it was hard for them and the regulars to adjust. To be fair, Partick are a good team. They play a 3-5-2 like us. I prefer to play against a 4-4-2, as it means we have the extra man in midfield. So we need to adjust to that style of play this time.

How does training differ over the Christmas and New Year period from the rest of the season?
We have a lot more breaks. We didn’t train on Christmas day but we will be training on New Year’s day.

Are you able to celebrate Christmas and New Year the same as everyone else?
I just stay with my family. I eat a Christmas dinner but try not to eat too much. Because we are training New Year’s day all the lads should have an early night on Hogmanay.

What is it like working with your younger brother?
It’s good. I really enjoy it although sometimes I get nervous for him. His season this year is a bit like mine last season. He has done really well breaking through and I like to give him tips, although he is giving me tips now!

Who’s the better player?!
Roddy! Growing up everyone said he was the better player. I’m not being modest, but he is better at taking on players and has more skill than me. I’m more of a tackler.

Are you surprised that you and Roddy have broken into the first team so young?
Definitely. It is hard for anyone to break through to the first team at any level, although because Clyde have little funds to bring in players there is more chance of it happening here. It is hard, but I am very thankful to Dougie Bell, Joe Miller and now Colin for helping me break through.

At the halfway point to the season, do you think the clubs position in the league is a fair reflection of performances?
In a way, I think it is. But we have only had one or two really bad performances. There have been a lot of games where big decisions have gone against us, and a lot of games we should have won but didn’t. But we have a game in hand against a team that we should be looking to get three points against.

With the league being so tight, do the players pay much attention to the league position?
I like to, although I don’t know about anyone else. I think most like to take things one game at a time. I like to know how we are doing and how many goals we are scoring. I have noticed that we are not scoring enough at home, so that’s something we need to improve.

Joe Cardle and Danny Kirkup will be leaving in the New Year. Do you think they will need to be replaced?
We don’t have the biggest squad in the league so it would be good to replace them and increase the squad. I have heard that players will be coming in but I’m not sure who or when.

There are all sorts of rumours flying around about players coming in and going out. How does this affect you?
If players are coming in, I think it’s a good thing as it means we’ll have to step things up. Anyone coming in is a boost. I hope we can get a higher standard of player coming in so that we can all learn from them and improve our own game.

How does a club like Clyde differ from a club like East Stirling?
It’s hard to say. There aren’t many differences. There are a few more fans here and Clyde are a more high profile club, but there are no great differences that I can think of.

Would you be happy to be a Clyde player this time next season?
Definitely. That is why I signed a three-year deal. I want to improve and I believe I can do that here. I’m not looking for a move anytime in the foreseeable future and I am looking forward to playing for Clyde next season, even if the worse comes to the worse.

Do you have any New Year resolutions?
I need to strengthen up and get bigger. This league is one of the most competitive in Great Britain so it’s important to be in shape. I could get a bit fitter. But as this season goes on and I come into next season I will be more used to being a regular in the first team and I know I will be a better player.

Do you have any messages for the fans?
Keep up the support and keep us going. I am not one for criticism but if the fans help us we will all do our best for them.