Kilmarnock

We asked you to tell us the one thing nobody is talking about at Kilmarnock.

Here's what some of you said:

Jim: Nobody is talking about the decisions the manager is making every week. He very rarely plays the same team twice in a row. Why does he play a forward who has only scored four goals and contributed one assist all season?

Anna: Nobody seems to be mentioning relegation because that is what will happen if we don't get our backsides into gear and start winning again. Steve Clarke would be so disappointed with how badly wrong things have gone for Killie. If Derek McInnes thinks a top-six place is up for grabs...

Robert: Poor game management, is it lack of skill or mental weakness? Is this the reason McInnes keeps changing the line-up and refuses to play talented players off the bench? Gary Mackay-Steven, Calvin Ramsay etc.

Andrew: We seem to have lost our identity from last year. We played a back four, two wingers crossing into the two strikers who played off each other. This year we have chopped and changed formation depending on the team and played players out of position. It makes consistency difficult to come by and players struggle to remember the new instructions each week.

Amy: Nobody is talking about our injury record. It was trotted out about Motherwell yet they managed to sign a whole new squad. We've been unable to have a settled keeper, the best centre-back outside Glasgow in Stuart Findlay out for ages, Kyle Vassell injured, Matty Kennedy, who is our most creative player, out for months and nursing a problem. All important players.

Boyd: I think we are really horrible right now. We start so well against teams then completely chuck it and it costs us. I'm not confident we will stay up and I would only keep three players who are out of contract at the end of the season.

Derek McInnes' Kilmarnock have suffered three defeats in a row and are now tenth in the Scottish Premiership table.

The Rugby Park side are only three points ahead of Dundee in 11th and six above St Johnstone at the bottom.

What is the one thing regarding Kilmarnock - good or bad - nobody is talking about?

Let us know., external

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

It was a long day for the 300 Killie fans who travelled to Dingwall on Saturday and it rounded off a very bad week for us.

Our repeated bad habit of poor in-game management reared its ugly head again last midweek when we capitulated against Rangers.

Both management and players have to shoulder the blame and it could prove very costly as we plummet down the table.

A win at Dingwall would have been massive, however no points in three games against County is relegation form whatever way you dress it up.

We have the worst away record in the league this season and the manager's record of eight wins in 53 games on the road over the past three seasons is horrendous.

Many of the fans I spoke to in Dingwall were less than complimentary about the manager. It's time for him to take some responsibility, recognise things aren't working and make the changes that will help us retain our league status.

We have a free weekend upcoming so that may give us a chance to get some injured players back.

Kyle Magennis has had a terrible time with injuries and we hope he is back sooner rather than later following his latest setback on Saturday.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

BBC Scotland Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart says the number of chances Kilmarnock missed in their defeat by Ross County is indicative of their season.

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Watch highlights from Ross County's 1-0 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

Available to UK users only.

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 1-0 defeat against Ross County.

Here's what some of you said:

Scott: A depressingly predictable outcome and another away day that was a waste of time and money. I've generally been a supporter of Derek McInnes but our away record since he took over is a disgrace. Our travelling supporters deserve better. Right now I'd be delighted to finish 10th but hate saying that after last season.

James: Very disappointing but we have to be more clinical in front of goal. Their goalkeeper was man of the match so we just need a little bit of luck. A fluke goal has cost us and you can't legislate for that. Just when we're getting our injured players back, Kyle Magennis suffers another injury. Hopefully not too serious.

Robert: Dreadful week, I would be more concerned about the top 10 than top six. The annoying thing is these players are capable of being much better like the way they started on Wednesday.

Alastair: I don't blame McInnes for that display, rather the players who just were not there. Too often we look bright at the start and rapidly go down in a downward trend. People may say change manager but I would rather change players. We knew this season we would be in the bottom half but to perform like that only confirms it.

John: I'm a season ticket holder at Rugby Park and I am hoping that they can stay in the top division. Two away wins all season is just not good enough.

Jim: Reality is here, we are fighting for survival in the top division. According to McInnes, players bought in the transfer window are not for sitting on the bench but that's exactly what's happening. Our existing forwards could play all season and never score apart from Bobby Wales. Wake up Derek. Play 5-4-1 to survive.

Image source, SNS

Derek McInnes refused to speculate on the severity of Kyle Magennis' latest injury after the Kilmarnock midfielder lasted just 12 minutes against Ross County.

The midfielder was brought on as a second-half substitute in the 1-0 defeat but had to be replaced after falling to the ground while trying to tackle Noah Chilvers.

"I would hate to speculate too much until we get that looked at properly, but he has damaged his knee," manager McInnes said.

"I thought he was outstanding against Rangers midweek, but with his history we thought his best impact would be from the bench."

Since the 2020-21 campaign, when Magennis was at Hibs, he has not managed more than 13 league games in a season due to injury.

"Unfortunately, he just looks as if he has twisted his knee and those are always the ones you worry about. Hopefully he's lucky because he hasn't had much luck in injuries," McInnes added.

Kilmarnock changed three for the trip to Dingwall after a gruelling week, with Danny Armstrong, Bobby Wales and Magennis all dropped to the bench.

"A few boys were really leggy on Friday so we took that into consideration for the starting team, but we finished really strongly," McInnes added.

"We should have won the game. It has been a tough week. We were close against Aberdeen, against Rangers and again today.

"We just have to pull ourselves together and hopefully on having a game next week will let us get a couple of players back."

Image source, SNS

• Kilmarnock have failed to score in 11 of their 29 games, no team has failed to do so more often in the Premiership this season.

• Kilmarnock have lost their last 3 games in the Premiership, their last joint longest losing streak was from 3 November 2024 to 23 November 2024.

Kilmarnock fell to their third defeat in a week as Ross County bounced back from a midweek loss to record a crucial win that puts them within two points of the Scottish Premiership top six.

Country are up to eighth while Kilmarnock remain 10th and, while they are only six points off the top half, manager Derek McInnes admitted that, if his side had any top six aspirations, this was a game they needed to win.

Looking below them, they remain three points above 11th-placed Dundee and six points above bottom-dwellers St Johnstone.

What did you make of that, Kilmarnock fans? Where was the game lost?

And what does this do to your season? Still think top six is possible?

Let us know your thoughts., external

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland: "We were decent at times on a terrible surface. I felt for all the players out there.

"We had to just play for territory and make sure we didn't make mistakes. We spoke about the game, about the pitch and conditions where mistakes could win it. One of the only times they were in our box in the first half, we've not dealt with the situation.

"We've got to do it the hard way, try and come from behind. The effort of the players was magnificent. We kept going, tried to make necessary changes, tried to add a bit of freshness. The second half we were good. We were the dominant team. You don't see a lot of teams doing that up here. We gave it a go, unfortunate not to get anything from the game.

"It's been a tough week. We were close to Aberdeen, close today, close against Rangers. But it's the stage of the season where you'd rather win a game and not deserve to win.

"It's a major disappointment but I've been in dressing rooms a long time, I can see the commitment and motivation of the players to do better. We'll get better as we go along, we'll get one or two back."

"I see signs that we'll be alright."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

"Anything other than a win makes it extremely difficult," said Derek McInnes said of his side's top six chances but his players didn't respond to the pressure added to them.

Although they had seven shots in the first 20 minutes, only two of them were on target and most of the chances they created were quite sloppy.

Even in the second half, two of Jordan Amissah's saves were really from crosses - from Brad Lyons and Fraser Murray - while Bruce Anderson missed a gilt-edged chance from in front of the goal.

Defensively, the goal - and the disallowed goal - was another poor one to concede. It's not the first time we've said that this season, which comes as a surprise given the reputation that Kilmarnock have built under McInnes.

Now, there seems to be a softer underbelly that plenty of Premiership opponents have taken advantage of.

To rub salt in the wound, Kyle Magennis didn't last long after coming on.

Trying to jockey Noah Chilvers, the Killie midfielder seemed to twist his knee in the turf and was immediately replaced. Not what anyone wants to see for a player who has suffered so many injury problems.

Kilmarnock have agreed a pre-contract deal for Queen's Park midfielder Jack Thomson, with the 25-year-old currently recovering from an Achilles injury. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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Ross County will again be without Michee Efete (knee), Ryan Leak (Achilles), Alex Samuel (thigh) and Will Nightingale (knee).

Kilmarnock are still without captain Kyle Vassell and defender Stuart Findlay (both ankle).

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Derek McInnes has urged Kilmarnock to keep their fading top-six hopes alive by securing a first away win in four months when they visit Ross County on Saturday.

Tenth-place Killie are now five points adrift of Hearts in sixth after squandering a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 at home to Rangers in midweek.

With five games left before the split, the Rugby Park side aren't clear of relegation worries but McInnes' focus is on securing a top-half finish for a second consecutive season.

McInnes, whose side last won on the road in late October at Hearts, said: "We dust ourselves down for Ross County, where it's important we try and get something.

"But I still believe… I want my team to be ambitious and be motivated to think that if we can find some good form and replicate a lot of what we did in the first half on Wednesday, that there will be wins there for us.

"We won't always come up against teams of Rangers' quality in the next few weeks. Hopefully we can get the wins that we need to hang on to that top-six aspiration."

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• There have been three instances of a side losing a Scottish Premiership game in 2024-25 in which they led by 2+ goals – all three have involved Kilmarnock, beating Dundee 3-2 in October, losing 3-2 to Dundee in November, and losing 4-2 to Rangers last time out.

• Ross County have won their first two Scottish Premiership games against Kilmarnock this term; only in 2014-15 and 2015-16 have the Staggies ever beaten Killie three times in a single season in the competition.

• Kilmarnock are winless in their past eight Scottish Premiership games away to Ross County (D3 L5) since a 2-1 victory in March 2017.

• After their 3-1 win over Dundee, Ross County are looking to win back-to-back home games for the first time in the Scottish Premiership this season.

• Kilmarnock have lost their past three away league games, last losing more in a row in April 2023 (six).

Kilmarnock duo Stuart Findlay and Kyle Vassell are back in training following injury. (Record), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart on how Kilmarnock's fast start left Rangers "drowning" before the visitors hit back from two down for a 4-2 win at Rugby Park. (Available to UK users only)

We asked for your thoughts on Kilmarnock going from two goals up to a 4-2 defeat at home to Rangers.

Here's what some of you said:

Stephen: That was a total embarrassment. Complete capitulation to one of the worst Rangers teams in recent memory. Derek McInnes was outthought by a couple of BBC pundits and a guy who's never managed higher than the third tier. Totally fed up with his one-dimensional tactics, poor substitutions and baffling recruitment, bringing in players he then never selects.

Adam: Kilmarnock started brilliant, then gave Rangers so much time and space to cut us apart. Bobby Wales should have been sacrificed for another defender early on, and even midfielders who would shut the game down. Great start, sore ending.

Jim: Rangers did not win this game, Killie lost it. First half we were in control. We change from three at the back to four and lose the midfield in the second half. Marley Watkins is useless, cannot score and never will. He misses chance after chance. We take Danny Armstrong off and bring on Liam Donnelly - why? What does he actually do in the team? Both should go.

Neil: Same old Killie this season: in a lot of games, the lead is not protected, and it is as if we run out of steam. We should have been out of sight after 30 minutes, but didn't take the other chances we created after going 2-0 in front. In the second half, no creativity and Watkins was largely ineffectual. Time for some changes.

Robert: We had it and then threw it away. All the good early work ruined by some inept defending. I can't work out if it's a concentration issue or a set-up problem but Rangers' second in particular was embarrassing. Can't fault the effort or application but we have to find some consistency.

Bill: A strange passage of football in the first 15 minutes - then the proper Rangers turned up, as did the real Kilmarnock. Squandered chances up front, misplaced passes, poor challenges and marking in midfield. Loss of possession at throw-ins and a defence that was often all over the place. Despite weekly comments about 'positives' Killie are poor!

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• James Tavernier has assisted six goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Rangers player.

• Vaclav Cerny has scored 11 goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Rangers player.

• Kilmarnock have lost after leading by two or more goals in the Premiership for the first time since 3 November 2024 against Dundee (a 3-2 defeat).

• Rangers have won after trailing at half-time in the Premiership for the first time since 14 May 2024 against Dundee (six games without a win after trailing at half-time).

• Kilmarnock have conceded 13 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, only Ross County (16) and Hibernian (15) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.

Barry Ferguson rode an emotional rollercoaster as Rangers recovered from two goals down against Kilmarnock to deliver victory in his first Scottish Premiership game as interim manager.

Upon his appointment as Philippe Clement's successor on Monday, the Ibrox icon said he thought his dream of leading his beloved Rangers was long gone.

Inside 15 minutes, it threatened to be something of a nightmare.

Naming an unchanged side from Clement's last game against St Mirren on Saturday, the issues which plagued the Belgian's tenure bundled into this new dawn.

Clueless at a corner, the Rangers defence allowed Joe Wright to roam free at the back post and force in the opener for Derek McInnes' side at Rugby Park.

Centre-back pairing Clinton Nsiala and Robin Propper were terrorised by the Ayrshire side's front two of Bobby Wales and Marley Watkins, but it was captain Brad Lyons who lasered them into a two-goal lead.

Killie fans, were you at Rugby Park on Wednesday or following the action from home? Either way we want your views.

Have your say, external.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "I thought we started the game the way we needed to.

"Any time you speak about the importance of getting the first goal, imposing your self in the game and I thought we did exactly that.

"I thought we were superior in that first 30/35 minutes, I thought it could've bene more.

"It's difficult to maintain that level of energy and aggression and organisation and sometimes Rangers are good enough to pick through you.

"In the lead up to their first goal, we make a bad decision and they've got the ability to play through you. For 35 mintues we had the game exactly how we wanted it, we could have added to it and half time came at a good time.

"I must admit their second goal wasn't a corner. It might seem churlish but Don Robertson gives the goal-kick but lets the linesman from 30 yards away give a corner when it's not a corner. But they punish us to the full extent. That gave their support a lift, gives the players encouragement they might need.

"I'm disappointed with some of the decision making, how excited we got when we needed to stay calm. Rangers are good enough to punish you.

"It's the team who finds a bit of consistency that might just nick that last spot for top six. We want to be that team and I think we're capable of it but ultimately when you're in a strong position in the game you need to take something from it.

"There's still loads to play for. We still feel there's wins in us, nothing changes from tonight. It's a sore one but you've got to pick yourself back up and go again.

"If we can win the game [at the weekend] we damage one of the teams around us so it's important we get something from the game."