Kilmarnock

We asked you for one thing you would change about Kilmarnock's season so far.

Here's what some of you said:

Graham: An experienced goalkeeper would make a difference, whether it can happen now or in January.

Anna: A keeper with more experience is a must. Eddie Beach does his best but he lacks experience at the top level. If Max Stryjek is out for the foreseeable future then we need someone as good as him.

Tommy: I would ask the board to postpone the decision to replace the artificial pitch until Premiership certainty is assured. The way things are going we shall be in a lower league next season where, I understand, artificial pitches are allowed.

David: It has to be the removal of Stuart Kettlewell. The decision to employ him was a knee-jerk reaction by a board which has little football experience. That is a sad indictment of the state of the club. Lack of external funding has made us lurch from one calamity to another.

Matt: While injuries have had a massive impact on results, it is absolutely visible that going away from a team with two wingers under Derek McInnes we now struggle to play forward and therefore carry no goal threat. Only hope is getting players back to allow the set up to change.

Stuart: An experienced centre-back is just as critical as a goalkeeper. Sadly Robbie Deas has proved time and again that he is not good enough for the top level.

Jim: We should not have settled for a failed manager as he will only fail again. We should have looked at a more progressive manager with potential. Not a manager who was fired from one job and walked away from another.

Tom: It's quite simple - get good goalkeeper cover in. Stryjek is a huge loss and sadly our cover is weak. Beach is not up to it and the defence has no belief in him.

It has been a rollercoaster start to the Stuart Kettlewell era at Kilmarnock.

The Rugby Park men occupied the dizzy heights of third place in early October after back-to-back wins.

But the mood has dropped along with the league position since then as five defeats on the spin have Killie just two points off the bottom.

The loss of goalkeeper Max Stryjek has been keenly felt in recent weeks as Kettlewell's side bid to stop the rot.

The international break provides the chance to pause for breath and reflect after a frenetic few months at Rugby Park.

So, if you could change one thing about Killie's season so far, what would it be?

Tell us here.

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Gary Holt has been appointed manager of Partick Thistle women.

The former Scotland and Kilmarnock midfielder, 52, replaces David Elliot, who stepped down after five months in charge of the SWPL side.

Holt has managed Falkirk and Livingston's men's teams and has also held academy and sporting director roles.

He takes over a Thistle side second bottom of the SWPL, five points above Hamilton Academical and two points below Aberdeen. Thistle host Aberdeen on Sunday.

"We're delighted to welcome Gary to the football club," Partick Thistle women CEO Caroline Mackie said.

"His experience and coaching record speak for themselves. His enthusiasm to drive this club forward and develop players was clear to see from the very first conversation we had with him."

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Killie head into the international break on a terrible run of form having lost five on the bounce.

It's still relatively early in the season, but if we continute to lose ridiculous goals then we are only heading in one direction.

The slump started when we lost Max Stryjek but the farcical goalkeeping situation that has been allowed to develop is almost a sackable offence for the manager.

Although there are problems throughout the team, the uncertainty surrounding the number one situation has had an unsettling effect on the defence and we look like losing at least three goals a game.

The two-week gap to the Motherwell game hopefully gives us time to get a couple of the injured players back.

However, Stuart Kettlewell's urgent priority must be to bring an experienced keeper to the Theatre of Pies.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

At least two of the goals Kilmarnock conceded in their 4-0 Premiership defeat by Celtic on Sunday were preventable.

Robbie Deas gifted the opener to Celtic with his failed clearance, while goalkeeper Eddie Beach reacted slowly to Kieran Tierney's shot for the second.

Stuart Kettlewell's side have lost five league matches on the spin, conceding 14 goals in that run.

"They need to stop conceding poor goals, ultimately," Michael Stewart said on Sportscene.

"Stuart was talking about coming into this group of games in good fettle. A lot of that would be build on being difficult to break down, but in this last spell, they've conceded too many goals.

"It's later goals as well, it looks like the confidence has drained out of them."

We asked for your views after Kilmarnock were beaten 4-0 by Celtic on Sunday.

Here's what some of you said:

Scott: The amount of goals we have conceded the last few games is unacceptable and often embarrassing in their manner. The manager is on very very thin ice and needs a result against Motherwell.

David: Your time is up Stuart Kettlewell - an insipid performance once more. Five defeats in a row is unacceptable, and yet again poor goalkeeping from Eddie Beach. When are you going to do the decent thing and walk? You've had ample time to resolve the goal keeping issue but have failed miserably. Relegation fodder.

James: The manager has had the same statement for the past five weeks. Individual mistakes, wrong choices, and he does not know how to rectify the problem - he won't as he is the problem. Best Christmas present Killie can get is a new manager.

Adam: We were awful and leaking goals so surely it's time to change from 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-3. Get back to basics 4-4-2 at worst. We need a playmaker in midfield so try and find one, because we haven't got one! The goalkeeper needs a half decent defence, so it's not all his fault, things are looking very grim!

Tom: Beach culpable at second and third goals. Too slow going down at second and got his angles all wrong at the third - he should have been a few feet further left but left his near post wide open - poor keeping. No wonder our defence has the jitters!

Watch highlights from Celtic's 4-0 win against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

Available to UK users only.

Celtic narrowed the gap to Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership to seven points with a deserved home win over struggling Kilmarnock.

Read the match report

Have your say

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Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell told BBC Scotland: "That's the real frustration for us - all the goals are avoidable. We'll always say that as managers standing here, but there's a clear realisation what needs to be done in those given moments.

"You know you're playing against real quality but I really enjoyed the mentality to the first goal. We showed a bit of spirit, got into decent opportunities, excellent save from [Kasper] Schmeichel, we hit the crossbar.

"Other periods of the game frustrate me and frustrate the players, goals three and four in particular - we started to switch off. We had pressure, were asking questions and were pushing for 2-1.

"That spiralled into 4-0 and that's the bit that frustrates me, and piggybacks on the back of a poor spell for us since the last international break.

"We came into this chunk of games in real confidence, off the back of some good performances, and for one reason or another we now find ourselves lacking confidence and chasing a result. We have to take ownership of that.

"We're not shying away from it [five losses in a row] and pretending that's not the case. Our priority is Kilmarnock.

"We'll have players away playing for their national teams, but for the rest of us it's about knuckling down. Going away on holiday, getting their feet up and getting a bit of sunshine is definitely not going to be a thing. That's not going to turn the corner for us."

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Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell is encouraging his players to demand standards from each other even if it means they fall out.

Killie have lost four consecutive matches ahead of facing Scottish Premiership champions Celtic on Sunday.

Kettlewell feels harsh words are sometimes necessary – as long as the outcome is ultimately constructive.

"So often it's just making sure that you demand a standard," he said.

"For example, if something's happening to us in a particular area of the pitch, we should be in a position where we rectify it. The easiest place to start is from the players when we see it.

"But for that we have to communicate and drive those standards.

"Sometimes we fall out. I'm very much from a generation in a couple of dressing rooms where falling out, arguing, fighting, was normal.

"The other part of that is that it can't be taken as an offence either. That's something that we've not had to speak about too much until the last two weeks.

"If you fall out with somebody for the right reason and there's a bit of detail and a bit of information there, I always believe we go and sit beside each other in the lunchroom after it and we get an understanding of it."

The former Ross County and Motherwell manager recalled an incident at a previous club where a training-ground argument between players was perceived as an "enormous drama".

"I find that really difficult to comprehend from somebody that doesn't watch soap operas and reality programmes and all that type of stuff," he said.

"Sometimes you call somebody out. Sometimes they're disgruntled by a decision you've made on the pitch. That's okay. It's about how you move on and understanding what the correct outcome is on it.

"My job is to make sure that we encourage that environment but always in the right way.

"And I think that will help you if you lose a goal or you're up against it in a game."

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Celtic have lost Callum Osmand to a hamstring injury and Arne Engels is a doubt with a less serious issue.

The champions remain without Alistair Johnston and Kelechi Iheanacho with similar injuries, while Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles) and Jota (knee) are long-term absentees.

Forward Marley Watkins is closing on a return for Kilmarnock after his foot injury, but is unlikely to feature while Matty Kennedy and Djenairo Daniels remain out.

Caleb Akpo-Young
BBC Sport Scotland

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Stuart Kettlewell says his Kilmarnock side will "relish" the opportunity to stun champions Celtic on Sunday.

When the sides last met it took a 96th-minute penalty from Kelechi Iheanacho for Celtic to sneak a 2-1 victory at Rugby Park in September.

With Celtic now under the interim management of Martin O'Neill and Shaun Maloney, Kettlewell believes the pair have made their own "tweaks", but knows Killie's task remains formidable as they seek to end a run of four straight defeats.

"I've been fortunate enough to see their games. I saw Martin's first game in temporary charge against Falkirk," said the Killie boss.

"I think there's so many similarities, I think what you find is there's a group of players who understand what they've been doing for a number of years.

"You can see little tweaks that the likes of Martin, Shaun, Stephen McManus and Mark Fotheringham have put on. They'll all have a little stamp and a thought process of elements they want to tweak.

"Things have changed a lot for them with one or two injuries as well but you're going to Celtic Park to play against the team that have done nothing but win trophies over the last number of years.

"Still to my mind I think you've got the toughest task this weekend of playing against a team that very rarely lose and very rarely concede goals at home. It's a big task but it's one that we relish.

"The fact that you now go away from home changes the dynamic of the game, you're playing on a different surface, Celtic have played on Thursday so does that change their team selection.

"We've had eight days to prepare so we need to centre on what we want to do and how we want to go about the game.

"We did that against them when we ran them very close, I thought in the last 10 minutes of the game we looked the stronger team, I thought we looked like the team that was going to win.

"We'll take positives from that but we also have to be about the here and now and be aware of where we've been recently."

Caleb Akpo-Young
BBC Sport Scotland

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Stuart Kettlewell has been speaking to the media before Kilmarnock's Premiership trip to Celtic on Sunday.

Here are the main points from his press conference:

• Kettlewell's side - who are on a four-game losing run - will "relish" the opportunity to play Martin O'Neill's Celtic but he concedes it will be a "big task".

• He feels they can take "positives" from the sides' last meeting where Killie were deprived of a point when Celtic scored a controversial 96th-minute penalty winner at Rugby Park.

• Kettlewell admits Killie's goalkeeping problem is a "moving situation". On-loan Tobi Oluwayemi is not available to play against his parent club this weekend and Corey Armour is likely to be recalled from his loan at Kelty Hearts to provide more options.

• Kettlewell confirmed there are still nine senior players out injured.

• He emphasised his team need to show a strong reaction at the beginning of games rather than only when they find themselves behind.

• Their main focus for upcoming games is what they are doing out of possession: "For me the foundation always has to be what are you doing when you don't have the ball. That will give you a base for building into a game of football."

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• Celtic have won their past six meetings with Kilmarnock in all competitions, last winning more in a row in April 2015 (8).

• Kilmarnock have only won one of their past 86 away games against Celtic in all competitions (D18 L67), going winless in their last 21 (D4 L17) since a 2-0 league triumph in October 2012 under Kenny Shiels.

• Since the start of last season, Celtic have kept 17 clean sheets in 24 home league games, conceding just 11 goals. The Parkhead club have kept four shutouts in their five home league matches this campaign.

• Kilmarnock have lost their past four league games, their longest losing run in the Scottish Premiership since February 2021, when they suffered eight successive defeats.

• Benjamin Nygren has scored (5) or assisted (2) 44% of Celtic's league goals this season (7/16); only Cameron Congreve of Dundee has been directly involved in a higher proportion of a side's Scottish Premiership goals (56% - 5/9).

Celtic are considering a January move for 20-year-old Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson, who is out of contract next summer. (The Herald), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Kilmarnock are 10th in the league, three points off bottom and four adrift of the top six. Their 13 goals is a mid-table tally, while only three teams have conceded more than their 18.

After just 11 games in a congested top flight, it probably is not time for panic stations - but what does the underlying data tell us?

The Rugby Park side's average possession of 39% is the second lowest in the division, as is the amount of touches they have had in the opposition box.

Just two teams are worse off for expected goals and expected goals against, yet Killie rank in mid-table for their shots on target, big chance creation, shooting accuracy and shot conversion.

Defensively, only Dundee United have made more errors leading to goals and Killie's goalkeeping save percentage is the second lowest in the league.

Stuart Kettlewell's next assignment is a visit to face Martin O'Neill's Celtic. There is also a trip to Hearts and a home game against Rangers among their next five fixtures.

Read more: Kilmarnock in freefall - but can Kettlewell turn it around?

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

The old saying tells us a week is a long time in football. Killie have just proved it beyond reasonable doubt.

It seems like yesterday we had a couple of wins and were climbing climb the table, but three horrendous defeats in a week have rekindled the worrying fears we had when the manager was appointed.

The trigger for us going into freefall appears to have been the loss of Max Stryjek, although it goes a lot deeper than that.

We now look a team who are weak defensively with a constantly changing midfield and an attack who lack creativity and goals.

Marcus Dackers is not a number nine as he drops off to link play, so perhaps new man Tyreece John-Jules should be given an extended run in the team.

The signs are more than worrying and the manager needs to rebuild confidence with both the players and fans.

The good news is it is still early days and we have a relatively straightforward trip to Parkhead this week. I fear we may be watching the game through our fingers.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Before Saturday's trip to Falkirk, Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell called on his players to "stop the bleeding" after losses against Hearts, Rangers and Aberdeen.

However, they were 3-0 down inside 38 minutes against John McGlynn's side as their losing run continued.

Only Dundee, Falkirk and Livingston have conceded more goals in the Premiership than Killie's 18 this season, with three of those coming directly from errors.

"I've watched a lot of their goals [conceded] and I don't think there's good communication," Neil McCann said on Sportscene.

"You've not got people taking responsibility and when that's happening, it's a tough one to get out of.

"Stuart is a good coach, he will try to get a result at Celtic, but he has got a lot to fix."

Watch highlights as Falkirk stun Kilmarnock 3-1 in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 3-1 defeat against Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

Scott: Stuart Kettlewell has to go. You don't need to say any more - it really is that simple.

Gary: Forget all about being better second half, Falkirk were three up and taking it easy. Championship beckons, even at this early stage, as I don't think the manager knows how to fix it.

George: Always said it from day one, I do not rate the manager at all. Yes, we have been unlucky with injuries but some of his decisions are shocking at times. It was a good start to the campaign but it looks like a long hard season now - I hope I am wrong.

Craig: Lacklustre performance, no style of play, playing long balls to a guy that can't jump. It's not looking good at all. I would say Kettlewell out.

Kenny: Kettlewell should be worried, because as a Kilmarnock fan I certainly am. Despite the positive start to the season Killie are in free fall.

Kettlewell talks a good game and clearly understands what needs to be improved, but continues to pick the same defenders who make the same mistakes. Kilmarnock are two bad results away from looking for a new manager.

Eddie: The last four matches have been a hard watch. I assume we have a defensive coach, If we do get rid of him. If we don't, get one.

David: Time's up Kettlewell - you've done little to improve the squad and the results are now coming home to roost. Your time is up.

A shambolic performance - fans deserve not just an apology but your resignation! This simply comes back to the board making the wrong (too quick) decision to employ him.

Jim: Our goalkeeper is not the standard we require, but the best we have at the moment. Our defence has gaps in it, you could fly a jumbo jet through it. Our midfield is posted as missing. Our forwards are shot shy and cannot score goals.

This is what we have, this is our managers team. Last year's team have all but gone, and they were not great either, but they were 150 times better than what we have got now.

The season is gone for us, even this early. Unless things change, such as the removal of personnel that got us into this position, relegation is the only thing Killie fans can look forward to.

Falkirk's emphatic first-half display earned a third win in four league games as the promoted side rose to fifth place in the Scottish Premiership.

Read the match report here.

Have your say on the game here.