Kilmarnock

Daldeep Kaur
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock manager Stuart Kettlewell has been speaking to the media before the visit of Dundee United on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• Despite their 3-1 defeat against Motherwell last weekend Kettlewell feels there were aspects where Killie "got it right".

• The Rugby Park side have beaten United twice this season, which Kettlewell sees as a "positive", but wants the same "level of concentration" at the weekend.

• Although the Rugby Park side have lost six games in a row, Kettlewell believes he can "take them out" of their poor run of form.

• He describes their season as a "tale of two halves" and says it's been a "dramatic change" in the past six games as Killie in the first seven matches were "a real goal threat and pretty solid defensively".

• He wants Killie to be a "more difficult to play against", insisting his side have "worked really hard" to try to stop conceding "poor goals" and is hopeful that will show iagainst United.

• Kettlewell does not "doubt" his players and emphasises they have his "confidence" which he feels is reciprocated. The players are "very much together and they're doing everything they possibly can to try and get a result".

• He doesn't "expect anybody fresh" to be available for Saturday and says the current injury list wont ease until the new year.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

It would be remiss of me to not mention the unbelievable buzz around the country following Scotland's win last Tuesday.

I'm always a club before country kind of person but that night provided the kind of elation only Killie cup wins have given me.

Sadly it took just 45 minutes on Saturday to drain away the feelgood factor as Killie once again lost a match due to their inept first-half performance.

The manager has an unfortunate knack of setting us up in the wrong formation and for the sixth game in a row it meant no points.

A return of no points from a possible 18 would lead to many managers being binned but Stuart Kettlewell is still there at the moment.

This Saturday is a must win as Dundee United visit the Theatre of Pies - anything other than victory is unacceptable.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

The Sportscene panel analyse Kilmarnock's performance in their 3-1 defeat to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership and discuss whether they were unlucky not to walk away with something from the match.

Kilmarnock are prepared to listen to offers in January for David Watson, who is of interest to Rangers, as they see it as their last chance to raise important funds from the sale of the 20-year-old midfielder who is out of contract next summer. (Football Insider), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Killie fans, we asked for your views on Saturday's 3-1 defeat to Motherwell.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Craig: The game summed up our team this season, a real lack of fight or intensity going forward and a shambles of a defence at the back. Longest losing streak since 2021 and we have really hard games against Hearts and Rangers coming up, something needs to change.

Frank: The poor run is wholly down to the manager. It's his team, he signed the bulk of the group. The team is in freefall at present and unfortunately the only way to stop it is say goodbye to Stuart Kettlewell.

Bill: Another game, another disaster! A team making the same costly mistakes week after week and coaching staff who seem unable to change things. Cannot see any prospect of improvement. Total revamp of management and players required now!

John: The team lacks confidence at the moment, the defence especially, and we really don't have an out and out goalscorer. This will be a tough season but we need to stay loyal to the team and the manager. Sacking the manager is not the answer to losing our last six games, instilling confidence is essential to get us back to winning ways.

Wolfgang: Let's be honest, if he doesn't get a win in the next three games he's most likely out. I feel for the guy cause we've not been bad apart from that Falkirk game but we've just not got that extra mentality to been consistent in a game.

Norman: It's easy to blame the manager however the club, I am sure, is working on a very tight budget and you get what you pay for as far as quality is concerned. Injuries have not helped but all clubs face injury issues at one time or another. The club is in a terrible position now and perhaps a change is needed. The board should give serious consideration to appointing a more experienced manager who will stabilise the ship.

Watch all the highlights from Motherwell's 3-1 victory at Kilmarnock as Stuart Kettlewell's side suffered their sixth defeat in a row.

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Tawanda Maswanhise's first-half double helped Motherwell to all three points at Rugby Park and condemned Kilmarnock to a sixth straight Scottish Premiership defeat.

Read the match report.

Have your say.

"I think when you look at the result, it looks like a dominant display from Motherwell. I didn't feel that, I didn't see that.

"The two goals in the first half were avoidable. This is something we continue to do to ourselves; it's self-inflicted.

"The dominance we had for a spell in the second half, that's what we expect."

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

Kilmarnock boss Stuart Kettlewell has concerns over Brad Lyons and David Watson, who both picked up injuries on international duty, and George Stanger, who did not play for New Zealand but did not return in time to train.

Max Stryjek (medical issue), Lewis Mayo (calf), Jamie Brandon (ankle/groin), Djenairo Daniels (knee) and Matty Kennedy (hip) are out. Rory McKenzie and Kyle Magennis missed the last game.

Motherwell will make a late decision on Stephen O'Donnell and internationals Eli Just, Regan Charles-Cooke and Tawanda Maswanhise will be assessed.

They remain without Aston Oxborough (hand), Sam Nicholson, Filip Stuparevic (both knee), Eseosa Sule, Jordan McGhee (both thigh) and Zach Robinson (Achilles).

Image source, SNS

Midfielder Tom Lowery insists there is no lack of positivity at Kilmarnock amid a testing spell.

Stuart Kettlewell's side have lost five straight matches in the league and are looking to end that poor run at home to Motherwell on Saturday.

"The feeling is good, the last 10 days of training has been really good, there's a positive feeling in the squad," said Lowery.

"We've definitely got that belief. In football it's important to never be too high, never to be too low, and during these tough periods, which every team is going to go through, it's important to have that belief that we can get through it and I think we have that.

"We've definitely got to stick together and get out of this run. We showed at the start of the season, the run before the October international beak where we were flying, so we know what the team is capable of.

"It's just about getting out of this bad run that we've been on."

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

It is a bit early for January transfer speculation to break out, but Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson's name has cropped up more than anyone else in the last few weeks.

Little wonder, considering the 20-year-old is out of contract next summer and is one of the few academy products to have become a regular starter in the Premiership in recent seasons.

Watson also started for Scotland Under-21s in Tuesday's 1-0 win over Bulgaria at Fir Park on Wednesday as newspaper reports linked him with interest from Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers.

From winning in Motherwell, he will hope to help his club side beat Motherwell on Saturday and narrow the five-point gap between themselves and the sixth-placed visitors - should he recover from a knock picked up on international duty.

To do so, Stuart Kettlewell's side will have to end a run of five straight defeats - and against a side who have been receiving plaudits for their style of play under Jens Berthel Askou.

Motherwell sold the last big academy product to leave the Premiership when Lennon Miller joined Udinese this summer, but that has not prevented his former team-mates losing just two of their 11 league matches - their fewest at this stage of a season since 2009-10.

However, Kilmarnock left Fir Park in August with a point and Well have not won at Rugby Park in six visits since February 2021, the latest three without scoring.

Read all the weekend's Premiership picks

Daldeep Kaur
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Stuart Kettlewell is convinced Kilmarnock can turn their form around despite a batch of fresh injury worries.

The Rugby Park side, who have lost five on the spin, return from the international break to host Kettlewell's former club Motherwell on Saturday.

But Killie's absentee list could be extended by the loss of David Watson and Brad Lyons, who were injured on international duty, plus George Stanger, who does not return from his New Zealand call-up until Friday.

"We've had difficult games, Hearts, Rangers and Celtic away within that string of five games," said manager Kettlewell.

"There's been some real difficult fixtures. A good Falkirk side, one of the biggest clubs in Aberdeen. It's not been easy.

"That's not to say that I sit here content and happy that that's been the case.

"It's also to reinforce the message that we've lost a number of key players and among that we're trying to adjust to that. We're trying to make sure that we can evolve around that.

"Dealing with difficult fixtures, and you don't get anything for free in this league.

"We felt that we could address that at an earlier point but the next opportunity to do it is here on Saturday.

"As difficult as that's going to be, we are confident. I don't think any of the players would tell you that they've not been confident through this spell.

"But for one reason or another, we've found ourselves in difficult spots that we've not been able to get out of in the last five games.

"However, I do have full confidence in the group that we'll turn that around."

Daldeep Kaur
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Manager Stuart Kettlewell has been speaking to the media before Kilmarnock host Motherwell in the Premiership on Saturday.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• Killie are assessing the injuries of Brad Lyons and David Watson, who were forced off for Northern Ireland and Scotland Under-21s respectively this week. George Stanger is also a doubt as he won't return from New Zealand duty until Friday.

• Kettlewell has used the international break to try to build confidence in his players and says it wasn't any "different" to what he's always done.

• Killie are on a five-match losing run and Kettlewell says: "It's not been one thing that's let us down," adding they need to retain the ball better and stop conceding poor goals.

• He wants the team to react "well to adversity" and adds: "In this league you can concede the first goal. You can find yourself behind in a game, but it's making sure that you respond in the correct fashion."

• Kettlewell has seen enough in training to be confident Killie can turn their form around and says the "acid test" is on matchday when they must implement that work into games.

• The team are trying to "evolve" after losing key players during a "difficult" run of fixtures which included defeats by the Old Firm and Hearts.

• Former Motherwell boss Kettlewell expects the Fir Park side to take a "front foot" aprroach in Ayrshire and says even though Jens Berthel Askou changes his team around, they've been "pretty consistent".

Image source, SNS

• Although Kilmarnock have only lost one of their past seven league meetings with Motherwell (W2 D4), they are winless in the latest two (D1 L1).

• Motherwell are winless in six away league games at Kilmarnock (D2 L4) since a 1-0 victory in February 2021 under Graham Alexander.

• Kilmarnock have lost five in a row - the longest ongoing losing streak by any side in this season's top flight. It's Killie's longest in the division since February 2021 (eight in a row).

• Motherwell have lost just two of their 11 Scottish Premiership matches this season (W3 D6), their fewest amount of defeats at this stage of a top-flight season since 2009-10 (P11 W4 D6 L1).

• Motherwell have dropped 12 points from winning positions this season, three more than any other team. The Steelmen have opened the scoring in five league matches, going on to win just two (D2 L1).

Rangers are actively exploring the possibility of signing 20-year-old Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson as early as the January transfer window. (TeamTalk), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Scotland's quest for World Cup qualification is the talk of the steamie just now and I'd love the current generation of fans to experience the thrill.

Hopefully the Tartan Army are checking American airline prices later tonight but the most important thing for Killie fans is reversing our current slump.

We hope the two-week international break gave us time to get some injuries cleared - although Brad Lyons may be a fresh addition to the treatment room - and work hard on recapturing our earlier season form.

The goalkeeper situation continues to generate discussion among the fans and our upcoming home games with Motherwell and Dundee United are massive.

We have a tricky run of fixtures after playing United so we need a minimum of four points.

Anything less would probably cause us to plummet further and the pressure on the manager will increase as the fans get increasingly nervy.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Aberdeen are monitoring Kilmarnock midfielder David Watson, 20. (Daily Record), external

If Aberdeen defender Jack Milne continues his good club form then a Scotland call-up won't be far away for the 22-year-old, reckons former Pittodrie hero Andrew Considine. (Daily Record), external

Read all of Tuesday's Scottish Gossip

Image source, PA Media

Kilmarnock captain Brad Lyons went off during Northern Ireland's win against Luxembourg after picking up a knock.

The 28-year-old midfielder left the field after 52 minutes to be replaced by Paul Smyth as Northern Ireland finished third in World Cup Qualifying Group A. Michael O'Neill's side will go into the play-offs via the Nations League route.

Lyons was winning his fourth senior international cap.

Stuart Kettlewell's Killie host Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

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.

Image source, SNS

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."