Kilmarnock

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Defender James Brown insists Kilmarnock are creating a "lot of chances" and are full of belief they can secure a much-needed victory at home to Dundee United on Saturday.

Killlie are second bottom of the Premiership having suffered five consecutive defeats.

"We know how we can play like second half Falkirk, like second half the other day [against Motherwell], we were miles on top," said Brown.

"So we know that we're confident and we can get a result, easy enough.

"You just look throughout the squad the players that are in it, bags of experience and lads who that have been in this the league for years.

"You see it every day in training and you can see it in games. We're creating a lot of chances but just can't get the ball in the back of the net.

"So, yeah, there's a massive confidence there that we can get something and it shows in our performances recently when we're on top of games. There's a huge belief that we can get a result this Saturday."

Despite Killie's current struggles they have won both previous meetings with United this season, triumphing 2-1 in the League Cup in August before a 2-0 league victory at Tannadice the following month.

"We've got one over them and obviously the lads beat them in the cup as well before I came," added Brown.

"So there will be a bit of confidence there from those two games but you have to put them behind you and it could be a completely different game on Saturday.

"We know we can get a result against most teams in this league, we just have to get the head down and try and do the simple things."

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• Kilmarnock have won four of their past six Scottish Premiership games against Dundee United (D2), including the latest two in a row, last winning three in succession against the Tangerines in the top flight in February 2002 under Bobby Williamson.

• Dundee United are winless in seven Scottish Premiership away games at Kilmarnock (D3 L4) since a 4-2 victory in May 2016.

• Kilmarnock have lost their past six league games, the latest three of which have been by 2+ goals. Killie last lost four consecutive Scottish Premiership matches by a 2+ goal margin in November 2014 – the fourth of which was against Dundee United (3-1).

• Dundee United have only won one of their past seven league games (D3 L3), and have also only one once in six away matches in the Premiership this season (D4 L1).

• After losing his first three top-flight games against Dundee United as a manager from August 2020 to April 2023, Kilmarnock's Stuart Kettlewell has since won his past four league games against them (three with Motherwell, one with Killie).

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Stuart Kettlewell has focused on trying to prevent Kilmarnock conceding "poor goals" as he looks to arrest their worrying slump.

The Rugby Park side have suffered six straight defeats and shipped 25 goals - a joint high with bottom club Livingston - in 13 league games.

With out-of-form Dundee United the visitors to Ayrshire on Saturday, Kettlewell knows he needs wins to ease the pressure.

"It would be naive of me to say that we've not continued to focus on conceding goals, very simply," said the Killie boss.

"It's kind of a tale of two halves I suppose. The first seven games of the season and the last six games. Going from being a real goal threat and being pretty solid defensively as a team to what we've seen over the last six games has been a dramatic change, there's no doubt in that.

"It would be naive of me to say that we've not concentrated on those, what I was calling flash moments in games. We need to score more goals, we need to convert more chances, but fundamentally we need to stop conceding poor goals, we've worked really hard on that.

"We genuinely go out every single week to prepare and to try and win a game of football irrespective of who we're playing and where we're playing.

"I don't put any more emphasis on this one, but for me it's about acknowledging that you have to change your run of form, it's as simple as that.

"You have to make sure that you start posting points, you start posting victories and you become that bit more difficult to play against in stages of games, which will always give you a foundation to try and win a game.

"I don't doubt the players for a second, they 100% have my backing and confidence, and I feel that's reciprocated as well. It's important to say that.

"If we didn't have that personality and we didn't have that togetherness, then I don't think you'd see the reactions that we've had. The players are very much together and they're doing everything they possibly can to try and get a result."

Daldeep Kaur
BBC Sport Scotland

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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.

• Long-term absentee Kyle Magennis has undergone knee surgery. Kettlewell said: "Kyle has had a bit of a clean-out on his knee. He had a hamstring problem and a bit of an issue with his knee. He has undergone surgery and you will not see him 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."

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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).

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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

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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

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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".

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• 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).