Kilmarnock

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

It was a weekend of relief for Killie fans as we beat Dundee to secure our top-league status for another season.

It was our third win on the trot, but there was only one question on lips of every fan: how funny is it to see Ayr's bottle crash every year?

The other issue was whether our manager was heading to Tynecastle in the coming week.

There is certainly serious interest from Hearts and media reports suggest he will shortly make the switch.

Derek McInnes has served up a mixed bag in his time at Killie and divides opinion among the fans. He took us to the Championship title and a great six months last season earned us some fantastic European memories.

On the flip side, he has given us two relegation battles, served up an embarrassing away record and frustrated fans with constant tinkering of personnel and formations.

As football fans we are used to players and managers coming and going, no individual is ever bigger than the club - we'll simply move on.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

Talks with Kilmarnock over a compensation deal to make Derek McInnes Heart of Midlothian's new team boss will not be concluded until after the sides meet in their final Scottish Premiership game of the season this weekend, with former Hearts head coach Steven Naismith favourite to replace him at Rugby Park. (Sun), external

McInnes is edging closer to accepting the Hearts job - almost eight months after Jamestown Analytics suggested him as the ideal man to replace Naismith before the appointment of Neil Critchley. (Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart dissects the impact of Danny Armstrong at Kilmarnock as the winger nears the end of his deal. (Available to UK users only)

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Robbie Deas is convinced he can "offer a lot more" to Kilmarnock after signing a two-year extension to his contract.

The defender, whose new deal will until the summer of 2027, has been a regular in the Rugby Park side since his arrival from Inverness two years ago.

The Ayrshire club say the centre-back has showcased "leadership qualities and defensive prowess" during his two seasons in the team.

And 25-year-old Deas added: "I've enjoyed my time at the club so far and I'm looking forward to building on what we've achieved and pushing on again next season.

"I feel like I can offer a lot more to this club."

Kilmarnock secured their Scottish Premiership safety with victory over Dundee on Saturday, but there is uncertainty over manager Derek McInnes' future with Hearts set to make an official approach for the ex-Aberdeen boss this week.

Heart of Midlothian are set to make their move for Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes official before close of business on Monday. (Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch highlights as Kilmarnock ensure their Scottish Premiership survival with a 3-2 win over Dundee. (Available to UK users only)

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes hailed the influence of Stuart Findlay after the 3-2 win over Dundee on Saturday secured their Scottish Premiership status.

The 29-year-old defender, on loan from Oxford, returned to action at the end of March having been out since last November with severe ligament damage.

Since his return to the side, Killie have won four out of six matches, the last three of which have been victories that have kept them away from the relegation play-off spot.

"There's no doubt having Stuart Findlay back has been massive for us," McInnes said.

"He doesn't always catch the eye, and he's not exactly dribbling out and making chances and all the rest of it, but he's such a calming influence.

"That ability for a centre-half to make people round about them better is a dying art, because so many boys now just what to play their own game and look after themselves, but he does it in such a quiet effective way.

"It was Robbie Deas' best performance of the season, maybe the best performance in a Killie shirt, he was outstanding.

"Stuart makes him better, he makes [Corrie] Ndaba better, he makes [Lewis] Mayo better. And you can't buy that. That is worth so much."

We asked for your views on the 3-2 win against Dundee that secured Kilmarnock's Premiership survival as Hearts prepare to make an approach for manager Derek McInnes.

Here's what some of you said:

Alastair: Well done team, squad and manager to keep a town team in the top league again after hectic European start. It's all good experience. Perhaps everyone, including fans, were a bit overconfident after last year but we now seem to have our confidence back. If Derek McInnes goes, then Steven Naismith for me, as he got breaking Hearts into Europe.

Dugald: Glad to have, eventually, secured Premiership status for next season. If the manager goes then so be it. I've never been a big McInnes fan. If anything he's got a reputation beyond his achievements. Hopefully Billy Bowie has some succession planning in place to drive the club forwards.

Joe: Good result for Killie. Derek has done great job for us and I have no problems with him moving on.

Anna: Impressive performance. Solid at the back and in midfield, nice to see David Watson get a start too. Danny Armstrong's passion impressed me big time and I hope he stays along with the awesome Stuart Findlay. We can rest easy knowing our Premiership survival is secure. Hearts you can get lost, you are not getting our manager, he's staying put.

Robert: McInnes must stay. No ifs, buts or maybes. The way we played showed that his players would run through brick walls for him. We can all argue with his selections/tactics in some games but in my view we could not possibly replace him.

James: An excellent performance all round. The defence were solid and we created lots of chances which would have made the final score more impressive. I really hope McInnes stays because he has started a project which will set firm foundations for the future of the club.

Kilmarnock held off Dundee's late fightback to secure victory and their Scottish Premiership status while uncertainty around manager Derek McInnes' future continues.

Danny Armstrong's penalty gave Kilmarnock the lead before the break, but Lyall Cameron's first goal of the afternoon levelled.

Two headers, scored by Bruce Anderson and Robbie Deas, looked to have finished the game but Cameron netted again - this time a stunner from the edge of the box - to set up a tense finale.

However, the hosts held on and, having achieved safety, the focus intensifies on the Rugby Park boss, who is the frontrunner for the vacant post at Hearts.

What did you make of that one, Killie fans? A well-deserved three points?

And what do you think of the speculation linking McInnes to Tynecastle? Would you be sad to see him go?

Let us know your thoughts here.

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Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland there has been "no contact" between the Ayrshire club and Hearts over the manager's job.

"I hear all the speculation but there's been no contact from club to club as far as I'm aware.

"It's hard for me to say anything other than that. The fact there's been no contact from club to club.

"There's been a lot of speculation but we've had far too much to occupy ourselves with. I've been focused on making sure we're alright.

"I love this club, it's given me so many highlights and I'm really enjoying days like today. They make it worthwhile. If anything's to change with that, it's not in my control."

On today's victory over Dundee, the Killie boss added: "It wasn't straightforward, the heat played a factor but the boys worked extremely hard.

"The games against Dundee are always dramatic, you're never quite there but I thought we were worthy winners.

"Three goals should always be enough to win a home game. Thankfully it was today, but it could have been so much more. Sometimes you're looking to just stick the knife in and get that comfortable victory and at 3-1 we thought we were there but credit to Dundee for fighting back.

"The season is maybe finishing at the wrong time for us because we actually look like we're getting stronger. But today was all about wining, it 's a real highlight seeing the fans and how much it meant."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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"Calm, resilient, professional and disciplined".

All words that McInnes used pre-game to describe his team in the last few weeks.

For much of this game, they showed that again. Quite happy to let Dundee have the ball, they soaked up pressure and then hit on the counter - almost to devastating effect.

They could have been more clinical in front of goal - looking at you, Bruce Anderson - but they made up for that with their threat from the set-piece.

However, matches between these two are never so simple and they had to show a lot of fight to hold off the wave of Dundee momentum at the end.

How will these players cope, if McInnes is to go? This is his team, built in his image. Big, strong, Kilmarnock who have finally started to stand tall at the right time.

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Danny Armstrong. The Kilmarnock winger is back to his best at the end of the season. With him and Fraser Murray on form, it's no surprise they've found their feet to allay relegation fears.

Another goal from the spot, plus an assist for Robbie Deas' goal, he's proving why Hearts were so keen to sign him in January.

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Kilmarnock pair Brad Lyons (groin) and Joe Wright (hip) have a chance of returning to the squad while Kyle Magennis (knee) is back in training but unlikely to feature.

Dundee attacker Oluwaseun Adewumi has shaken off a knock but Jordan McGhee remains out and Ethan Ingram has been ruled out for the season with a thigh injury.

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Danny Armstrong wants Kilmarnock to ensure a positive end to a disappointing season by securing Premiership survival against Dundee on Saturday.

Killie have won two out of two since the split to move ninth and a third straight victory would guarantee they can't finish in the play-off spot.

"Obviously it is not nice when you are down this end of the table," said winger Armstrong.

"We have been here before [in 2023]. It isn't as bad as last time but it's nice to hopefully get it done as soon as possible just to secure safety and look up rather than look down.

"That was the aim at the start of the post-split games and it was just about getting those first couple of wins as soon as possible. It was good to get them straight away and especially the away win, finally.

"It is frustrating because we would like to be in the top end of the table but we just couldn't catch up when times were tough.

"It was obviously a busy start to the season with the European games, loads of red cards and stuff going on and we always thought we could get back to the top six.

"We weren't far away from it and that is the crazy thing about the top six, there is always a chance for everybody until those last couple of games and we weren't quite there.

"So it was about focusing on the safety as soon as possible and we look to secure that on Saturday."

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• Kilmarnock have only lost one of their past 13 Scottish Premiership games against Dundee (W4 D8), a 3-2 defeat in November this season.

• Dundee are winless in five Scottish Premiership visits to Kilmarnock (D3 L2) since a 1-0 victory in May 2017.

• Kilmarnock have won their past two league games (both 2-0), while they last won three in a row within a single season in the Premiership in October 2020, and last did so while also keeping a clean sheet each time in April 2018.

• Dundee have alternated between winning (3) and losing (3) their last six league games, losing 2-1 at home to Motherwell last time out.

• Dundee have dropped more points from winning positions (26) than any other side in this season's top flight, while no club has recovered more from losing positions than Kilmarnock (13, level with Hibernian and Rangers).

Kenny Crawford
BBC Sport Scotland

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Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong is not ruling out extending his stay with the Rugby Park club despite being expected to leave.

The 27-year-old, who joined in 2021, is out of contract in summer and manager Derek McInnes admitted in December Armstrong is "not going to be a Kilmarnock player next season" after attempts to secure him on a new deal failed.

Armstrong held talks in January over a potential move to Hearts, but decided to stay in Ayrshire.

"It's just about seeing what comes at the end of the season, even from Kilmarnock, if there's another offer to be put down," said Armstrong.

"There's not been another offer put down since the last one, and me and the gaffer are clear on that. When the time's right we'll have the conversation.

"I'll sit down at the end of the season and look at what options I've got. I'll talk to family, managers, my manager and see what happens.

"It's a scary time for everyone. I've got a young family so it's about taking your time and making the right decision."

Armstrong has made 37 appearance for Killie this season, but only scored twice. In the 2022-23 campaign the former Raith Rovers player netted 12 times, then in 2023-24 his tally was nine.

"I've loved all four years here," said Armstrong.

"I've been through not playing here to playing every minute. I can count on one hand how many games I've not been available for and it's something I'm very proud of.

"If when I sit down at the end of the season and Kilmarnock's the option I want to do, then I'll have no hesitation in doing it.

"I've got great friends here and it's a wonderful place to be. We'll focus on these next three games then decide at the end of the season."

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Would Derek McInnes be a good choice as the new Hearts manager?

The Kilmarnock boss is under consideration, along with St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson and John McGlynn of Falkirk, as the Tynecastle club seek someone with experience of the Scottish game to replace the sacked Neil Critchley.

Mark Atkinson, sports editor of The Scotsman, says McInnes "stands out above the rest of them" because he has already managed a club of similar size, Aberdeen.

"I think you're seeing McInnes' name rise to prominence because of the experience he has," Atkinson told the BBC's Scottish football podcast.

"You see with clubs such as Hearts when they go for someone like Critchley, a bit of a wild-card appointment, when it doesn't work there's a feeling that you might go back to basics, go back to somebody who knows the Scottish landscape really well.

"Some people would argue that Robinson should be more in the conversation than he is given what St Mirren have achieved. And I think that's a fair argument.

"But it has long surprised me that McInnes has not been taken by Hearts or Hibs given the amount of time they've been looking for managers in recent years.

"He's done a very good job at Kilmarnock and you could argue that his race has almost run at Kilmarnock. What more can he achieve there?

"And just given what he's achieved in the Scottish game, at some point I've always thought he may become a serious contender for one of these roles. It now appears that's the case."

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Assistant coach Paul Sheerin was on media duty prior to Kilmarnock's important Scottish Premiership match against Dundee on Saturday.

Here are the key lines:

• He says it's "absolutely no surprise" there is speculation about manager Derek McInnes potentially becoming the new Hearts boss.

• Sheerin has been part of McInnes' backroom team at both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock and believes what he's achieved so far in his career stands out.

• He adds "there's a reason" the speculation is there and that's "because [McInnes] has done his job so well in the past years of being a manager".

• Sheerin says "ambitious" McInnes has been "huge" to what's been built at Kilmarnock despite a "frustrating" season.

• But he believes Kilmarnock are "always in a position to be ready" to move on should there be a managerial departure.

• On teenage striker Bobby Wales, who is out of contract this summer and is attracting interest from Swansea, Sheerin says the forward has "earned the opportunity to move on".

• He says that "the last couple of results have been pleasing" but the team are "fully aware the job isn't done" in their search for guaranteed survival.

• Sheerin expects a "tough game" against a Dundee side who have "goals at the top end of the pitch".

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Kilmarnock duo David Watson and Bobby Wales have been nominated for the Scottish Football Writers' Association young player of the year award.

The pair are vying with Hearts striker James Wilson and PFA winner Lennon Miller for the SFWA prize, which is restricted to players eligible for Scotland Under-21s.

Watson won both the PFA and SWFA young player awards last season after a stellar breakthrough campaign and the 20-year-old has scored five goals from midfield this term.

Striker Wales, 19, has also netted five times for Kilmarnock this season following an impressive loan at Alloa Athletic last term.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

A rare win on the road at Perth was very welcome and goes a long way to securing our Premiership survival.

I missed the game as I was at my pal's wedding but we managed to see the second goal on a mobile phone. Our mad cheer may have upset the wedding photographer who was busy at work.

Many fans have been crying out for some consistent team selection and it was no surprise an unchanged winning team paid dividends.

David Watson is only there as Brad Lyons got injured in the warm-up the previous weekend, but the 20-year-old has done more than any other player to help us gain the two wins.

His goal on Saturday was a thing of beauty and we really need to play to his strengths as he can get a significant number of goals if played in an advanced role.

Rumours abound regarding our manager heading over the M8 to Tynecastle.

We need to just concentrate on securing our league status and a win over Dundee on Saturday will let all Killie fans breathe a bit easier.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine