Kilmarnock

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.

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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."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Getting the better of Rangers at Rugby Park is nothing new for Kilmarnock, but rarely have they dominated them in the manner they did early on here.

Pre-match McInnes said he expected Rangers to come flying out of the traps. But the visitors were still tying their shoelaces when Kilmarnock were alive and kicking.

The forward pair of Wales and Watkins took advantage of a terrible start by centre-back pair Nsiala and Propper.

Though a two-goal lead was the stuff of dreams, it should have been more with countless chances squandered. And that wastefulness came back to bite them.

McInnes, too, will be disappointed defensively by all four goals, but by the time the third and fourth went in, his side were flat on their feet.

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• Kilmarnock have won six of their last 10 home league games against Rangers (L4), as many as their previous 54 beforehand (W6 D16 L32).

• Since the start of 2020-21, Rangers have won 10 of their 12 league games against Kilmarnock, the most Scottish Premiership wins any side has earned over Killie in this time.

• Kilmarnock have won five of their last seven home league games (D1 L1), as many as their previous 15 beforehand (W5 D6 L4).

• After only winning three of their first 11 away league games of 2024-25 (D4 L4), Rangers have since won both of their last two on the road, 3-1 wins at Dundee United and Hearts. Not since February 2024 have they won more in a row on their travels (four).

• Having only won two of his 15 home games as a manager against Rangers in all competitions in charge of St Johnstone (one win in five) and Aberdeen (one win in 10), Derek McInnes has since won two of his four at home against them as Kilmarnock boss (L2).

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Kilmarnock welcome back Kyle Magennis after injury but captain Kyle Vassell and defender Stuart Findlay (both ankle) are still out.

Rangers were without John Souttar, Oscar Cortes, Leon Balogun, Connor Barron, Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo at the weekend.

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Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes is aiming to ruin former team-mate Barry Ferguson's debut in the Rangers dugout, but is unsure about what to expect from the Ibrox side.

The pair played together in the Ibrox midfield in the late 1990s and McInnes acknowledged what Ferguson will bring to the role of interim manager as they prepare to go head to head on Wednesday night.

"He was a hugely talented player," McInnes said.

"When he first came through at Rangers, we were always aware of his talent. Talent doesn't get the job done at a club like Rangers. He was a fierce competitor and you need to be fiercely competitive to succeed at Rangers. He showed that.

"What he'll try and do is instil a bit of confidence through that competitive nature. That's their job. My job is to make sure we are equally as competitive and see the opportunity that is there in front of us.

"Hopefully we can be as good as we have been in recent seasons against Rangers and get the win."

While the game will be loaded with the added emotion of Ferguson's return, McInnes admitted it is hard to predict what the former Kelty Hearts, Clyde and Alloa manager will do.

"It's like any time you come up against a team who have just changed their manager, whether it's an interim or whether a manager changes. Sometimes there's some sort of reference of a preferred system," he said.

"Your preparation is still there, you analyse previous Rangers games. It becomes a bit more difficult to predict in terms of what you're going to get. The lads are only in for one day's training ahead of the game."

Kilmarnock have beaten Rangers in two of the past three meetings at Rugby Park, including a 1-0 victory earlier this season settled by Marley Watkins' late strike.

"Sometimes my job, when you player Rangers and Celtic, is you've got a lot of boys who are scarred by certain results," McInnes added. "Ultimately, when you win a game, there's a reference.

"There's a lot of positives to take from it. My job is just to reinforce the message of what can be done. If we deliver a big performance, and it'll need to be one, I believe there's a game there to be won for us."

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

It's admirable that the manager keeps talking up our top six challenge but I'd be surprised if we are anything other than bottom six.

We have lost soft goals throughout the season and have the worst away record in the league, that is not a recipe to finish in the top half.

Our last-gasp defeat at Pittodrie was a kick in the guts but not a total surprise.

It was an even battle for most of the game however substitutions changed the flow of the game.

The Dons were boosted by their changes whilst ours made us worse and we were on the back foot for the last twenty minutes. Both the corner and the goal were avoidable but ultimately the battle-weary travelling fans had yet another miserable journey home.

The games come thick and fast starting with a visit from Rangers to the Theatre of Pies on Wednesday.

Our home record against them is good and with their managerial position now vacant, it's a good time to add another defeat to their collection.

The manager has hinted that more injured players will return shortly and with a trip to Dingwall on Saturday we need all the bodies we can muster.

We're getting into the business end of the season so any points picked up in these games could be vital.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

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Derek McInnes insisted his side have not "given up" on the top six, after Kilmarnock fell to defeat at the manager's former club Aberdeen.

Killie had the chance to make it three wins a row but a late Oday Dabbagh goal saw them slip to ninth in the league.

"We'll not give up on the top six," McInnes said. "Before the game I thought four wins from seven games would cement it, three wins would give us a right good chance – and we've three home games out of the next five which we hope to make the most of."

McInnes faces another former club - Rangers - on Wednesday before travelling to Dingwall next weekend.

"Kyle Magennis will be OK for Wednesday," McInnes confirmed. "We got him scanned last week and there was no damage to his knee, just a bit of swelling in the joint.

"We thought he would make training on Friday but there was still a bit of swelling and we opted not to put him through the travelling with the Rangers game coming up.

"We're hoping to have Kyle Vassell back in training this week, so we're getting a wee bit healthier and I think that shows in the performances and hopefully shows in the performances between now and the end of the season."

Watch highlights as Aberdeen win 1-0 against Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.

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

Here's what some of you said:

Steven: On the road, we are terrible. Aberdeen were there for the taking but we go there with a mindset that 'a draw is a great result'. Manager states last week that Kyle Magennis is ok yet he's not on the bench, David Watson gets sidelined for Liam Donnelly - it emphasises that the manager thinks size is better than talent.

John: Same old Killie - world beaters one week, then total duds the next. Stick with Bobby Wales up front, he has a touch about him that reminds me of Denis Law. Get him signed up soon, give him what he wants!

Robert: The one thing you can say about Kilmarnock this year is they have been consistently inconsistent. Great, poor, awful, average performances week after week. Finishing tenth will be a decent result.

Anna: When will Derek McInnes stop playing players out of position? A defender in midfield - Corrie Ndaba - and a midfielder in defence - Brad Lyons. Watson would have been a much better option at left-back but the defence needs a kick up the backside for not defending for the whole 90 minutes. How many more games will we lose thanks to poor defending?

Jim: There is not a lot of positives about the game. We needed to score a goal, so we took off Wales and kept Marley Watkins on. Can someone tell me what advantage we get with Donnelly playing or even being picked? Danny Armstrong comes on and gets booked, the goalkeeper... sorry, no positives. Is the manager for real?

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• Aberdeen have scored 11 goals via substitutes in the Premiership this season, only Celtic (16) have scored more.

• Aberdeen have a record of W7, D0, L1 when scoring the opening goal at home in the Premiership this season.

• Kilmarnock have failed to score a first-half goal in 20 of their 27 games, more often than any other team in the Premiership this season. They have failed to score at all in 10 of those 27 games - only St Mirren (11) have failed to score more often.

• Kilmarnock have conceded 12 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.

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Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons says their weekend defeat to Aberdeen won't derail the positivity they had been building, adding they are still very much in the battle for a top six place.

Killie lost 1-0 to the Dons on Saturday, an added time Oday Dabbagh goal making the difference in a scrappy encounter at Pittodrie.

"That's what we said at half time, it's very scrappy and the game seemed to be like one goal will win it and we were wanting to get on to the end of that," Lyons reflected.

"It's overall frustration, I don't think there was much in the game, it was scrappy the whole game but to lose it at the dying end, especially with a set piece we have only got ourselves to blame so it is very frustrating."

The defeat followed back-to-back wins for Killie, who have now dropped to eighth in the Premiership.

Such is the tightness of the table, while Derek McInnes' team are just four points off second bottom - they are also only three points behind sixth-placed St Mirren.

Next up is a home date with Rangers on Wednesday night.

"I don't remember the last time in a weekend that Celtic and Rangers both lost," Lyons added. "It's very frustrating but we are still in it, a couple of wins again and it gets us right up there for that top six spot.

'The last five or six games we have been playing really well , maybe not getting results, but playing well.

"Both teams would say they could have got a lot more quality in to the game but what a way to bounce back, Rangers at home under the floodlights on Wednesday night, so we can't wait for it."

Aberdeen continued their revival and kept hold of third place in the Scottish Premiership after Oday Dabbagh's injury-time goal edged out Kilmarnock.

The Palestinian international strike, making his home debut, latched on to a Leighton Clarkson pass and converted at the back post to ensure consecutive league wins for Jimmy Thelin's side and three in all competitions.

With both sides taking back-to-back wins into the game, there was a positive mood at Pittodrie, but chances were at a premium in a high tempo first half which burst into life as the interval approached.

Referee Nick Walsh awarded Kilmarnock a penalty after Liam Donnelly went down in the box under pressure from Kristers Tobers, but that decision was overturned after the offical was called over to consult the screens.

Moments later, Aberdeen had the ball in the back of the net, but Jeppe Okkels' curling effort was ruled out for offside after another VAR intervention.

The second half was a similar story – plenty of endeavour, but not a huge amount of quality.

Aberdeen went close just before the hour when Pape Habib Gueye played in Topi Keskinen, whose angled shot was parried away by Kieran O'Hara.

And it was the hosts who looked the most likely to snatch the points.

As full time approached, great build-up play ended with a Kevin Nisbet shot striking a post. But they weren't to be denied, with Dabbagh striking at the death.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "I thought we were worthy of something but ultimately we've come away with nothing. We are disappointed but we can't dwell on that disappointment too much.

"You always felt that 1-0 would be the result today, unfortunately we were on the wrong end of it.

"I was kind of hoping that both Rangers and Celtic would both win as that would keep up closer to the teams above us but you've got to take care of the your own business first."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Kilmarnock have found life on their travels tough this term.

This means they have mustered just two wins from their 14 Premiership fixtures on the road. That is the poorest away record in the division.

It must be a real headscratcher for Derek McInnes, who has put together a very strong squad.

Having said all of that, his team only won four away league games last season in finishing fourth in the table.

So if he could find a way of digging out even just a few more away wins, everything in the Kilmarnock garden would be rosy.

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Aberdeen are still without Jamie McGrath, Gavin Molloy (both shoulder), Ester Sokler (hamstring), Dante Polvara (leg), Vicente Besuijen (knee) and Jack Milne (ankle).

Kilmarnock captain Kyle Vassell and defender Stuart Findlay (both ankle) remain out but both are back running. Midfielder Kyle Magennis had a scan on his knee and it proved clear.

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Joe Wright says Kilmarnock can take confidence from further back this season than just their previous two wins.

The Ayrshire side ended a four-game winless run with back-to-back top-flight victories over Dundee United and struggling St Johnstone, and now face an Aberdeen side who themselves halted a 14-game run without a win at the weekend.

"A lot of it comes down to mentality, probably confidence as well," said the 29-year-old defender. Probably the form we are in at the minute helps going into games.

"If you're going into the games confident, it obviously gives you a little bit more of an edge, rather than going in there a bit apprehensive.

"But I don't think it's necessarily just those two games. I think for a while we've looked a lot more solid.

"We've had a few results where we should have probably got more from the game. So performances have been good recently, and we've got to keep that going."

Wright is out of contract at the end of the season but he is focusing on helping Killie to a top-six finish and with it hopefully a European place again.

"It's not really on your mind," he added, when asked about his contractual situation.

"I'll be honest, I just want to perform as best as I can, whether I'm training or on the pitch, especially when the games are coming.

"We've got to a run of fixtures now, where they'll be coming thick and fast. You don't have time to think about it, to be honest.

"Games are Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, so your focus is on the games, especially when it's as tight as it is in the league at the moment, you just want to pick up results and have positive performances."

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• Aberdeen have won six of their last seven home league games against Kilmarnock, losing the other 1-0 in December 2023.

• Kilmarnock have won four of their last five league meetings with Aberdeen (L1), as many as their previous 38 beforehand (W4 D8 L26).

• Aberdeen's 2-1 win at Dundee last time out ended their 14-game winless run in the Scottish Premiership (D4 L10). Before that winless run, the Dons were unbeaten in 20 league games (W16 D4), and before that streak, they were winless in 11 (D5 L6).

• Kilmarnock have won both of their last two league games, last winning three in a row within a single season in the Scottish Premiership in October 2020 under Alex Dyer.

• Kilmarnock have seen more goals scored by teenagers (excl. own goals) in the Scottish Premiership this season (6) than any other club. 19-year-old Bobby Wales has scored in two of Killie's last three league games.

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Derek McInnes says "it's up to us to deal with our own business" if Kilmarnock want to attain a top six finish in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Killie beat struggling St Johnstone 3-1 at Rugby Park last weekend to make it back-to-back wins for only the second time this season, leaving them in seventh place behind St Mirren on goal difference, with seven games remaining before the split.

There are only 11 points separating third-placed Aberdeen – Killie's opponents at Pittodrie on Saturday – and 11th-placed Dundee, and McInnes is in the mood to look up, rather than down.

"I've always tried to remain positive through some difficult results and injuries and stuff like that and I still believe that we've got to have the mindset of just trying to be a top six team," the manager said.

"If you're in the top six, you've got a chance of Europe, of course, and we've got a points tally in mind that we think gives us a chance and that's attainable for us with the games remaining.

"But we've got to perform each game as it comes, there is a different challenge up at Aberdeen on Saturday, to the one we had here against St Johnstone."

The Rugby Park side finished fourth last season, and enjoyed something of a European adventure, something McInnes would like to focus on again, rather than evading a relegation battle. Either way, he doesn't want to be relying on favours from elsewhere.

"Some games are a bit more difficult to win than others but you have to do a lot right to win games in the Premiership, particularly this season, with how tight it is," he added.

"We just need to focus on our own performances, focus on what we can deal with.

"Anytime I've spoken to the players over the last few years, (I've said) don't be dependent on others. Others will let you down.

"It's just up to us to deal with our own business and I think if we can take that responsibility on, meet that responsibility head on, then I believe there's good things to happen for us this season."

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

It was a very satisfying weekend for Killie fans as we grabbed three much-needed points while seeing the return of Matty Kennedy to the fold.

He is such an important player for us and it's looking like we'll have everyone back within the next few weeks, just in time for the run in.

Our win over St Johnstone was fully deserved as we dominated from the first whistle and scored three top quality goals, too.

It would seem appropriate to discuss the three scorers who were all outstanding in the game.

Liam Polworth is a big favourite of mine. When he plays well, the team plays well. His finish for the opener was perfection and he orchestrated the game in a way that no other player at the club could replicate.

Fraser Murray was man of the match and has been consistently good for a couple of months now. He provided a constant threat down the left and his 25-yard free-kick was the icing on the cake. A superb individual performance.

Some punters were comparing Bobby Wales to Dennis Bergkamp after watching the youngster's first touch and finish for the third goal. It was a sublime piece of skill and highlights the urgent need to get him signed on a new contract.

We are off to Aberdeen this weekend and a repeat performance should see us take something from the game.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine