Kilmarnock

Former Rangers midfielder John Lundstram branded former Ibrox team-mate Robby McCrorie a "muppet" after the goalkeeper celebrated his Kilmarnock side's victory over the Glasgow visitors online on Sunday. (Daily Record), external

Rangers' 1-0 defeat to Kilmarnock means Philippe Clement's side are now ranked as the joint-worst team in the Scottish Premiership for finding the net away from home. (Daily Record), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Kilmarnock fans will have enjoyed the 1-0 victory over Rangers.

It was a well-organised display full of energy and determination.

Give us your thoughts on the game here.

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"It was good to get back to being resolute and organised," Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland. "Our press was terrific throughout.

"We had good strength through the middle. I thought we were the better team in the first half and we reminded the players of that, but we still needed that moment.

"At no time did we settle for 0-0, we thought there was a result there for us. Marley's timing was terrific and he takes his big moment in the game.

"The clean sheet is so pleasing as well."

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Home form has been a traditional strength for Kilmarnock, but they had five draws and one defeat in all competitions on their own plastic patch coming into this game.

A first league win of the season came in their last outing, an unlikely comeback from 2-0 down at Dens Park, and they looked more like their old selves, getting in the faces of Rangers and getting the ball forward quickly.

Kyle Vassell gave centre-halves John Souttar and Robin Propper a torrid time in the first half, with muscular support from match-winner Marley Watkins.

Matty Kennedy and Danny Armstrong provided good width and energy in attack and defence, tracking back to form a back six, as the full-backs pushed inside to support the centre-halves.

Derek McInnes kept telling us we would see the "real Kilmarnock" after a couple of sluggish displays on the back of European outings and it looks like he was right, with nine points garnered from five unbeaten league outings.

Captain Kyle Vassell led the Kilmarnock line with aggression - and a few lovely touches. John Souttar kept Ronaldo & co at bay for Scotland but struggled to deal with the striker's power.

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Kilmarnock: McCrorie, Mayo, Deas, Findlay, Ndaba, Armstrong, Lyons, Donnelly, Kennedy, Watkins, Vassell.

Substitutes: O'Hara, Burroughs, McKenzie, Watson, Murray, Anderson, Mackay-Steven, Bainbridge, Wales.

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Propper, Souttar, Jefte, Barron, Diomande, Cerny, Lawrence, Bajrami, Dessers.

Substitutes: Kelly, Dowell, Kasanwirjo, Balogun, Igamane, Raskin, McCausland, Fraser, McKinnon.

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Kilmarnock have Stuart Findlay back and midfielder David Watson is set to play through a shoulder knock. Joe Wright completes a three-match suspension while Liam Polworth (calf) remains out alongside long-term absentee Kyle Magennis.

Rangers midfielder Ianis Hagi is suspended but Danilo, Ross McCausland and Tom Lawrence could return. Oscar Cortes, Ridvan Yilmaz and Rabbi Matondo remain out.

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Lewis Mayo wants Kilmarnock to take a positive mindset into Sunday's Scottish Premiership match against Rangers.

Derek McInnes' side beat both Rangers and Celtic at Rugby Park last season, and Mayo firmly believes they are capable of another upset despite their indifferent early season form.

"At the core of it, I think it's that positive mental attitude that we're turning up and we're going after the result," he said.

"We're well set up and well organised but we talk about if we see that, can we go and press them? Are we pressing high, are we waiting for them? Can we get after them?

"I think that's something we did really well last season here. And you can see it in the European games, teams that come here, they get rocked a wee bit sometimes."

Mayo says confidence was a key part of their success against the Old Firm last season.

"In terms of performance, everyone needs to be playing well," Mayo added. "Because when you’re not, the better teams, the better players, they punish you quicker.

"I think at the base of it is that confidence. And then I think even getting one result last season bred confidence for the other games that we get a result.

"And all of a sudden teams come here thinking that's in the back of their mind as well. So I think that’s the core of it."

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While Neil Critchley and Simo Valakari will be trying to find the infamous 'new manager bounce', a much more experienced head will be bidding to build on an unlikely boost.

It looked like curtains for Kilmarnock when they fell 2-0 down after 81 minutes to 10-man Dundee last time out, but the Ayrshire side came roaring back for their first league victory of the campaign.

Now Derek McInnes must turn his attention to improving home form, usually such a strength.

Killie are winless in five top flight games at Rugby Park (D3 L2), which is their longest run since a bleak sequence of nine from May-November 2017.

The problem is Rangers are Sunday's opponents and they have won four of their previous six visits. The Ibrox team have also kept seven clean sheets in their last nine games.

After a slow start, Kilmarnock have certainly improved in front of goal, scoring eight in their last three outings, but McInnes will need to tighten up a defence that has conceded 17 in seven to have a chance of repeating his win over Rangers on the first day of last term.

Read the rest of this weekend's Premiership picks

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Derek McInnes wants to break the cycle of coming from behind as Kilmarnock chase their first home win of the Premiership campaign against Rangers on Sunday.

The Ayrshire side are yet to open the scoring in seven league outings, although they are unbeaten in their last four, with three draws followed by a dramatic 3-2 victory away to Dundee last time out.

"We know we've got that performance in us to beat Rangers and hopefully we can deliver that," said McInnes.

"We've allowed the opposition to score the first goal too many occasions this season and it's something that we want to stop.

"Stop having to come from behind, stop giving ourselves a mountain to climb and start to really impose ourselves in the game - particularly when you play against a team like Rangers."

Killie fans have not been able to celebrate a win at Rugby Park so far this term, with five draws and one loss in all competitions.

Last season, they picked up 35 points from 19 home games in the top flight.

"We want to be a team that's confident at home as we've shown in the past," said McInnes.

"We're only one point less off when we were at this stage last season and that was after having beaten Rangers in the first game, so it was a wee bit of a slow burner last year and we went on to have a brilliant campaign.

"I think we'll get that familiarity of selection and that was a real benefit to us last season. We've scored eight goals in the last three games, so we're finding our feet."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has been talking with the media prior to hosting Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Here are his key lines:

• McInnes believes the manner of the late 3-2 comeback win against Dundee before the international break was "fantastic" and "exactly what we needed" after waiting so long for their first Premiership victory.

• He pointed to being now five games unbeaten but conceded there have been too many draws within that: "Wins take us where we want to be, draws don't," he said.

• McInnes suggested teams know Kilmarnock are traditionally strong at home and that his squad have "that performance in us to beat Rangers."

• The manager pointed to starting games better and needing to "impose yourself on the game" as too often they have given themselves "a mountain to climb".

• After such a successful campaign last season that led to European football, McInnes also reminded everyone that the club are only one point worse off than they were at this stage of last season and that they're now "finding our feet".

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• Kilmarnock have lost nine of their last 10 league meetings with Rangers, winning the other 1-0 on the opening matchday of last season.

• Rangers have won four of their last six league visits to Kilmarnock (L2), this after failing to win their previous six beforehand (D2 L4).

• Kilmarnock are winless in five home league games (D3 L2), their longest such run in the Scottish Premiership since going nine without winning from May-November 2017.

• In all competitions, Rangers have kept seven clean sheets in their last nine games. In the other two, however, they lost by a margin of three goals – 0-3 v Celtic in September and 1-4 v Lyon this month.

• Rangers have used more different players (26) than any side in the Scottish Premiership this season. Despite this, however, they have had just five different goalscorers (excl. own goals), with only three sides having fewer in the competition this term.

We asked for your views on what you want to see from Killie.

Here's what some of you said:

Samuel: I think maybe Gary Mackay-Steven needs to get a start, he brings so much more skill than Danny Armstrong brings and he can actually beat a player. When he started against Motherwell in the cup he was excellent for 60 minutes. I also think Robbie Deas could become a first-team starter now, I think he is a quality player, he deserves a run in the team.

John: It's time we had a no-nonsense defender and a captain at the back instead of up front.

Sandy: Europe didn't do us any favours this season so we are needing to catch up. We battled hard to get a result against Dundee and we need to keep that going. Our biggest problem seems to be with our attack. Our scoring threat seems to be coming from midfield this season and not from our strikers. That needs to change.

Typical, right?

Kilmarnock get their first league win of the season and instead of gathering momentum, another international break hits.

Derek McInnes' side do, finally, return this weekend though, with Rangers coming to town.

Now, we want to know what you’re looking for from Killie?

What needs to be built on from that Dundee win? Where do improvements need to be made between now and the next mini-international break next month? (Another one, we know).

Give us your thoughts here., external

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Having endured yet another international weekend, it's good to return to reality as Kilmarnock prepare to face Rangers on Sunday.

With a first league win under our belt, Killie have nothing to fear in a fixture that has produced some amazing memories over the years.

The final game at the old style Rugby Park saw Killie grab a single goal victory with a Tam Black special securing the points. It was a fitting way to say farewell to the old terracing and there have been plenty of further Killie wins as we sit rather than stand.

Steve Clarke had a fantastic record over Rangers, with Boydy grabbing a couple of quick fire goals to secure three points while Jordan Jones thanked his new employers by firing in the winner in another 2-1 win.

Perhaps our beautiful Sunday victory to secure European football was the best of all, though. Brophy's last-gasp penalty sparked scenes that will be remembered for long and weary.

The under performing visitors do not enjoy coming to the home of football and this is another opportunity for the current squad to create new memories.

I better take a day off work on Monday just in case the champagne corks are popping again...

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English has been answering your questions.

Denham asked: Where do you think Killie will finish in the league this season, based on what you’ve seen so far? Also, do you think we realistically can go far the Scottish Cup which is a particular aim of Derek McInnes?

Tom answered: Based on what I have seen so far I would say they will finish in a lowly position, Denham. But I would not judge Killie on what I have seen so far.

They are in a false position in my view. They would want to get a move on fairly soon - recent signs are positive - but I think they are capable of getting up that table pretty sharpish.

The squad is good, the management is good, the confidence has been low but that can change fairly rapidly. Fourth, fifth or sixth would be my prediction. It would be a poor season if they didn't make the top six with the players they've got.

A Cup run? Everybody needs a bit of luck. Losing to what was then a very poor Aberdeen team last season and to Inverness Caledonian Thistle the season before was pretty wasteful on Killie’s part.

If they get some good fortune with the draw and are more ruthless than they have been in beating teams they should be beating, then they can make it Hampden

Alan asked: Would you agree that Kilmarnock are in good hands and being run well?

Tom answered: I agree, Alan. The board are visible and in the community. Clearly very passionate and very responsible Killie people.

They have backed Derek McInnes and they got rewards last season for it. I don't think it will be very long before Killie are back up there challenging for another fourth-place finish.

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This will be music to Kilmarnock fans' ears.

On the back of last season's "dream season", David Watson is eyeing up adding more goals to his game.

The midfielder, who is preparing to take on Belgium in a crucial Euro qualifier with Scotland Under-21s on Friday night, says his "amazing" breakthrough campaign with Derek McInnes' side was "unexpected" but he's aiming to build on the learnings he experienced.

Watson, who made 45 Killie appearances last term and scored four times, told the Scottish FA: "It was a dream season for me to come through and play as much as I did.

"That was the main thing for me last year, to try and play as much games as I did. I didn't really expect to have the season I did, it was just amazing.

"It was such a big learning curve for me as well, I played well, but I made some mistakes which benefited me. I learned things last season which I can take into this one and hopefully build on."

One of those things is scoring goals. The 19-year-old has already scored three times this season, but it's a tally he is determined to bolster.

"[I'm] not particularly a goalscoring midfielder, it’s something that me and the gaffer have spoken about, trying to add more goals to my game," he added.

"That's something that people are looking for in a midfielder, to score more goals, and to always be arriving in the box and being able to run into the box and getting goals.

"That's what every number eight should be now."

The number eight is what he'll be hoping to have on his back when Scotland take on Belgium at Tynecastle on Friday night. Get through that, and next summer's major tournament is very much a possibility.

"I'd be buzzing to be a part of that," Watson said of the Euros.

"The games I've played, I've done pretty well, so hopefully I can keep pushing at club level as well and hopefully I can be there for that experience."

What would you like to ask Tom English about Kilmarnock?

Our chief sportswriter is in the hotseat ready to answer your questions and offer his insight and opinion on your club.

Who has been the top performer so far? Is the manager living up to expectations?

Put your questions to Tom here, external.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

There have been a few games so far this season where Killie have done enough to win but for various reasons have failed to do so.

At Dens Park on Saturday we were bang average at best for 85 minutes yet somehow snatched three points in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

When Dundee scored their second goal with less than 10 minutes remaining many Killie fans had seen enough and headed for the exits, a decision they would soon regret.

Our substitutes gave the team a fresh momentum and the late three-goal salvo will stay long in the memory of all those who witnessed it.

It is still very early days in the campaign yet there is a general belief that the three points gained could prove to be the catalyst for a climb up the table following a slow start.

Special mention must be given to Gary Mackay-Steven, Bobby Wales, Bruce Anderson and Rory McKenzie who sparked the comeback and staked their claims for a starting place against Rangers a week on Sunday.

It would be fair to say the manager has been more than loyal to a few players and perhaps some of these guys have not been given a fair crack of the whip.

It's a pity we have another international weekend coming up but confidence should be sky high when Rangers come calling to the home of football.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

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Kilmarnock's remarkable late rescue act at Dens Park on Saturday was the first time they have come from two goals down to win a league game away from home since August 1991.

On that occasion 33 years ago they defeated Meadowbank Thistle 3-2 thanks to a Bobby Williamson double and Ally Mitchell goal.

Saturday’s comeback was just the second time this century a team have won an SPFL game after trailing by two goals after 85 minutes – the other was Raith Rovers’ 4-3 triumph at Airdrie in August 2018.

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Kilmarnock goalkeeper Robby McCrorie has earned a late recall to the Scotland squad for the Nations League games with Croatia and Portugal.

McCrorie missed out on selection for last month's opening defeats by Poland and Portugal because of a hip injury.

Having been omitted from Steve Clarke's initial pool for the upcoming doube-header, the 26-year-old has now received a summons following the injury-enforced withdrawal of Angus Gunn.

McCrorie made his first Kilmarnock appearance for almost two months in last weekend's comeback win at Dundee.

Scotland face Croatia away on Saturday before hosting Portugal next Tuesday.