Kilmarnock

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Derek McInnes is determined to make sure Kilmarnock remain "relevant" after missing out on this season's League Cup quarter-finals.

The Ayrshire team were put out of the competition by Motherwell back in August and, as a result, had the weekend off.

When asked if he enjoyed a break from the action, McInnes replied: "I hated it."

The Rugby Park boss has been linked with the vacancy at Hearts, but he insists he is "fully" committed to bring more success to Kilmarnock.

"I just want us to be relevant," he added. "I want us to be in semi-finals and finals of cups, top six, playing in Europe. Saturday was a wee reminder we weren't there.

"I think when there are international breaks there’s a general feeling it's a chance to get some needed downtime.

"But when other teams are playing and we're just skulking about... I hated it."

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes addressed the media before Saturday's Scottish Premiership home match against Dundee United.

Here are his key points:

• The Killie boss "hated" having a free weekend as the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals took place. "I just want us to be relevant," he explained. "I want us to be in the semi-finals and finals of cups and top six and playing in Europe. Saturday was a wee reminder that we weren't there this time around."

• McInnes has challenged his players to be a top-six team before the end of the first round of games.

• The Rugby Park boss contacted Scottish FA head of refereeing Willie Collum over his frustrations about how the 2-2 draw with St Mirren was handled and and feels "validated" after feeling "so let down" on the day.

• After speaking to sacked Hearts head coach Steven Naismith and recently dismissed St Johnstone manager Craig Levein, McInnes believes the latter can feel "hard done by" while Naismith "might have got a wee bit more grace". McInnes described both departures as "particularly harsh".

• And McInnes does not regard being linked with the Hearts vacancy as a compliment and insists his focus remains on Kilmarnock.

• Liam Donnelly will be back in full training this week while Brad Lyons returns from suspension to be available against Dundee United. Banned Joe Wright and injured Kyle Magennis miss out.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes "would be fantastic" for the vacant managerial position at Hearts, says former Tynecastle striker Lee Miller.

Steven Naismith was relieved of his duties as head coach after a woeful eight-game losing run, which leaves the club bottom of the Premiership.

Since being appointed Rugby Park boss, McInnes has led Killie back to the top flight and secured a fourth-placed finish last term.

His side, however, are also yet to win a league game this season and sit just a place and a point above Hearts.

"I think McInnes would be fantastic," Miller told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"They would obviously need to pay money to get him out there, but he's done a tremendous job everywhere he's been. He's turned into a real force in Scottish football.

"Yeah, Kilmarnock have not had a great start to the season, but he understands how the game works in Scotland and I think he's been very good.

"He's very good at recruiting, but the thing is he would have a really good squad to work with at Hearts if he went there."

Naismith was dismissed by Hearts following the 2-1 defeat at St Mirren on Saturday.

The former Scotland striker vowed to fight on at the club, but ex-Falkirk manager Miller suggests he knew what was coming.

"Having been a manager myself, I know how it feels," Miller added.

"Everything just gets on top of you. Everything kind of builds up. You lose your focus slightly and there's just so much pressure.

"Whether they were right or wrong, I think the pressure was building through the fans and through the lack of the results this season having not won a game."

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

It's a long boring weekend when Killie are not in action and I refuse to trek about overpriced furniture stores searching for a flatpack wardrobe with three parts missing.

However, I think it's the first weekend where we haven't seen a red card and we also have a winnable home game to look forward to this Saturday.

One interesting development over the weekend was the sacking of former Killie star Steven Naismith as Hearts boss. Almost as soon as it was announced the pundits were touting Derek McInnes as his replacement.

McInnes has brought much-needed stability to the club and he appears to enjoy having control over all football matters. That would not necessarily be the case at Tynecastle. Having turned down Rangers in the past, it is clear that McInnes doesn't just jump ship for a few extra bucks.

It's flattering when your manager is linked with other jobs but I don't see Delboy moving to any other Scottish club and I hope he stays at Killie to continue his good work.

Dundee United have had a decent start to the season but if Killie can repeat the level of performance shown in Paisley and keep 11 players on the park I fancy it could be our first league win.

Sandy Armour is editor of the Killie Hippo fanzine.

Kilmarnock's Derek McInnes is a potential candidate to replace Philippe Clement, who is one defeat away from being sacked as Rangers manager, but the Ibrox club's priority is to resolve their boardroom battle and a lack of money that limited their summer transfer spending. (Football Insider), external

Former Sunderland and Stoke City manager Alex Neil is the early bookmakers' favourite to become Heart of Midlothian head coach, while Kilmarnock's Derek McInnes and St Mirren's Stephen Robinson are also among the contenders. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Earlier, we asked you who has made the most league appearances for Kilmarnock.

The correct answer is Alan Robertson - the left-back played 481 league games from 1972-1988 for the Rugby Park side.

Who has made the most league appearances for Kilmarnock?

Answer will be revealed at 17:00 BST

Dundee, Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Ross County, St Johnstone and St Mirren will each take in £1.6m in solidarity payments due to Celtic's Champions League qualification, with Aberdeen and Dundee United receiving £1m and £650,000 going to Hearts and Livingston. (Mail), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

The benefit of having the international break was there for all to see at Paisley as Killie put in an excellent display that would have earned us three points on any other day.

The fact we only left with one point was once again down to substandard officiating. It really is a recurring theme.

VAR was introduced to assist our officials and improve their decision-making. Any amount of technology can be implemented but if the officials using it are incompetent then their mistakes are going to be compounded.

The referee bottled a red card for Mikael Mandron while VAR chose to ignore Shaun Rooney assaulting Kyle Vassell.

Killie were the better team throughout even though we had to play the second half with 10 men following Joe Wright's second dismissal in seven games.

Corrie Ndaba was outstanding and having Wright missing for a few weeks is no bad thing. We have another free weekend now but I expect us to start climbing the table when the action starts again.

Sandy Armour is editor of The Killie Hippo fanzine

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Marley Watkins insists Killie can secure a top-six Premiership finish this season despite their slow start to the league campaign.

Derek McInnes' side came from behind twice to snatch a 2-2 draw with St Mirren at the weekend to move off the bottom of the table, and Watkins - who scored Killie's first equaliser - thinks the result can spark some momentum.

"It's a good point in the end but we need to build on it and make sure we get our first win in the next league game," he said.

"We were the better team in the second half, even with 10 men. They're a quality team, I’ve got a lot of respect for St Mirren.

"It's always a battle. It's a good point under the circumstances, so we've just got to take it into the next game.

"At our best, we should get top six. Every week, we’ve got to make sure we keep our standards high and start climbing."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

In a hectic game in Paisley where St Mirren and Kilmarnock drew 2-2, Corrie Ndaba stood out for the visitors both at the back and going forward.

It's understandable why Derek McInnes wanted the full-back on a permanent deal after his impressive loan stint last season.

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock 2-2 draw against St Mirren.

Here's what some of you said:

David: With what happened during the game and having seen the TV footage a 2-2 draw was fair. However, it was a much improved performance up to the sending off and the second half. Killie were the only team in the game. Stop the red cards, improve discipline, and we'll do well this season. Excellent turn out by our fans!

James: The VAR was ridiculous. They managed to see the handball for the penalty and the Joe Wright incident but did nothing when Mikael Mandron and Shaun Rooney committed glaring fouls. The team played as well as they have all season and we'll start picking up points soon.

Martin: Best Kilmarnock performance of the season. Only one team wanted to play football against a team of hammer-throwers. Ref and VAR need dropped and fined, but what a team, proud of how we kept on going and got the vital point. Could and should have been more. Corrie Ndaba was superb.

Anna: Absolute garbage. Why the hell, when we were chasing the win, did Derek McInnes not make any substitutions until the 85th minute? Had he done so earlier like after the sending off we might have had a chance of a win.

Jim: Let's stop looking through blue and white glasses. This is a poor team. The goalkeeper is static in goal. The defence panic when under pressure. The two up front are extremely poor. The goals they have scored are deflections and not clear-cut goals. We seem to thrive in getting fouls instead of playing football to create chances.

Stephen: Not great from both sides, the red card for Wright was a wrong decision and if you compare the decision making regarding the penalty, just look at the penalty disallowed between Celtic and Hearts. Penalty decisions were an absolute joke.

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• Kilmarnock have won two points from losing positions in the Premiership this season - only Dundee have recovered more.

• Meanwhile St Mirren have lost four points from winning positions in the Premiership this season - no team has lost more.

• Liam Polworth attempted 55 passes in this game, the highest total for a Kilmarnock player in the Premiership this season.

Andy Burke
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Marley Watkins says Kilmarnock need to "sort it out" when it comes to their disciplinary record this season if they are to climb up the Premiership table.

Watkins scored Killie's first equaliser as they twice came from behind to secure a hard-earned 2-2 draw at St Mirren.

Joe Wright was sent off for a clash with Shaun Rooney just before the break, his second red card of the season and Killie's fourth of the campaign.

"It's uncharacteristic of us to have that many, but we've got to sort it out," Watkins told BBC Scotland.

"We had 10 men for the majority of the game and I'm so proud of the boys for digging in. Buzzing we got Joe out of trouble.

"I think we can be proud of the point under the circumstances. Obviously we came here to win but things happen in football games and we'll take the point

"It shows our character from last season and we've brought it into this season, and now I think we need to win the next game to make it a good point."

Kilmarnock came from behind with 10 men to draw against St Mirren in a full-blooded, action-packed and breathless affair that had a 91st-minute Buddies' winner ruled out.

Four goals, one red card, three VAR interventions and plenty of contentious decisions that could have gone either way.

What did you make of it, Kilmarnock fans? Would you take a point in those circumstances?

Let us know your thoughts., external

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes told BBC Scotland: "We were the better team with 11 men, we asserted ourselves on the game, overran them in midfield, carried a threat on the sides. We were terrific.

"The first time the ball comes in our box, [Toyosi] Olusanya gets a run. We're so annoyed with that type of goal, but our response is good - a well-worked set play. St Mirren are a big time and sometimes you have to think outside the box to get a solution.

"I've not seen the handball again, I've got to trust it is. We've got to assume the referee has got it right and we've got it all to do."

"The moment of madness from Joe Wright is unacceptable. He'll be fined two weeks wages for his actions. If the referee has deemed that as a punch, it is ill-discipline. Kilmarnock fans need to know that's not acceptable.

"If the referee has seen what I think I saw, it is enough for a red card."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

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Four red cards in the first five league games is completely unacceptable, and something that McInnes must be mulling how to solve.

Another moment of insanity from Joe Wright - his second of the season - almost cost them everything, but for the typical determination you see from McInnes sides.

'It's us against the world' must have been the half-time team talk, and maybe McInnes has a point. Rooney and Mandron both should have been off in the first half and you'd have to back Kilmarnock against nine men.

Armstrong and Kennedy were effective on the wings, as were Vassell and Watkins up top. They just need to sort this defensive frailty that has crept in. That, and the crazy red cards.

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Matty Kennedy. Often flies under the radar because of Danny Armstrong's heroics, but he is equally threatening from the other wing.

That said, both of them were a fair shout for Kilmarnock's player of the match. They whipped plenty of balls in that worried the St Mirren defence.

Corrie Ndaba was also impressive. Both goals came from corners, caused by Ndaba shooting from distance. If he stays fit, he should start every week.

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St Mirren: Balcombe, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor, Rooney, Idowu, O'Hara, Boyd-Munce, Brown, Olusanya, Mandron.

Substitutes: Urminsky, Kenny, Bwomono, Tanser, Smyth, Adeniran, Scott, Ayunga, Van Veen.

Kilmarnock: O'Hara, Burroughs, Wright, Findlay, Ndaba, Armstrong, Watson, Polworth, Kennedy, Vassell, Watkins.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Deas, McKenzie, Mackay-Steven, Murray, Cameron, Anderson, Wales, Bainbridge.