Furious Killie boss lets off steam

Owen Coyle made a perfect start to his time as Ross County boss, while Lee McCulloch was furious with his Killie players.

The Rugby Park manager tore strips off his men during an angry, hour-long meeting in the dressing room at time up.

Killie were booed off at halftime and full-time, but McCulloch felt the supporters went easy on the players.

He said: “I had to tell the truth to the boys.

“I’m well aware of the fans’ frustration and they were probably kind in not booing for longer and being more hostile.

“That first half cannot be accepted. I can’t put my name to that – it was embarrassing.

“I can’t remember a tackle going in and we need to get back to the ugly side of the game.

“Nobody went in for 50-50s and some were even jumping out of them.

“They’re happy to walk about with a swagger with the toilet bag under the arm and look the part, but not to do the ugly and nasty parts.

“We’re too nice. We need nastiness in the team.

“There are some people who have been nasty earlier in their career and then turned out not to be so nasty.

“I don’t know why that happens. It could be that they’re content to be in a comfort zone but that cannot be accepted.”

Former Scotland midfielder McCulloch is adamant he won’t walk away from the job, though he knows the failure to win any of their first eight league matches puts him under real pressure.