A long, hard season ahead as Killie battle for survival
OVERVIEW
THERE has to be a degree of guesswork here, but looking at the other teams in the league and the changes they have made, I do see Killie getting dragged into the play-off – or worse.
One thing they must try and improve on is their home form. The majority of their points last season were picked up away from Rugby Park.
I know from my own playing days that the Killie crowd can be quite critical of their own team.
But the fact the ground now has an artificial pitch should be an advantage to the hosts, who will know the surface’s individual traits better than their opponents.
MANAGER
LEE CLARK (above) has certainly been one of the busiest bosses in the Premiership this summer.
Despite having led Killie to a comfortable play-off victory over Falkirk, the Englishman clearly felt there were problems with his squad.
And he certainly hasn’t sat on his hands when it comes to addressing them. Amazingly, he has managed to get a dozen players out and almost as many in.
To be honest, that is the main reason I am tipping them to be down at the bottom.
It is very difficult to bring in so many new faces and get them all firing straight away.
We witnessed the evidence of that with their League Cup loss at home to Morton last week, a very poor result.
Clark obviously believes the new guys to be a better standard than those Kilmarnock had before. But at the moment the jury is still out.
MOST-IMPORTANT PLAYER
JOSH MAGENNIS didn’t get the time on the pitch for Northern Ireland in the Euros I expected him to, but that should have the benefit of leaving him fresh for the club season ahead.
He will have got a lift just from being involved over in France, and if he is in form, his physical strength and ability to hold the ball up will be a big help to the side.
FINISHING POSITION
ELEVENTH. But I wouldn’t rule out them actually ending up bottom and suffering automatic relegation to the Championship.