SMITH UNFAZED BY DARK CLOUDS OVER KILLIE
KILMARNOCK captain Steven Smith knows what it is like to play for a club that is tearing itself apart. During his second spell with Rangers, between 2013 and 2015, there was civil war in the stands, supporters’ protests and repeated attempts to force regime change while the team floundered on the pitch. The crowds at Rugby Park may not match those at Ibrox but they still make themselves heard. In their two home games in the Betfred Cup — a 2-0 loss to Championship side Morton and a 0-0 draw followed by a penalty shoot-out defeat against League One Albion Rovers — the players were jeered off the pitch at half-time and full-time. Ladbrokes, who sponsor the SPFL, have installed Lee Clark’s side — who stayed up last season by beating Falkirk in the Play-Off Final — as favourites to be automatically relegated from the Premiership while the manager has had to deny a report that he was on the verge of quitting. The negativity is unlikely to leave Killie unless the club’s directors are successful in their efforts to oust the deeply unpopular club secretary Michael Johnston. However, Smith believes that the fact Clark has signed 11 young players from English clubs this summer may prove to be a blessing in disguise — because they won’t have a clue about the politics of the situation. ‘Since I have been here, there has always been a negativity about the place — you can sense it,’ he said. ‘But, personally, what’s going off the park, I don’t take any interest in. ‘I don’t know if having to deal with things like that at previous clubs has helped me, but I just try to blank it out. It’s difficult to get rid of the negativity, but, in the changing room, the players and coaching staff have to stick together. ‘The manager is doing everything he can to get rid of that negativity. He’s signed 11 new players and, from our point of view, we have to look forward to the season starting. ‘I have not spoken to anybody but, if they needed me to speak with them, I would. A lot of them are young and that sometimes helps as it’s of no interest to them what’s happening in the boardroom. ‘The best advice I would give them is just to ignore it. It shouldn’t affect our performance on a Saturday. That would be us looking for an excuse before the season started.’ After failing to progress from a League Cup group which included four clubs from lower divisions, Smith admits he has no complaints about being short odds to remain in the top flight. ‘It’s an opinion and I can see where people are getting that opinion from,’ he said. ‘It’s difficult to change that. ‘We have to start really well this season. That begins with Motherwell on Saturday.’