Kilmarnock

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Derek McInnes is "annoyed" Kilmarnock have found themselves in the bottom six of the Scottish Premiership but insists they will "fight and scrap" for survival.

With five fixtures remaining the Rugby Park outfit, who finished fourth last season, are in ninth place, one point ahead of current relegation play-off spot occupants, Dundee and six in front of bottom side St Johnstone.

Before the first post-split game on Saturday at home to fellow strugglers County – who have won all three meetings so far this season – McInnes couldn't hide his anger at his club's predicament.

"I'm annoyed that we're in a situation," the Kilmarnock manager said.

"I'd rather not be in the bottom six, but the fact is we are and we've got to be honest and say that while there's not been a lot between us, we've not been good enough to get away from the teams that are around us.

"We've still got that opportunity now to deal with it, so it's just try to be as professional and switched on as possible and just deal with what's in front of us."

If Killie are to get the better off County for the first time this season, they'll need to do so without captain Kyle Vassell, who has had another setback with an ankle problem which has kept him out since January.

"We've had chances against Ross County but getting the first goal would be really key," McInnes added.

"I think we've beaten every team down there, except Ross County, but equally we've been beaten by everybody, so there's nothing between a lot of the teams.

"We've got to make sure we just concentrate on performance, concentrate on being more disciplined because I think that's a big part of it, as well when the games get a bit fraught ,but really just tap into what we've got here.

"We need to just try and make the most of the five games we've got and I believe we have enough in the squad to get the job done.

"But nobody's going to give us it, we're going to have to fight and scrap. No one is just going to not give us three points."

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• Along with Celtic, Ross County are one of two sides to win all three of their Scottish Premiership games against Kilmarnock this season; the last team to beat Killie four times in a single top-fight campaign were Rangers in 2010-11.

• In their top-fight history, Ross County have never beaten a particular opponent four times within the same campaign.

• Kilmarnock have only won one of their past seven league games (D1 L5), although that was their last at home, beating Motherwell 2-0. Indeed, a league-high 74% of their points in the Scottish Premiership this season have come at home (26/35).

• Ross County have lost their past four league games – the longest ongoing losing run in the Scottish Premiership this season. The Staggies last lost more in a row in August 2022 (six), and last did so within a single season in December 2020 (six).

• Ronan Hale has scored nine league goals this season and could become only the sixth player to score 10+ in a top-fight campaign for Ross County, after Liam Boyce (three times), Alex Schalk (2017-18), Regan Charles-Cook (2021-22), Jordan White (2022-23), and Simon Murray (2023-24).

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Kyle Vassell and Kilmarnock are "definitely in the right place" over talks to extend the captain's stay at Rugby Park.

The 32-year-old striker remains a key part of Derek McInnes' squad, despite not featuring since early January because of injury issues.

But the forward is determined to make an impact on the survival push and is keen to remain at Rugby Park beyond this season, although he its his future could hinge on what division the club are in.

"The club want me to stay and I would like to stay," said Vassell, whose current deal expires this summer.

"I have just said to the club, 'I just want to get fully fit, I want to get on the pitch first and then we will take care of everything else'.

"I would say [there's a] verbal [agreement]. It's not a written agreement because I haven't signed a contract, but we are definitely in the right place.

"My kids were born in Kilmarnock, we have roots here technically now, I have really enjoyed my time here. I could definitely play the rest of my good days here.

"I would probably say my future somewhat [depends on survival], although I have no doubts that Kilmarnock will be in the top flight next season."

On his current fitness situation, Vassell, who scored 11 goals last term but has netted just three times this season, added: "It's been a tough couple of months, but I'm heading in the right direction.

"I'm still not full match sharp, that will come, but I'm looking forward to the run-in.

"[Being out has been] Really hard, especially being captain, you feel like you are letting the team down, letting the club down, but it's part of football and you can't think like that."

Nick Mheat
BBC Sport Scotland

How many times have you heard a relegation-threatened manager talk about the need to hit the coveted 40-point mark?

Well, the truth is, no Scottish Premiership team has ever required that total to avoid the bottom two since the play-offs were brought back more than a decade ago.

However, that is projected to change this season.

Based on current points-per-game averages, 11th-placed Dundee are set to end on a total of 39, meaning 40 could be the magic number to guarantee safety.

If that is the case, that would mark the highest tally required to ensure survival in Scotland's top tier since 38-game seasons were reintroduced in the 2000-01 campaign.

That would also mean Hearts are effectively safe, given they are already on 40 points and four teams would need to make up ground on them, while eighth-placed Motherwell would need just a single point from five post-split games.

With Kilmarnock in ninth and Ross County in tenth both currently on 35, which is just one more than Dundee's 34, the fight to avoid 11th is clearly likelier to be between those three.

But that is not set in stone. The nature of the split means each team in the bottom half will face the other before the end of the campaign, so there is scope for points-per-game averages to fluctuate.

And what does all of this mean for St Johnstone? Well, the 33 points Simo Valakari's side are projected to finish on would be the highest for a bottom-placed team in the Premiership since 2017.

That would be no consolation for the Perth club if they go down, but that is certainly not guaranteed to happen just yet.

However, they have a real fight on their hands to make up a five-point gap while improving their inferior goal difference.

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With five games left of the league season, Kilmarnock fans are understandably worried about their team's survival chances.

Derek McInnes' side have won only one of their past seven matches and are just one point above Dundee in the Scottish Premiership relegation play-off spot.

They have shipped 17 goals in that time and must find a way to arrest that slide as they prepare to face the other bottom six clubs before the end of the season.

Given the tight nature of the league, it is more than feasible the relegation battle will come down to the final day of the season.

Killie host Hearts that day - the team in the bottom half with by far the largest budget and the team most in the bottom half wanted to avoid when the league split last weekend.

McInnes and the club's fanbase will obviously hope to have secured safety before the final day, but if they haven't and need a win against the Tynecastle club, they can take heart from two of the other three meetings this term.

Killie won 1-0 at Rugby Park in December despite Robbie Deas' early red card and came from a goal down to win at Tynecastle in October.

Matty Kennedy and Kyle Vassell scored in the space of five second-half minutes to secure all three points.

They may well need to find a third win over the Jambos if they are to avoid the dreaded relegation play-off.

Sandy Armour
Fan writer

Our last pre-split game went very much like most of our away performances this season with a shambolic display and a predictable defeat at Celtic.

The possession and ing stats were totally embarrassing especially when you consider we gave them a decent game in the Scottish Cup three months ago.

Our focus is now on the five cup finals and with three games at home there can be no more feeble excuses.

Our previous home game against Motherwell provided a solid showing and a welcome three points. We need to replicate that as we simply cannot expect anything away from home as our record on the road is horrendous.

There is plenty of unrest among the fans around the manager but that needs to be parked for now.

I'd ask all Killie fans to make a special effort to get to the Theatre of Pies and play your part in helping us secure our Premiership survival.

The club should be congratulated on freezing the season ticket prices for next season. Once again we are running our 'Growing the Killie Family' initiative to help deserving families get a family ticket when they otherwise wouldn't be able to do so.

If you would like to nominate a family or donate a ticket please email me at [email protected].

Sandy Armour is editor of the Killie Hippo fanzine.

• Kilmarnock v Ross County - Saturday, 26 April 2025

• St Johnstone v Kilmarnock - Saturday, 3 May 2025

• Kilmarnock v Dundee - Saturday, 10 May 2025

• Motherwell v Kilmarnock - Wednesday, 14 May 2025

• Kilmarnock v Hearts - Sunday, 18 May 2025

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Watch the pick of the action from Celtic Park as Brendan Rodgers' side move within touching distance of the title by beating Kilmarnock 5-1. (Available to UK s only)

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Kilmarnock midfielder Brad Lyons insists the Ayrshire club deserve their place in the Premiership as they prepare for a bottom-six relegation battle in the season run-in.

Every club finishing below the top six has a chance of being pulled into a race to avoid demotion, with Derek McInnes looking for his side to recover from a bruising experience against champions-elect Celtic.

A blistering first-half goal spree ended the contest as Brendan Rodgers' side ran out 5-1 winners.

"Kilmarnock is a big, massive club," Lyons told BBC Scotland.

"We deserve to stay in the Premiership, but we have to do that, and especially the last five games this season, we need to stick together.

"No one's blaming anyone. We're a team. We do everything together. It's good team spirit, and we look after our job on the training pitch and then and on a Saturday."

Goal difference could be significant with teams bunched so tightly in the table. And at one stage at Celtic Park it looked like an extremely damaging experience on that front, but a more stoic approach limited that.

"As a team, we need to be more organised," Lyons added.

"You need more than good players. You need a good team spirit, especially at these times. Fans will put pressure on you.

"There's a lot of learning, but it's done now. There's a big focus on the next five games. We want to win as many as possible, finish as high as possible."

We asked for your views on Kilmarnock's 5-1 defeat at Celtic.

Here is what some of you said:

Dugald: Same story. No shape. No strategy. Derek McInnes always seems to be found wanting for a clear idea of what type of formation he wants and fails to convey one to his (limited ability) players.

Amy: Always on a hiding to nothing against a Celtic side looking for a response. Couple of unstoppable goals, but we can take heart from most of the second-half performance. Most importantly, though, none of our rivals at the bottom gained any ground on us. Fancy us to win enough post-split to be safe.

Anna: That was the most abject, gutless performance I've ever seen as a Killie fan. We just rolled over and lay down before Celtic. One up front does not work, and neither does replacing a midfielder with a defender when we needed goals. I may be wrong, but it seems like McInnes is doing his best to get us relegated. At this rate, we'll be lucky to avoid 11th and now having Hearts and Motherwell in the bottom six things have got that much tougher.

Robert: This was never going to be a win. The problem is the goal difference. We have five games to go. Time to look upon them as a new league campaign we wish to win.

Andrew: There are so many reasons for Kilmarnock performing so badly this season. These include poor and inconsistent team selection, regular changes between back three or back four, goalkeeper weaknesses, red cards, players playing out of position, injuries to key players, poor substitutions (and usually too late to make a difference), players not good enough e.g. Donnelly, Cameron, Polworth continually being selected, whilst others don't get the opportunity e.g. Mackay-Steven and Ramsay.

We now have five cup finals to go. Team selection, back four, strong midfield and our best strikers will be needed to avoid relegation.

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• Celtic have scored 23 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Kilmarnock have conceded nine goals to opposition substitutes in the Premiership this season, only Dundee (14) and St Johnstone (11) have conceded more.

• Cameron Carter-Vickers attempted 192 es in this game, the highest total for a player in the Premiership this season.

• Celtic attempted 1,025 es in this game, the highest total by any team in a single match in the Premiership this season.

• Daizen Maeda has scored 16 goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other player.

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Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes: "Celtic started like a train and put us to the sword with their movement. When they are like that you think, 'how can they lose games in the Premiership">