The Great Big Kilmarnock Thread

[Ludo*1]

22 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Calum Scanlon.

Sounds more realistic tbf.

I was just thinking Chambers because he's went to a middling League 1 side for half a season as opposed to a Championship gig, younger than Beck and we now have a good relationship with Liverpool and are being credited with developing Beck to a higher level and finally and most importantly, the fact that I didn't know any other youth LB's currently on their books. 

[DUAFC]

Two years ago this week the bold Lichties rolled into town knowing that a victory would probably take them up to the Premiership...

What a sliding doors moment that was  

Great season by the way (for you)

[deadasdillinger]

46 minutes ago, DUAFC said:

Two years ago this week the bold Lichties rolled into town knowing that a victory would probably take them up to the Premiership...

What a sliding doors moment that was  

Great season by the way (for you)

Ach, poor Arbroath. If it was anyone else but us I'd have been rooting for them. Would have been a cracking change for the Prem.

 

Thought I'd enjoy the Championship. Other than ticking grounds off, it was mostly a chore. But it was worth it all for that Alston moment.  

[Jedi2]

Think getting Europe this season is a bigger achievement than in 2019. Steve Clarke inherited a good squad of players..obviously made them a lot better, and added Stewart, Mulumbu etc.

This time, just 2 years out of the Championship, having to rebuild the squad. To get from there to here in 2 years is incredible work.

[Andy_K_97]

22 hours ago, deadasdillinger said:

Ach, poor Arbroath. If it was anyone else but us I'd have been rooting for them. Would have been a cracking change for the Prem.

 

Thought I'd enjoy the Championship. Other than ticking grounds off, it was mostly a chore. But it was worth it all for that Alston moment.  

I thought I would enjoy it more too - however, I barely got to cross any of the grounds off due to my work pattern changing, and it was a slog for the most part. However, we did break the Somerset hoodoo, break Ayr again when we beat them 3-1 going on about 13-1, and of course we got to experience Alston winning the league at RP. Had it been anyone else apart from us against Arbroath I'd have been all for them coming up, but I was happy to ruin everyone's fun and spoil the party because literally everyone else in Scotland (with the exception of Montrose and perhaps the odd Brechin or Forfar fan) wanted us to lose.

2 hours ago, Jedi2 said:

Think getting Europe this season is a bigger achievement than in 2019. Steve Clarke inherited a good squad of players..obviously made them a lot better, and added Stewart, Mulumbu etc.

This time, just 2 years out of the Championship, having to rebuild the squad. To get from there to here in 2 years is incredible work.

The more I think about it, I agree. Clarke turning the playing squad in 2017/18 round and getting Europe with a lot of them is a great achievement, but this time around it feels like we've had to rebuild the club totally. Had we stayed up in 2020/21, I think we'd have kept our streak of staying up since 1993/94 going but just about everything since we sacked Tommy the dinosaur has been positive. We got out of the Championship at the first time of asking, we managed to stay up despite us looking like we were putting ourselves in as weak a position as possible for a lot of the time to see if we could do it, and now we have a very strong squad and look to have all but secured European football following today's results. I would honestly have been happy with a 6th, 7th or even 8th placed finish this season and incremental improvements along the way, but this team have exceeded all my expectations. The content that comes out from the club's socials has been brilliant since Lochlin took over and you can see how united the squad are - there doesn't appear to be any cliques or us and them and everyone seems to be working hard, pulling in the same direction and having fun.

The odds are against us going to Snake Mountain on Sunday, but we've got every reason to be positive regardless of how the result ends up. I'm really enjoying watching this team right now, and in years to come this season will go down as one of my favourite times following the stripes. 

[Jedi2]

Totally agree. Recruitment last summer of Dennis, Findlay, Deas, Mayo, Nbada, Magennis, Kennedy, and Watkins was spot on, and a major upgrade on last season. To then be able to add the likes of Stewart, GMS, and KVV, albeit they have been bit part, signalled the intent.

DM has drastically helped to improve Lyons, Polworth and Armstrong who look like totally different players than under Wright.

Although last season was a slog, the feeling was always there that once DM got his own men in, and was able to rely less on loans, that we would move upwards, though not as rapidly as we have. He has transformed the club in 2 years.

[Squirrelhumper]

On 28/04/2024 at 18:38, Jedi2 said:

Think getting Europe this season is a bigger achievement than in 2019. Steve Clarke inherited a good squad of players..obviously made them a lot better, and added Stewart, Mulumbu etc.

This time, just 2 years out of the Championship, having to rebuild the squad. To get from there to here in 2 years is incredible work.

He inherited a team bottom of the league, no wins in first 8 games of the season then drew at Ibrox/Parkhead in his first two games then finished 5th that season then 3rd in his next season with a record points total.

We've been excellent this season but don't think I'll see us have a side that Clarke had.  The most points out any side in the calender year was some achievement and we'll never see the likes again.  He only had Stewart a few months, lost his in January and stlll finished 3rd.

[Squirrelhumper]

The league in 2018/19 was of a higher standard than it is now too. Not underplaying what we've achieved this season but I genuinely went into every game that season expecting to win. Not quite there with this side, especially away from home.

Dundee could quite possibly get into Europe after getting promoted last season and having a new manager.

[Sortmeout]

I went to 9 games in the Championship season and we lost the first 8 of them. I got a free ticket for Arbroath at RP and only decided to go about 5pm that night. 
 

 

[Internet Citizen]

1 hour ago, Squirrelhumper said:

He inherited a team bottom of the league, no wins in first 8 games of the season then drew at Ibrox/Parkhead in his first two games then finished 5th that season then 3rd in his next season with a record points total.

We've been excellent this season but don't think I'll see us have a side that Clarke had.  The most points out any side in the calender year was some achievement and we'll never see the likes again.  He only had Stewart a few months, lost his in January and stlll finished 3rd.

 

I think people can underplay just how bad we were before Clarke took over that season.

I remember being at Fir Park when Motherwell turned us over 2-0. Broadfoot was so bad that the Motherwell fans were cheering his name. 

[Sortmeout]

6 minutes ago, Internet Citizen said:

I think people can underplay just how bad we were before Clarke took over that season.

I remember being at Fir Park when Motherwell turned us over 2-0. Broadfoot was so bad that the Motherwell fans were cheering his name. 

And it wasn’t just bad for a year or two before that either.  We had really declined since winning the league cup in 2012 all the way until that stage. 
 

[Squirrelhumper]

16 minutes ago, Internet Citizen said:

I think people can underplay just how bad we were before Clarke took over that season.

I remember being at Fir Park when Motherwell turned us over 2-0. Broadfoot was so bad that the Motherwell fans were cheering his name. 

The Ross County game just before we came in was as bad as it gets. Looked like a team that would struggle to win that season nevermind finish 5th with wins at Ibrox and results home and away vs Celtic. 

[Jedi2]

A feeling of much greater stability this time around though. With SC always seemed that he would move onto 'bigger' things and a case of enjoying the ride while it lasted.

Took too long to get Alessio in place when it appeared that SC would be going to Scotland in April (when McLeish was sacked). The length of time until the new appointment certainly didn't help the preparation for Connahs Quay.

This time surely DM will be around for longer and continue to build on what he has achieved so far, with a better chance of having a decent crack at the Euro games.

[PrestersKTID]

17 hours ago, Jedi2 said:

A feeling of much greater stability this time around though. With SC always seemed that he would move onto 'bigger' things and a case of enjoying the ride while it lasted.

Took too long to get Alessio in place when it appeared that SC would be going to Scotland in April (when McLeish was sacked). The length of time until the new appointment certainly didn't help the preparation for Connahs Quay.

This time surely DM will be around for longer and continue to build on what he has achieved so far, with a better chance of having a decent crack at the Euro games.

There was still plenty time from Alessio getting in till the nomads game. THe issue was 0 recruitment and hardly any warmup games prior to the game. The numbers in the building was still plenty to win that tie comfortably.

Although i agree with this time being more of a sound footing for the future. Many of the squad now are early to mid 20s. Likes of Mayo, Deas, Lyons, Magennis, Watson, Armstrong all still have space to improve. And the experienced heads Vassell, Donnelly, Polworth, Rory, Kennedy are still young enough that their legs have a good few years left. If we can tie up a findlay or ndaba for another year or more then that continuity is there provided we don't get too many bidders.

[C4mmy31]

20 hours ago, Jedi2 said:

A feeling of much greater stability this time around though. With SC always seemed that he would move onto 'bigger' things and a case of enjoying the ride while it lasted.

Took too long to get Alessio in place when it appeared that SC would be going to Scotland in April (when McLeish was sacked). The length of time until the new appointment certainly didn't help the preparation for Connahs Quay.

This time surely DM will be around for longer and continue to build on what he has achieved so far, with a better chance of having a decent crack at the Euro games.

Bowie was convinced he could talk SC into staying right up until after the Rangers game that secured Europe.

[Squirrelhumper]

22 minutes ago, C4mmy31 said:

Bowie was convinced he could talk SC into staying right up until after the Rangers game that secured Europe.

No idea why, he was never staying. 

Was common knowledge he was off, he was never turning down Scotland for a variety of reasons. 

I think BB will have learnt from that close season. 

[Andy_K_97]

On 30/04/2024 at 09:49, Sortmeout said:

And it wasn’t just bad for a year or two before that either.  We had really declined since winning the league cup in 2012 all the way until that stage. 
 

Hard agree. It cannot be overstated how much we were on the decline from 2007 onwards and the LC Final really was a bit of a blip that we managed to ride on the crest of until Kenny Shiels got the sack. In the background, the weasel was running us into a state of managed decline, and had it continued we'd have eventually run out of luck and probably ended up becoming a bit like Falkirk. Let's face it, we were extremely lucky not to get relegated under Johnston, Locke and Clark too, and had we not replaced McCulloch with Clarke (especially given some of the names that were being banded around at the time) we'd have sank like a stone in the spring of 2018. We were so lucky that Clarke was available and we were able to get him, and that period from October 2017 to May 2019 was my favourite ever time supporting the club. Clarke's appointment and the weasel being kicked out for good are the main reasons as to why we didn't end up becoming a total basket case of a club who go on about how they're still a big club because of crowd sizes and not performances on the pitch. 

That being said, since Clarke left there were times where we threatened to become a rudderless ship, drifting off into mediocrity, but the current management team have done a sterling job of turning our fortunes around. Long may it continue, as far as I'm concerned.

[craigkillie]

On 30/04/2024 at 09:41, Internet Citizen said:

I think people can underplay just how bad we were before Clarke took over that season.

I remember being at Fir Park when Motherwell turned us over 2-0. Broadfoot was so bad that the Motherwell fans were cheering his name. 

We did finish 7th the season before though, and several of those players had good pedigree. It's not like it was some doomed squad circling the drain before he arrived, though the start had been awful.

None of that is to underplay the clearly tremendous job that Clarke did. This current team is good, probably as good as any other team we've this century, but it is nowhere near the Clarke one.

[Ludo*1]

Remember reading an interview with Clarke in some shite newspaper like The Sun when he was West Brom manager saying his ultimate dream was to one day manage our national side. Always remembered it because at that point I thought we should punt whoever was our current no hoper (Levein or Burley probably?) so surprised Bowie thought he'd have a chance of fighting off the SFA interest.

[craigkillie]

The club simply didn't bother preparing for life after Clarke, and then had no idea what to do when he left, which led to the mess that was the hiring process that summer, where Bowie came across as being too starstruck to properly do the job he was actually there to do. Let's hope they've learned their lesson with McInnes, because they're all in on him now and he's clearly not going to be here forever. The whole board generally had their hearts in the right place and do have a bit more experience under their belts this time as well as having far more infrastructure in place, so hopefully it's a bit different.