Dec 30th on the Buddies Pre-Match... “They have done well this season especially after losing two of their best players through injury with Darren McGregor and Paul McGowan being out. They had to cope with that and with them being a small club it is difficult. I know exactly what they are going through because we lost Paul Heffernan, Manuel Pascali, Cammy Bell and James Fowler, who are all top players. But they managed to hang in there and are nine points off the bottom now which is great.”
 

 Perez Nets the Opener!Dec 29th on the Well Post-Match... "I'm sure it was an entertaining game for the neutrals and we made a contribution, which was good, I felt in the first 20 minutes of the second-half we had control but you know what a goal can do - it gave them a great momentum shift and they were really hard to play against at the stage. There were purple patches for both teams and that's how football should be. The boys showed great spirit after conceding the second goal, we came here under-strength and to get a point is pleasing. You are always down a bit when you concede a late goal but you have to reflect on the whole game and it was a very good advert for the Scottish game. December has been a good month with two wins for ourselves and two draws. As I said, this was a good result. Our midfield was good and had spells in the game but Fir Park is a tough place to come and get something." Match Report  

Dec 28th on the Well Pre-Match... "It was a good result against Hearts but I want to get back to the way we are capable of playing. It wasn't a vintage Kilmarnock performance so we are looking at ways in which we can improve upon that."  
On Losing Players (Along with Motherwell)... “We don’t have sympathy with Motherwell over the prospect of them losing players because we’ve lost more players than any club in the last two years. We shouldn’t isolate Motherwell and say they’re affected most by it because they’re not. We’ve lost Dean Shiels, Craig Bryson, Conor Sammon, Matthew Kennedy – I could go on and on. There’s better options for them financially and that’s just part of it. There’s no point in thinking negatively about losing guys. We’re trying to keep what we have.” 
On Liam Kelly Moving On in Jan..."It's the same as all players, the press have sold Jamie Murphy and they are selling Liam Kelly. The boy is happy here and we hope to keep him here. He is still under contract. I haven't heard anything from other clubs, not a thing."

 Kenny Sits Again!Dec 26th (Jimmy Nicholl) on the Hearts Post-Match... "In the first half our composure was good but in the second half it was waves of attack, It was all rushed clearances. They put us under pressure and they kept coming back and we couldn't get out.  It was all about winning a game of football and the only way they were going to do that was by showing a real spirit and by fighting their corner and doing their jobs,vIt wasn't a display that the manager would like but sometimes needs must.  It was a hard-fought second half but we had got ourselves in a good position. I would love to get a performance at home and dominate from start to finish but the game is not as simple as that. That's seven points out of nine and we are looking to go on a wee run. We have two away games coming up," said Nicholl ahead of matches at Motherwell and St Mirren.  We have won away from home before but it is going to be difficult - that was a good result for Motherwell today [beating Aberdeen 4-1]."   Match Report 

Dec 25th on the Hearts Pre-Match..."You can look at Hearts' financial problems sympathetically. But you can also look at it in a way in which he's getting a little bit of a siege mentality there to try to help them. That happens in football. Hearts are a big club and we prepare for that in the way in which we show them the utmost respect.  They're giving young players a chance and it's tremendous what they're doing. John McGlynn is a super guy and he's doing a magnificent job."  

On His Management Style..."I'm trying to not tell the truth as much and retract from what I say, There are so many in this industry that have good political skills. I've got to see what I can learn from them.  I don't take life seriously - the only thing I take seriously is football, Outside of that, I'm not a bad person. I'm sort of like a monster in the game, and I try not to be, but that's me.  I try to change it, but if I change it, do I weaken my managerial skills?  I'll probably not change, to be honest.  I'd say about 98.8 per cent of the time I wind people up. That's just the way I am,  At school they called me poker face. Sometimes I kill myself because you are like two different people. In the football environment you are one person and when you leave that and go home you are another person. That's the problem with the job that I am in. But it's a great place to be, Scotland, and I really enjoy it.  Everybody has a massive energy and passion for football, tennis and everything and I respect that so much." 

 Dec 23rd (Jimmy Nicholl) on the Hibs Post-Match... "We're disappointed, because we lost the ball on the halfway line and they scored from it, I thought, defensively, we could have dealt with it a bit better. I'm disappointed because we had a good start, I thought they played well today, but when you get off to a good start, you're hoping then to get a second one, and we nearly did.  Apparently, we should have had a penalty as well, which I didn't see - but fair play to Hibs, I thought their movement and passing was good and they posed us a few problems without Cammy Bell having much to do.  But we were below par today.  We didn't create enough chances for the strikers, our play just wasn't good enough, We were hoping after last week when we got three points away from home that we would get a wee run of home wins, but we've been disappointing at home this year, to be honest.  We can't put our finger on it all, because we have a good squad of players and good quality in the team - you've got to give the opposition credit. If they stop you playing, then you have to give them credit. We have to work harder to get there and don't concede the fact that if they stop us passing the ball around, then that's it. We have to work harder off the ball to get ourselves good possession."   Match Report 

Dec 22nd on His Squad Planning... “We want to move some players out, to grow our own and to bring the youth through. This is a development club and that’s the process we’re putting in place. We might release some players and offer them different avenues.  Other clubs are watching my players every week but I’m sure if they were interested, we’d have heard from them by now. We have good kids here and I want to manage them and give them some space to grow. That’s important for their development and we haven’t been doing that in the last three or four games.  I’m conscious of the fact we need to make room for them to develop and they can’t do that if they’re not training with the first-team. I know what my squad size should be but I want it to be filled with more youth. We have Ross Barbour, Ross Davidson, Jude Winchester, Rory McKenzie, Chris Johnston, Mark O’Hara, Rory McKeown and others who are coming through. You can’t put a 100 per cent prediction on development because it fluctuates so much. But we have players who I feel can get a really good career in the SPL if not higher than that It’s important, when we use our experience, when to throw them in and when to take them out.”

Dec 21st on His SFA Issues ... "I've got a clear conscience,  When you're sinned against like I have been then you don't regret anything. No-one has shown remorse to me. I'm surprised at that, but it's important that we put it behind us and move on and I move on where I've got no fear because I've got a clear conscience and that's a big advantage. 
Asked how he thought his current dispute with the SFA would end, ....."I don't know, it's way out of my thoughts at the moment. My behaviour's been impeccable. The problem is I've been truthful and it's not good to be truthful in this industry. It doesn't help you. It's a big handicap."  
On Re-Signing Liam Kelly... "I think he's got some time to stay here and it's important that he stays where he's learning,  I think he's due to sign a good contract, as far as I know. Talks will be started. We want him to stay in an environment that's good for his improvement and the SPL's certainly providing him with that. We're a development club, we're developing players and Liam was let go by MK Dons don't forget. We picked him up and we've developed him to this level now. We're doing it with other players and that's us, that's what we are. We're a club that's got a big debt and we carry that and it restricts you. If we can get consolidated and develop some more players so that we can sell them and prepare to gradually pay off the debt then we become a solvent club and we move forward from there. That's my remit and that's our ambitions; to cut the debt down and have some success along the way." 
On Killie's 2012...."What we've achieved in 2012 has far surpassed what any other club in Scotland have achieved. Under the circumstances, way, way far ahead of any other club. It's immense what we achieved, absolutely immense. We've beaten Rangers, we've beaten Celtic twice and we've beaten Aberdeen away.  We've beaten Hearts away, we've beaten Hibernian away - all in a calendar year. What a magnificent effort from our players who have come from little clubs. What the players have achieved and my coach Jimmy Nicholl has achieved is nothing short of unbelievable." 
On the Hibs Pre-Match... "They're up for this one.  It's a big blow [not to have Liam Kelly]. He's a player whose been doing really well. It gives someone else the chance to step in and put in a good performance. Hibs started well, Hibs have taken a little dip, but they're one of the big four heavyweights.  So we've got to compete against that and it's not easy." 

Dec 18th-21st... Killie manager Kenny Shiels  feud with the footballing authorities will continue into the new year - HERE

 Dec 15th (Jimmy Nicholl) on the Dons Post-Match...  "The second half, Aberdeen certainly came at us and posed us problems, I was grateful to see the second goal go in. We didn't do enough with the ball when we had an advantage.  It was a great run from Borja Perez and he kept on going, I thought he had over-run it. It's hard to say, and I've not seen the replay so I can't say whether it was a penalty or a red card or not. That was a wee break.  We weren't doing too badly. The way things have been recently, we wanted to keep it tight. It probably sounded negative to the players, but we we're just hoping to come up here and have a decent performance, and hopefully take something from the game. When you play against 10 men and are 1-0 up, you have an advantage. You should be confident and should be making the opposition work hard to get the ball off you. We didn't do that, and the players know they needed to do more with the ball. Personally, I was just delighted to get the points in the bag. The manager will be saying something different but, for me, it was all about getting three points away from home."  Match Report 

 Dec 13th on His 3 Match Ban... "I'm disappointed at the ruling, My freedom of speech has been taken away. (He was cleared of "dissent, (Saints Match) adopting an aggressive attitude). I'm not pleased for being cleared for that, I'm frustrated because ultimately we lost that match. In my defence I brought video evidence with me to Hampden and they ultimately believed me because they threw out the charge."  
On His comments made in the media following the home match against Inverness on 3 November.... "I feel I haven't done anything wrong, I don't feel guilty. We have lost six points because of inaccurate refereeing decisions. We lost our goalkeeper and two penalties against us in that game [versus Inverness].  Against St Johnstone, after three minutes we lose our captain; after six minutes we lose our manager from that environment and that's hard to take and I will fight the corner of my club. My behavious has been impeccable. I don't know how I kept my composure in the St Johnstone game and the Inverness game. It's been proven today I wasn't aggressive. I contested the decision in a manner which was placid and full of composure. The referee never said anything bad about me, it was the fourth official who made all the decisions. All three decisions were [from] the fourth official. When there was no fourth officials, if we could go back to those days I'd be delighted because I don't see the need for a fourth official. If there hadn't have been a fourth official in the Kilmarnock-St Johnstone game, the Kilmarnock captain would not have been sent off and the Kilmarnock manager would not have been sent off." 

Dec 11th on the SFA Being Out To Get Him... “I have to stop getting involved because I have been told they are out to get me. I don’t believe it, but I have been told that. “And it’s important that we try not to speak about those things and get back to speaking about football, such as the Queen of the South game.  I can’t say who told me that, but people are saying it. People I don’t know and some I do know. I was told when we won the Cammy Bell case that they would get us.  It was just a punter who told me that but he seemed to be in the know“John Fleming (SFA referee’s chief) came out and said I hadn’t contacted him. But I contacted him five times between the Saturday and Monday, so I was a bit taken aback by that. 
On the Pascali (Saints) Red Card... “We are astonished by this decision.  According to the rules, Manuel Pascali should not even have been booked. He entered the challenge on the safe side of the opponent, with one leg. The referee made a mistake. It was a blatant mistake. How they have come to this decision is quite unbelievable  We need answers. I want to see the report. I’ve lost a lot of faith in the system because the system isn’t working.”

 Dec 9th on the Celtic Post-Match...  "I think there is a distinct clarity for Celtic now as to how they are going to approach the next few months. You could see in their body language that there is a great relief in achieving what they have achieved and now they can concentrate on domestic football. I knew they were going to be very positive having fulfilled their ambition of qualifying for the Champions League (last 16). It has a big bearing on how they felt within themselves and you could see that. That is the best Celtic have played in a long time, I would say. It bodes badly on us as we have to play them in December and January." Match Report  

Dec 8th on Alan Robertson & Killie's Youth Development Program... “The supporters feel even closer to the team when they see homegrown players running out. Eventually, I want to see eleven of them going out for a game. The problem is the need every now and again to sell our best talents. But my dream is still to achieve a complete side of boys from youth development. That would be the ultimate for me. It might sound idealistic — but it’s those kind of dreams that keep you going. If we can even get closer then we’ll be successful. I’d need to be here a long time. But I think within four years we can achieve it. We won at Parkhead with academy lads 16-year-old Mark O’Hara and 19-year-old Rory McKenzie in the starting line-up. And they were an absolute credit to themselves plus Jimmy Nicholl, Alan Robertson and everyone else involved in our youth set-up. We want to have that conveyor belt, we have to keep it running, it can’t stand still. When Michael Johnston gave me the manager’s job we never spoke about the youth development aspect. But I’ve always been mindful of it in my coaching career. Good management is leaving behind stability and a legacy of players coming through. That’s exactly what I want for Kilmarnock. So when I get fired, or whatever else happens to me, the next man coming in inheriting something good. Alan’s done a magnificent job with the youths. He’s been given more of a key role while also being involved closer with the first team players. I need to utilise Alan’s skills. I don’t know if that’s been done in the past. But he’s a good judge of a player and also has a good knowledge of the game. Alan, of course, is also a great Kilmarnock man. His association with this club as player and coach speaks for itself. He has massive integrity in how he works with young players — and for me that’s a great attribute. I know he is someone I can trust and that’s the key to any successful youth programme. We have to manage our young players in a way that makes them feel wanted. If they feel wanted then they express themselves much more freely. And these boys are expressing themselves at the minute. We also have to thank our sponsors QTS and their man Alan Mcleish. His support has been brilliant. Alan helps us at all levels, including youths, and we’re grateful.”
Shiels On Liam Kelly coming on against Luxembourg... “Liam’s a fantastic lad and this season he’s scored the clinching goal at Parkhead before representing Scotland. The call-ups for him and Cammy Bell were marvellous and I’m proud of the fact we’ve had lads involved at every international level.  Matthew Kennedy’s no longer with us, having gone to Everton, but I want to mention him too. He got recognition for Scotland at under-17 and, latterly, under-19 level. We lost him this season but it brought in important revenue for the club.”

Scotland under-16s: Devlin McKay, Dylan Poolar, Adam Hodge, Greg Kilte; Scotland under-17-18: Matthew Kennedy, Robbie Muirhead, Mark O’Hara, Chris Johnston, Rory McKenzie; Northern Ireland under-19,21: Rory McKeown, Jude Winchester; Scotland full: Cammy Bell, Liam Kelly.

 Killiie Take The LeadDec 1st on the QoS Post-Match... "The Football Association must have changed the rules on tackling and I am trying to figure out what they are. I couldn't see anything wrong with the tackle and I would be very disappointed if I was with Queen of the South. It made it more difficult for us as it gave us more space and time on the ball, almost a reversal of last week when Pascal Manuel was sent off for a similar kind of challenge. The boys kept the ball well but we had a lack of penetration as we had too many options. I am delighted though to get through and thought it was well deserved. We started last season's league cup run with a victory over Queen's so who knows where we can go from here." Match Report 

Nov 29th on Having To Face SFA Disciplinary Hearing... "Managers do an interview after a game by mandatory measures and referees should do interviews after a game. It gives them a chance to explain why they've made a decision. I think there has to be changes in the treatment of managers. The way Neil Lennon was treated for a lot last season was abhorrent. I really feel there should be better methods of dealing with managers and more tolerance. Nobody likes decisions going against them in terms of the game, but certainly I'm not happy with the way I've been treated because I represent Kilmarnock Football Club and I don't like my club being treated in such a way that it's becoming too common now."
On Using  Insulting or abusive language (during the 2-1 loss to St Johnstone at the weekend)..."I didn't use abusive language at any time. There are too many children down in that front area for me to use abusive language and I have to respect that. At no time did I use abusive language and I would just like to see the referee's report and then I can make decisions on how much further I will take it." On the  Queen of the South Scottish Cup Tie... "I would love to win the game to get through after all this stuff we've had to put up with and the players have had to put up with. They've been brilliant. They played 90 minutes last Saturday with 10 players, which is quite unique. There were three minutes and 50 seconds added on so you would have to say that was a fantastic effort and a game we should have won. I told the players this morning that the worst thing we can do is feel sorry for ourselves. We've lost six points in two games at home, which were disproportionate to our performance. They were two games we could have won and we've been deprived of the opportunity to do that. And we now have to go up and see people at the SFA despite mistakes which have cost us six points."

 Nov 24th on the Saints Post-Match... "The fourth official made the decision (Pasca Red Card) - a young lad,  Seemingly, he conveyed that information to the referee that it was a red card - everybody was amazed at it.  Steve [Lomas] got in his [the fourth official's] ear and I'm not blaming him for that, but he was right in his ear when it happened and that can have an influence on a young boy, Maybe if I have a criticism of the Referee's Association, they should maybe appoint a strong character in that fourth official's place, because he can be influenced. It was obvious it wasn't a red and it's disappointing that we've had two reds in our last two home games. We appealed the other one and got it rescinded, but we didn't get the three points back that we lost against Inverness. We're not going to get these points back either. There is no way there is a vendetta against Kilmarnock by referees because we won the case with Cammy Bell - I want to make that abundantly clear,"  Match Report 

Nov 23rd on the Saints Pre-Match... "We got a real thumping in Perth, it was our worst performance of the season so we are looking to redress that.  St Johnstone were all over us like a rash, they were outstanding. It was 2-1 to them but that flattered us.  It is the first time in a long time that we didn't contribute to a game and we want to try to perform better for our supporters on Saturday."  
On Liam Kelly's Injury... "If he has torn the ligament or ruptured them, it could be three months, but it could be six weeks We are hoping to find out in the next 48 hours. There is some ligament damage to his shoulder after falling on the training ground in an accident. We have just got Paul Heffernan, Cammy Bell and James Fowler back and now we have lost Liam, which is a bit of a blow."

 Nov 16th on the Arabs Co Post-Match..."It's unfair to Dundee United to say we squandered the lead, They threw everything at us. We didn't play much football because we knew we would need to fight and battle. Because of the atmosphere we had to go in there and compete. To come away from here with a point is a fantastic achievement. I thought both sets of players were fantastic.  We had to match how committed United are and our boys deserve so much credit, They are a fantastic team, we can't overlook that and they were hurting us with their wing play. The referee did well when players were rolling over looking for penalties. But take nothing away from United, they deserve their draw. We play a bit open, which is a weakness, but we want to entertain. We kept two up front for the whole match, with support players. The players gave everything they had. Why do you need to tell lies (based on Wilo Flood's comments) to garner motivation? I'm hurting about that because I've never said anything bad about Dundee United."  Match Report  
 

Nov 14th on Scottish Football Re-Alignment... "You've got the SFA, the SPL and the SFL - they'll have to have the Third World War first before anything happens!  So we'll see who comes out on top in that!  People are jockeying for position, they're looking after their own little empires. These things happen but someone has to give ground.  It's not about me and what's best for me the individual. If you get me in a room and ask me what's best for football I would have to make consideration as to what is best for football first. Obviously I have to think and opine into what's best for my club, but what's best for football should be the common denominator - not what's best for me and my position in the SFA or the SFL or the SPL. It shouldn't be about me - me being the person who's looking after my position. A lot of people in the suits will make opinions and decisions based on what's best for them as individuals. Therein lies the problem! I think it's a good product as it sits and trial and error would come into play as to whether 16 would be better,  They have to sit down and talk with football people. They need to speak to people at the coal face who would know a little bit more of what's happening on the football side of things. I would like to see what the managers and the staff all think. I think 16 would be really good - I think 12 is good also. People like to see changes taking place but they are only good if they are for the better.  There are risks with all formats. Clubs have got into the 38 game situation. Is a 16 [team] top league going to give them only 37 games and the loss of a home fixture?  That could be significant for a Motherwell or a Kilmarnock if they lose a home gate. So there are things that need to be taken into consideration." 

 Nov 10th on the Ross Co Post-Match...  "We have got to get some of the young boys through and we sacrificed that today by bringing in senior players. It was a good game of football and Ross County made a fantastic contribution,  After the 0-0 draw with them earlier in the season I said we should both get points taken off us as it was boring game.  But this time both teams contributed to a really good game of football. I played experience today and we can't play our strongest team and sacrifice our youth development,  But today was not a development day and we showed a lot of creativity and created about 10 or 12 chances. The movement of the front two pleased me but the work rate throughout the team was great.  We had a couple of efforts cleared off the line in the first half and at half-time I told the players that we were the more likely team to score and after we did in the second half we took command.  "I would say we were shades in front before we got the first goal but Ross County were threatening. We were frustrated because we were knocking on the door for so long. We had a couple cleared off the line.  Their keeper spilled a couple and there was an obvious penalty that wasn't given." Match Report  

 Nov 3rd on the Caley Post-Match... "It was the first 30 mins that killed us. We stood off them! Kenny then told the BBC Scotland's Chick Young that he can't 'tell the truth' about his thoughts on the 2-1 defeat by Inverness CT and that he's reported referee Euan Norris for comments (a sarcastic remark) made to him post-match. He then asked Chic Young to ask the SFA why he cant tell the truth.  Match Report  

Nov 2nd on the Caley Pre-Match... "Inverness are strong favourites because of their current form. They've scored the most goals in the league, they are the top dogs. We have to look to restrict them and if we can put on a good defensive performance, I'm sure we will do well. Inverness are now unbeaten in eight games and have netted in every single match so far this season. The players know they've created history and that's good. But that's gone, that's literally history now. We are going from playing the best team in Scotland to playing the best team on form in Scotland. It's always important to get a win. On the back of the victory, it sends out a message that we are turning the corner. We have won three out of our last five and it would be really good to win this game. I'm sure we can achieve that if we get our organisation and discipline right."

 Oct 27th on the Celtic Post-Match...  "It was befitting that he scored the second goal. It was a very emotional time for Liam and the club back in March, The person I'm most pleased for is Liam Kelly,  We never really got a chance to celebrate the last victory against Celtic at Hampden and it was a really euphoric occasion. I just said to the boys, let's have a really good night and celebrate for Liam Kelly. There's no such thing as perfection, but that was pretty close to it in how we organised and how we set up, The best way to sum it up is the nullification of a quality team - Celtic, we have to remember, have just come off the back of playing Barcelona and a fantastic performance. They were fresh and fit, we were still hungover from the St Johnstone game, when we lost James Fowler.  I really want to say this because there's two generations of supporters who haven't witnessed that and the ones who came along today, I was really pleased for them," said Shiels, picking out teenagers Mark O'Hara and Rory McKenzie for praise. What can you say? The boys were exceptional. A young 16-year-old made his debut at right-back, with an 18-year-old just in front of him and they were unbelievable. We were as good this week as we were bad last week," added Shiels. "I was so angry with myself all week. We had a good game plan and I think it worked very well for us."   Match Report  

Oct 25th on the Celtic Pre-Match... “If we exceed expectations then it will be printed in a way that Celtic were tired. That’s just the way it is. If they don’t match up to an inferior opponent they will be questioned rather than us praised. But it’s a huge ask of us because Celtic did the country and SPL proud in Barcelona. What they’ve done is great and it’s my ambition to take Kilmarnock into Europe in the next four years. Tiredness will not be a factor in Celtic’s performance against us because it only lasts 48 hours. The lactate in the muscles will have dispersed by now. I’ve not mentioned 1955 to my players because the motivation is self-explanatory. We have been written off.”
On Mohamadou Sissoko ..."I have still to select the team so I am undecided about him, but there is a chance he will be on the bench at least."

Oct 24th on the Celtic Pre-Match... "I wasn't born (in 1955 when Killie last won at Parkhead) so let's not say any more than that,  It's been a long time and it will be good to try and do something about that. We've set a few records at Kilmarnock. You can keep using that as motivation but it doesn't always work. But if we get back to performing well, then I'd be happy that we can achieve something from the game. We've been poor in our last couple of games but we want to get playing how we know we can. We're going to look at [the Celtic match] it as a game that we want to learn something about ourselves and that's a big thing for us. We had a meeting about how we played on Saturday. St Johnstone were very good and I don't want to deflect from that, but part of it was that we were also poor. This is a big chance for us to learn and improve and take that into the Inverness game [the following] week. Celtic are tip-toeing through the league. A bit like Rangers [in the third division], they are top of the league and they could probably kick on as soon as it gets more serious. They are trying to marry their league form with their European commitments. But they will be ready for our game. They look forward to playing Kilmarnock most because we are open against them."

Oct 20th on the Saints Post-Match...  "When you play two at the back you do get caught and we accept that, but we were chasing to get the equaliser. We don't want to take anything away from St Johnstone because when you win games and you go on a little run it provides a positive energy and there's a chemistry in the St Johnstone team. They were really strong and committed. We tried to match that commitment and I can't say that our boys weren't committed to try and stop them from playing and trying to produce. After they got the goal we changed it and we got control of the ball, and we looked the more likely for the last 15 minutes of the first half and the first 20 minutes of the second half. We said at half-time they were there for the taking. They were on the ropes, there's no question of that. The best team won on the day and we're not taking that away from them but, unfortunately, we weren't at our best today." Match Report

Oct 19th on the Saints Pre-Match... "We didn't take much of a break this time and hopefully it will work in our favour, because we did a lot of game preparation this week on the tactical side of our preparation, So we are up and ready and we will see where that takes us. St Johnstone are the form team in the league and it's going to be a tough game. It was good to have them back but the game maybe wasn't appropriate because Dundee had a lot of young players in the team, As a result of that we have planned a closed-door game against Dunfermline at Kilmarnock on Tuesday to give them another game. But it was good to have them back and Hefffernan scoring helped. I'm happy with the squad, although you are never content in this job," 

 Oct 6th on the Dons Post-match... "I just think Steven (the referee) could have done better today,  I think he'll be the first to admit it wasn't one of his best performances,  James Dayton was fouled a lot today.  I thought there was an imbalance in what could have been done,  I'm not looking for excuses, but it did impact on the gameflow.  I don't think we deserved to lose the game, I'm not going to be too harsh. We can't play like that against Aberdeen, they're too good. However, we've come off the back of two really good ones and we just have to start working towards the next game, and hopefully we can win that one."  Match Report 
 

Oct 5th on the Dons Pre-match... "Because we have won a couple of games people raise expectations but we were seventh last season against massive adversity and having lost a lot of quality players in the summer, a lot of the goals went out of my team, if we can get away from the relegation zone then that will be an achievement of its own. If we can get seventh this season that would be remarkable. What we achieved last season was one of the best in Scottish football for a long, long time. It wasn't recognised by the media which rankles with me."

 Sherridan,,, Hat-Trick Hero for Killie!Sept 29th on the Hearts Post-Match... "I thought we deserved the win beyond a shadow of a doubt, I thought we were disciplined and controlled in the game.  We knew as the away team, coming here, we were going to have to defend a lot of free-kicks and corner kicks.  The psychology of the game was similar to last week, we got the goal and ourselves in front and we were then able to nullify their threats and the players had the confidence to play and win victory of the ball, which I was pleased with.  We're not far off the bottom, and we need to be aware of the teams that are down there. We need to stay above that danger zone and stay in the top six, away from that position."   Match Report 

 Jamsie Scores Wonder Goal!Sept 22nd on the Buddies Post-Match... "When you have two teams like Kilmarnock and St Mirren coming to the stage you are going to get football and there's going to be rotation and movement in the pattern of play,  I have so much respect for the way in which St Mirren play and today's game was a great advert for Scottish football.  I thought that in the games between the two sides last season the team that had the most of the ball ended up losing.  St Mirren were very good and for the first 20 minutes of the game they had victory of the ball, but we changed a few things and from being 1-0 up we were worthy winners. It was good for Cillian to score, we self-destructed with two gift passes to them in the early exchanges and Kyle Letheren was outstanding in that period of play to deny St Mirren a goal, Getting the goal put us in a positive note. It's too early to be looking at league tables but very nice to get a result. Too often last season we were draw, draw in successive games, we will continue to try win every game and get away from draws." Match Report

Sep 15th on the Hibs Post-Match... "He (Cairney) ran straight into my player looking for a penalty, There was no contact. I don't have to see replays. We know it wasn't a penalty.  I wasn't happy about the penalty decision, it came at a bad time. I had a good chat with him (the ref)  and he treated me like a human being. The referee had a good game, but there was an ulterior influence in there. The mistakes he made influenced the outcome and it went against us today. We were very unfortunate. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. Hibs are having a good run and everything seems to be going their way. If you look at what they have done to win the match, they've got an own goal and a disputed penalty. I don't think they've done enough to win the game and I certainly don't think we have been bad enough to lose the game."  Match Report

Sep 14th on the Hibs Pre-match... "They [Hibs] have definitely got that energy about them. They are a fantastic club and a big team. They are a team that is where they should be, I feel. They are in around the third biggest club in the SPL now so that brings its own pressure."
On Signing Riordan... "He's an out-of-contract player who we are facilitating, that's all, We have done it with Mark Kerr and loads of players who want to keep their fitness up until they get fixed up. 
On Cillian Sheridan fitness..."I have to have a chat with him about that,  He has done a pre-season with Sofia and I need to work out if he has enough game time to come in. There were other more lucrative offers for him, I want to stress that,  "His agent worked in close contact with myself and he felt it was a good move for him to come here at this time of his career. I concur with that, I really think we've a chance to develop the player. That's our priority, to improve players. If we have enough intelligence about us the team will become better."

 The Admiral in the new Away TopSep 1st on the Ross Co Post-Match... "It's not what I came to Scotland for - it was anti-football. It was poor for the spectators, the teams kept giving each other the ball. The fact we got a point is good but on reflection it wasn't a good game of football.  I don't think Ross County deserved to win and I don't think we deserved to win. We knew it would be difficult at set-pieces, that was their only threat really. We endured that and did well in that department but we weren't fluent. Inside I'm hurting because I want us to pass the ball and create chances and give the crowd something to shout about. Ross County have a great spirit and they work hard. They deserve a lot of credit to get to the SPL, a lot of people at the club deserve a lot of credit but I'm sure they are disappointed in the match itself." Match Report

Aug 30th on Kennedy... Shiels described Everton's bid as "derisory". ... "It was disrespectful to the club and unsettled the player, which I wasn't happy about.  But that can change and if we were speaking tomorrow it might be different but hopefully it won't be. We don't know if Everton will come in with a new offer,  We want to keep him and believe staying at the club would be better for his development as a footballer. The window shuts tomorrow [Friday] and hopefully Kennedy will still be a Kilmarnock player.''  
On Hamstring injury victim Jeroen Tesselaar.... He'll  to be missing for six weeks, 
On Rangers' interest in Killie goalkeeper Cammy Bell...  "I find it hard to believe  It is a bit late, isn't it? There's not been a thing [from Rangers]. If they were wanting him you would have thought it would have happened maybe a week ago but I can't see it happening now." 

 Aug 28th on the Stennie Post-Match...  "If you look at what happened on Saturday when we were fantastic against Dundee United, we didn't get much credit and it was all about how poor they were so I don't want to come across that way and talk about how poor we were. I'd rather give credit to Stenhousemuir rather than talk about some of the faults in our play. They came here and played really well, were 2-0 up at half-time and it should have been more, and they were better than us and we're disappointed with the outcome. That's the downside to football - the highs and the lows - and we've lost another player tonight with Jeroen Tesselaar going off after feeling his hamstring. God knows how I'm going to put a side out for Saturday now with the injuries we have, but that's the challenge." Match Report

Kenny ShielsAug 27th on the Stennie Pre-Match... “We’ve been so proud of that trophy we have shown it off to the local public. We’ve gone everywhere round Kilmarnock with the trophy.  It’s like one of the family now — we treat it like one of our children. I look at that trophy as often as I can. It’s important for Kilmarnock.  Pressure is when someone has cancer. From a sporting context I see it as a real challenge for us to not give up this trophy. I’m not saying we’re trying to win it again but we want to progress and take each obstacle as it comes as we did last season. We have to be professional in the way we address this and try to get into the next round. Dundee United were the last side outside the Old Firm to defend the League Cup — way back in 1981. We’ll put out the strongest team available to us, as we did in every cup tie last season. That’s being respectful to the sponsors, the tournament and the fact we’re playing against a very good team. The Kilmarnock public will see a good team against us at Rugby Park.”

 Pasca ... "No Way Through"!Aug 25th on the Arabs Post-Match..."If you take the goals out of the game I thought it was a very good performance from us, We did well in the first half and, without intimidating them, and I thought we did enough to get in behind them in the second. The rain at half-time helped as it was going to favour a football side. I was surprised by United, who normally play through Jon Daly but today they played from the back. It is great for the young players as the supporters have an affinity with them and you can hear that from the stands. But it is a lot of responsibility on young shoulders, so with Paul Heffernan out I am still looking for an experienced striker to give the young players some support." Match Report

Aug 24th on Celtic Advancing in the Champions League... “A place in the group stage for Celtic would lead to positive feedback from abroad. Scotland would then be perceived as a good place to go by players. Killie would be regarded as part of the same SPL family and we might find it easier to tempt targets.
On League Reconstruction... "Fans influenced the decision to exclude Rangers from the top league in the first place. Now it looks as if it’s the fans pushing for a 16-team SPL. I’d like to see the game’s decision makers call the shots instead of people who are operating outside of the football industry. Reconstruction has to take place for the right reasons and that means the good of the game in general.”

Aug 20th on Cammy Bell's Broken Hand... "We have to remain positive, injuries happen at all clubs, It's been very unfortunate in that we have had three operations in the one week, but we won't panic. There are young players ready to come in and we have a replacement keeper in Kyle Letheren."

Aug 18th on the Well Post-Match... "I think it could have went either way, we were playing against a counter-attack team and we knew going into the game that Motherwell are a dangerous team away from home,  It was poor play for the first goal and the second the player wasn't tracked, we have to look at the imagination side and work on that in the next week. We need someone to hold up the ball a bit better and link it up, we are missing Heffernan and you can see how it has an impact on our performance. It's early yet and too early to make assessments, it could have so easily been a draw today but I still feel if you take Harkins out then we lack creativity." Match Report

Aug 16th on Signing Borja Perez... "Borja will give us creativity. He’s not a striker as such, but he brings a spark. He’s a bit like Dean Shiels".

On extending the Transfer Window… “It’s not fair on clubs where this is their spending time.Surely with these extenuating circumstances we could extend it for a couple of weeks because clubs haven’t had that money.”

Aug 15th on Failing to Sign Colin Nish... " I'm gutted about this one falling through as I'm a fan of Nish and think he done very well for us when he was here. He wasn't appreciated enough by a lot of fans but I feel he could do us a turn up front, as his goals per season with us last time was pretty good".

 Aug 11th on the Caley Post-Match...   "Both of them  (Gary Harkins and James Dayton) could potentially be long term. James has hurt his knee and we won't know how bad it is until the swelling goes down. Gary's hit the back of his head, so you are possibly looking at two weeks out for him if it is a concussion. I thought for the first 20 minutes we were still on the bus, but after we made a couple of changes within the team it helped to alter our style of play. I felt we dominated the game for long periods, but we couldn't really create chances and we are going to really suffer one of these days because of that. However, the boys deserve credit because they were up this morning at 6am and put in a great shift."  Match Report

Aug 10th on Signing Colin Nish...“Signing a striker would be a priority for us,” he said. “I’ve been trying to get Colin Nish on loan. He’s never worked under a manager who likes to play the ball to him on the ground – everyone else had played it in the air to him and that’s not his strength. I’ve tried to get him because he’s got good feet, he can hold the ball up and he’s a former player as well, of course. St Johnstone were also in for him but now that they’ve signed Craig Beattie that might end their interest. However, we won’t be able to get him in time for Saturday’s game at Inverness.” 
On the Caley Pre-Match... “Last week’s game was typical of two teams who weren’t ready for it. It favoured them because it was so early in the season. We have sharpened things up since then but like most of the teams in the SPL we won’t be up to speed until September.  Inverness have great spirit and the players are committed to their manager,” added the Kilmarnock manager. “We know it is going to be a tough game and they have motivational tools, like saying ‘the central belt doesn’t like us and they don’t want us to be in the league’. I agree with him, I am not being critical, I am saying that it is great that he does that and so he should. He wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t.  It is never an easy place to go, everybody keeps saying that. They get into you and make life difficult. They are good games against Inverness and hopefully we will get a good crowd on Saturday.”
On Signing Borja...."Things are ongoing with that. It is at the early stages,"

 Aug 4th (Jimmy Nicholl) on the Dundee Post-Match... "It was frustrating because we would have liked to score goals. We don't have Heffernan and Dean Shiels - and that's 30-odd goals and assists for the team. We were hoping we would get a bit of joy. We knew what our problems were going to be and we just couldn't score when we were on top. It was disappointing to be honest with you."  Match Report

Aug 3rd on the Dundee Pre-Match..."We have lost eight quality players, we have lost goals, we have lost a lot of assets in the playing squad, "I'm sure the expectations of the fans will be realistic. We have got to look at the reality and have a clear understanding of where we are. There is no way supporters' expectations are going to be greater. They understand the predicament we are in, the extenuating circumstances of the club. It's in debt and we have to manage our finances accordingly. The expectation of the club is to stay in the SPL and build on our youth policy so that we will progress gradually over the next few years".

Aug 1st on Hitting the Pubs to Drum Up Season Ticket Sales...“We want to embrace the community and bring the club to them and I hope there’s reciprocal positivity. There were a lot of people in the pubs who were surprised by my visit. We got a few extra sales from it. People came to me and said they would purchase a season ticket. I didn’t have a pint in any of the pubs as I was driving. There was mutual respect more than anything. People enjoyed the conversation about Kilmarnock and how much they want us to do well. We did it all on Saturday. It was either that or go and watch Hibs against Huddersfield!  I’ve done it before in Northern Ireland. People have to understand we’re trying to provide entertainment for them. There is hatred in football which I’m not happy about. But I always think if you love something you strive to get better and the people around you strive to get better. That’s a great vehicle to have and we’ll continue to do that. There’s a great feeling of that about this time because people here love Kilmarnock and we have to reciprocate that love. We delivered season tickets to people in Edinburgh for some fans who bought them online. Rather than posting them all out, we delivered some to their houses. The reaction was positive. It’s not about me, it’s about Kilmarnock. I made the decision myself to go to the pubs. The club and the hard workers at Rugby Park inspire me. The stalwarts of the club give me inspiration and hopefully I can pass that and encourage new supporters. 
On Losing Heff to Injury & Deano to Rangers... “We had two extremes in one day. On Tuesday we had great optimism with the Sky announcement, but that was coupled with the playing side where we lost all our goals in one day — Dean to Rangers and Paul to injury. It’s up to me as a manager to make the changes to help us get goals because that’s a massive void to fill.”

July 26th on the Season Ahead... “Obama once said: ‘A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things’. We have to use that as our incentive. We have got to get some positive energy into Kilmarnock and we must back our supporters.  They have made a massive commitment to sporting integrity by choosing to send Rangers down. We now see this as a challenge to fulfil that sporting integrity. We are in a position where we have to give ultimate commitment to that. Now we have to be squeaky clean.  I still have full confidence we will get 5,000 to 6,000 season ticket holders this season. We have made a decision as a league to put Rangers out, so it’s time for people to step up to the plate. Across the board the fans have to come out, leave their armchairs and show their commitment to integrity. They have decided Rangers have to be out and we have to support that. We’ve a really good support and I would expect it to get bigger. It’s the same old adage — if you can find a path with no obstacles it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. I think we’ve the determination and will to drive forward. We’ve got to use our full capacity, commitment and integrity of our sport — and that’s a word I will be using a lot this season. A lot of clubs are going to have to step up to the plate and we are one of them. We’ll have to do it without finance, but we’re very much dependent on strong support from our fans. Our first target should be to hit 5,000 season tickets. If we can achieve that it will bring renewed optimism into Kilmarnock. I feel we can achieve that, but we all have to step up to the plate because we all need to save jobs and make sure we work hard to do that. The difficulties in our life are intended to make us better, not bitter. If we go through life hating everything we will stand still and stagnate.”
On Facing Dundee... “I’d heard two or three weeks ago we might be facing Dundee in our first game. I thought Rangers being relegated would mean Dunfermline would stay up so I’m surprised Dundee were chosen but I respect them as a club and they deserve to be in the SPL now. Dundee are going to be very difficult for us and they are certainly an SPL club in my eyes. They have still got the remnants of the squad we faced last season in two cup-ties. They were two very even matches and they could have gone either way. We had a couple of lucky breaks and went through, but they could have put us out so we know they are strong opponents.”

June 25th on the Impact of No Rangers in the SPL... " Kilmarnock will suffer the most for Rangers not being in the league. We will only have one guaranteed Old Firm gate next season as we were down to play Rangers twice at home. That could be £150-200,000 per game. Add in £200k for commercial and hospitality and we could potentially lose £500k from TV money — there’s £1m we have to save. We will also miss out on the Naismith sell-on fee. There was a clause inserted when we sold him to Rangers. We are different in that we carry debt. Other clubs of a similar size like St Johnstone and St Mirren don’t carry debt, so this will have a bigger impact on us. It won’t all be doom and gloom, but it’s a big challenge for us if Rangers aren’t in the league. We have to be very careful in terms of our spending. We have to work on small budgets and we’ll see how that develops. People are getting on the high moral ground and perhaps it suits them. There has to be punishment for Rangers. I’m not in a position to say what that should be, but football should not suffer. That is important. Football integrity is vital. We have integrity as a club. We have shown that and are working very hard on it. I’m not saying Rangers shouldn’t be punished. I’m not erring on one side or the other. All I’m saying is Rangers need to be punished, but we can’t punish football. If Rangers go out of the league and Dundee or Dunfermline come in, there will be eight out of 12 teams from the east or north of the country. We will be isolated to an extent and because we are in a Rangers stronghold this will have a massive impact on us".

June 20th on the SPL Fixtures Sending Killie Upto the Highlands 6 Times... “I know it is impossible to keep everyone happy and the people who have the job of doing the fixtures have a difficult task.  But my first feelings upon hearing the news of the fixtures for next season is that it’s not fair on us. Financially, it is going to be a massive outlay for our supporters. There is a recession going on and to have to make four trips to the Highlands is certainly an imbalance because it is at least an eight-hour round trip. Last season we played Aberdeen away twice and Inverness away twice before the SPL split and we were also away to Dundee United twice. We are the most southern club in the SPL so those were the furthest trips we would have, yet we got all three of them twice before the split. Now it’s happening again with Dingwall and Inverness and I just don’t feel that is fair on our supporters. Our away support is right up there among the best and I am really proud of that so it’s a bit frustrating that they are going to have to make so many long journeys again". 
On Playing  Wrexham in Wales on Wednesday, July 18... “And we are going down to Wrexham next month and I’m going to use that as a conditioning programme. The game is on a Wednesday night and we are going to travel from Kilmarnock on the Wednesday morning. It is to help the players get used to such lengthy travelling and get the experience of playing on the same day. It’s not an ideal situation at all, but it’s all about cutting your cloth accordingly and it will be good for the players to experience that journey for what they will face in the domestic programme next season.”

June 16th on the SPL "NewCo" Vote... “A secret ballot would be the best solution as the clubs would not be put in an awkward position. I don’t think a show of hands is the best way to go on this. There will be a fall-out either way so a ballot would benefit the whole of Scottish football. The decision to be made is huge and will affect so many people in so many ways.  I compare it to a decision you would make regarding your family. You have to look after your family and you have to make a decision that is in their best interests. Clubs have to do the same when it comes to the vote on a Rangers newco. We’re in real danger of over-complicating this with too many people trying to take the moral high ground. In my opinion it is quite simple.  All clubs have to very careful in the way they are run as I believe the taxman is out to get football. The news of Rangers was like a death in the football family. But we must move on and we have to stand up for our industry. It’s time for people and organisations to stick together and start working as one for the good of the game. It’s not about hammering people in order to gain some bragging rights. We need to reach some kind of agreement suitable to all the parties involved so we can move forward.”

 May 22nd on Signing a New Two Year Deal...  "I was always wanting to be here, it was so much in my heart,  I've got a fondness about Kilmarnock and I want to be here so much.  I'm always looking at players but where I'm going to be looking more and more is at the youth here and how we can grow our own players, That's a big part of the future of this club. There's a recession on and we have to keep cutting, like many other clubs. We know we can't compete in the transfer market, so young players will get opportunities here. We'll just see how they handle that.  We want them to learn their trade here and in return we will get compensation, like we did with Craig Bryson and Conor Sammon. I've put in a principle of play when I came to the club with Mixu and it's cottoned on. I feel as if we have made a contribution to how the game has progressed in the last two years. Players make mistakes but the management encourages them to remain brave and keep the ball and play with imagination  I'm not in the least surprised that we won the League Cup."
Assistant manager Jimmy Nicholl has also agreed a two-year contract extension. 
On Keep Son Dean at the Club.. "Dean had a fantastic season with 15 goals from midfield and his assists have been phenomenal, He's one I'd really like to try and keep but just let's wait and see with that. He's one of my sons at the club, that's how I like to look at them all - as part of the family.