GOALKEEPER
Craig Samson – 4
The fact that Killie fans have recently taken to loudly and ironically cheering every time Samson catches the ball tells you all you need to know about his season. There is still a decent keeper in there, but Samson’s performances have been full of basic errors that have cost the team goals. He’s about to be replaced by Jamie MacDonald and has been playing like he knows it.
DEFENDERS
Manuel Pascali – 6
The decline of Manuel Pascali continues but his passion and commitment to the club has never wavered. Those latter qualities have been useful this season and Pasca has had some big performances. Equally, there were been red cards, rash decisions and disastrous displays. Killie fans will be sad to see him go, but his time in the top division seems to be at its close anyway.
Lee Ashcroft – 6
Ashcroft is one of a number of players who fell foul of Alan Johnston’s stubborn decision to stick to the same team game after game. Big Lee was fantastic at the end of last season but has really had to wait for the end of this season, and for some injuries to others, in order to get a decent run of games. Plenty of promise still, but needs the games to get experience and cut out the rookie errors.
Mark Connolly – 8
The shining light of this season. Connolly took to the Premiership quickly and steadied the defence in the early part of the season. Our horrendous run in form can be roughly matched with Connolly’s long term injury. A player we will be hoping to build a defence around for next year.
Ross Barbour – 5
After a bit of a breakthrough season last year, Barbour has failed to put together consistent performances. Good at getting forward and full of running, but a basic and glaring error never seems far away. Barbour is still young but there’s a growing sense that the Premiership might be a little out of his depth long term.
Chris Chantler – 6
Killie started the season without a left back and Chantler’s last minute arrival was a bit of a relief. He was excellent in the early part of the campaign but injuries have again played a part and his performance levels seemed to drop. Another who looks like he might be on his way in the summer.
Daryl Westlake – 6
Westlake was hoped to be the answer at right back but has failed to successfully stake his claim. He deserves credit for filling in various positions in the defence when required but, like Ross Barbour, seems full of errors and remains unconvincing.
MIDFIELDERS
Sammy Clingan – 6
For an international player, Clingan’s report card can only read ‘must do better’. Clingan has games where he looks absolutely imperious and games where he seems incapable of passing the ball five yards. Clingan is the sort of player a team like Killie should rely on to boss the midfield but consistency has been a problem. Trusted by both managers, but needs to up his game.
Jamie Hamill – 6
Hamill’s return to Rugby Park hasn’t been a great success so far. He formed a good partnership with Clingan in the centre of the park in the opening months. However, when teams worked us out his effectiveness in that role decreased. A bad injury has hampered his season, but Hamill hasn’t brought the experience the club might have hoped.
Alexei Eremenko – 7
It pains me to give Eremenko anything other than a 10 (or indeed an 11…), but there just haven’t been enough strong performances from Losa this year. Debates rage among Killie fans as to whether this is a decline in Eremenko or a failing on both of our managers to properly utilise him. I’ll declare a bias for my favourite Killie player, but Alan Johnston’s decision to have the team basically kick the ball over Eremenko’s head for 90 minutes can’t have helped. He’ll probably be away in the summer and hasn’t lived up to our memories in his second spell.
Craig Slater – 6
It’s difficult to judge Slater as he seems to have been totally ignored by the management until the last third of the season. A promising debut campaign meant there was some optimism about his future and Slater did well and scored some goals when finally brought into the team. With a good run in the side, however, he has often failed to have a big impact in the midfield. One we will hope can improve for next season.
Tope Obadeyi – 7
It’s utterly bizarre that Topes is our top scorer. There are games where he looks unplayable and, more often, games where he doesn’t look like he knows what he’s supposed to do with that round thing at his feet. Obadeyi’s pace and dribbling can be really effective, but after getting himself into good positions his decision making is massively suspect. A player who has ‘the chaos factor’ that can be important at this level, but yet another Killie player who struggled to be consistent.
Chris Johnston – 6
We’ve been waiting for two seasons now for Johnston to blossom into the tricky winger we want him to be. The wait goes on. His talent is undeniable but Premiership defences have had little trouble in stopping him. There was a brief renaissance when given a run by Gary Locke but Johnston has failed to nail down his place on the wing this year.
Rory McKenzie – 7
McKenzie is a frustrating player to watch as a fan. His work rate is absolutely fantastic and he covers the whole pitch, usually coming off absolutely shattered at the end of games. That’s a hugely likeable quality, but he has lacked incisiveness at the other end of the pitch, and that makes his position on the wing difficult. Many fans think he should be given a more advanced role. The promise is still there and we hope for better things.
Paul Cairney – 3
A man that makes Eremenko look fit is not a man any football team needs.
STRIKERS
Josh Magennis – 7
Oh Josh… Where to start? Magennis is a player it is impossible not to like. His commitment and work rate have been incredible – the man never seems to tire and will fight tooth and nail for every ball. But he’s not a striker. He’s just not. No matter how much we want him to be. The trouble is, neither is he a winger, or an attacking midfielder… he’s just Josh Magennis. It feels a bit like kicking a much loved pet to say that we need to replace him, but we do. No matter how much we love him, he doesn’t score enough goals.
Nathan Eccleston – 4
A bright start at the club brought a few goals, but even Killie fans will struggle to remember his name come the start of next season.
Lee Miller – 5
Miller has accomplished an odd feat in barely featuring but still becoming strangely disliked by the Killie support. Fitness has been a problem, but Miller has looked totally disinterested in pretty much every performance and seems to have lost confidence. That image, however, is at odds with the bullish interviews he gives the press. Killie fans don’t lightly thank Michael Johnston, but a contract clause allowing Miller to leave because he hasn’t played a certain number of games is a welcome relief.
MANAGER(S)
Alan Johnston – 5
Midway through the season I wrote a glowing blog about how bright things were at the club. That crumbled faster than an overcooked Killie Pie and our performances plummeted. Even in the good times Johnston failed to connect with the fans and a refusal to properly use Eremenko or give youth a chance grated with the support. Stubbornly choosing the same team and failing to make substitutes didn’t help either. Over the two seasons, his legacy is now that of one of the poorest managers we’ve had. We were delighted to see the back of him. Until…
Gary Locke – 5
… enter Locke. Gary Locke took us on our best run in a number of years, but eagle eyed Killie fans were pointing out that we had actually drawn a number of those games and been fairly lucky in a few of the wins. It seemed we had the perfect opportunity to wait until the summer and assess then, but the new board had different ideas. The end of season run was catastrophic. There are no mitigating factors either in terms of being unlucky with decisions or missed chances – we were appalling – 4-1 defeat to St Mirren appalling.
Locke deserves a chance to mould his own team, and some of the transfer targets mentioned so far seem promising, but he now has a lot to do in order to convince the Rugby Park faithful.
WRITTEN BY ALASTAIR MITCHELL
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