Neil McCann’s ever-improving Kilmarnock side took their biggest step forward yet when they beat Dundee United at Rugby Park on Saturday.
Not only were they deserving of the 3-0 victory, which arrived courtesy of goals by Robbie Deas, Findlay Curtis and Joe Hugill, they lifted themselves out of the bottom two for the first time this year.
After so long in the relegation playoff spot, it was a psychological breakthrough for McCann and his players who were six points behind 10th-placed St Mirren when he took over in January.
Now they are a point ahead, showing belief in McCann’s positive tactical approach and a momentum that their relegation rivals lack. They certainly won’t be fearing this weekend’s showdown between the sides in Paisley.
‘I don’t want to see them playing with nerves,’ said McCann. ‘There’s certainly nothing coming from my side to say that they should be nervous. It’s nothing but positivity. I want them to be brave. Playing with risk will get us rewards.’
The decision to appoint McCann was not hugely popular with Kilmarnock fans, who wanted a proven manager to repair the damage done by Stuart Kettlewell in the first half of the season.
Neil McCann wants his Killie team to be fearless against St Mirren in Paisley this weekend
Findlay Curtis celebrates scoring Kilmarnock’s second goal in a 3-0 win over Dundee United
Joe Hugill completes the scoring in a victory that lifted Killie out of the bottom two places
The former winger’s body of work in the dugout is strangely limited, restricted as it is to 18 eventful months with Dundee, a short spell as interim manager of Inverness and last season’s backroom job at Rangers.
But McCann’s insightful work as a pundit over the years revealed someone who understands the game better than many a manager on the tried-and-trusted merry-go-round.
And he was good for Dundee when they were in a similar position to Kilmarnock nine years ago. He took over when there were just five games left, but he won the first two of them (ending a run of seven straight defeats) and guided the Tayside club to safety.
While there have always been question marks surrounding his temperament and his handling of players, he is an outstanding coach with a clear idea of how he wants his teams to play.
He likes to build from the back and dominate the ball with young, energetic professionals. Curtis, for example, has been the most refreshing addition to a Kilmarnock side that had been stale for too long.
Even when results haven’t gone their way, there have been signs of improvement. In the recent 1-0 defeat by Aberdeen at Pittodrie, they hit the woodwork three times.
That extended a terrible away record that remains the biggest challenge for McCann as he enters into the last three matches of the season. Only one of those, against Dundee, will be at Rugby Park.
On their travels this season, Kilmarnock have recorded just one league win, a 1-0 triumph at Tannadice last September. In each of their last three away games, they have fallen behind in the first minute.
If McCann can reverse that trend in Paisley on Saturday, against a St Mirren side who have suffered four straight defeats, it will go a long way to securing Kilmarnock’s survival.
