Chairman Michael Johnston begins the
task of replacing Jimmy Calderwood, with first team coach
Steve Kean of Blackburn, being his first choice,
but this turns out to be a non-starter.
Johnston then turns attentions towards Germany's
World Cup-winning midfielder Thomas Hassler, who did interview, but
knocks Killie back.
On
Weds June 23rd...
Mixu
Paatelainen joins Kilmarnock as their new manager, agreeing
a two-year deal with an option for a third. -
More
Killie
announce Verve the towns largest auto group will become the 2010-11 team
sponsor. Cammy Bell
agrees to a new 1 year deal.
July 2010
On July 1st Killie boss
Mixu Paatelainen installs Kenny Shiels as his assistant at
Rugby Park. During July Killie take part in the Devon based Joma
tourney with the following results...Bideford 1 Killie 7
-
Here, Blackpool 2 Killie 2
-
Here. Then play a friendly and win ..Torrington 0 Killie 16 -
Here
Mixu uses his contacts from far & away and adds the following players to
Killie's squad.....David Da Silva,
midfielder (CSKA Sofia); Ben
Gordon, defender (Chelsea,
loan); Kyle Letheren,
goalkeeper (Plymouth); James
Dayton, midfielder
(unattached), Mohamadou
Sissoko, defender (Udinese,
loan); Harry Forrester,
striker (Aston Villa, loan).
To close out July Killie
lose in a Fri PM match at Luton Town 0-1 -
Here
Aug 2010
Hammy Nets Killie Winner At The Dons
Killie play their final pre-season
Friendly drawing 0-0
with Spanish side Valladolid -
Here. Killie
fans are starting to worry on where the goals are going to come from as
no real striking threat has been added by Mixu.
Opening
day see's Killie fall
1-2 at Ibrox, with Hamill converting a
penalty. Naismith's goal proves to be the winner, with Naisy not overly
celebrating his goal out of respect to the Killie fans, a little bit of
class at least. Gordon, Dayton & De Silva all make their Killie debuts,
as Killie unveiled a slick fast paced passing game. Cammy Bell is now
firmly installed as Killie's No 1, with Alan Combe under going a double
hernia operation.
Killie's home SPL opener was to be
0-1
loss to Motherwell. A lot of huff & puff with little end product from
Dayton & Invincibile who were Killie's starting forwards.
Mohamadou Sissoko was handed
a debut, replacing the benched Liam Kelly as the only adjustment to the
Rugby Park side for Mixu Paatelainen's first home
game.
With no goals from open
play in Killie's first 2 SPL matches, Mixu gave Conor Sammon his first
start of the season against Airdrie Utd in Killie's 2nd round Co-Op Cup
tie. "Feed the Fish & He Will Score" is born, as Sammon nets a hat-trick
in Killie's
6-2
win. Also on target were
Wright, Kelly, & Sissoko.
Killie's SPL fortunes take
a turn for the better to end Aug with a fine team display in a
1-0 win at Aberdeen. Hamill was the Killie hero with 92nd
min winner, taking full advantage of a lapse in the Dons back line.
Before the Aug transfer window closes Mixu signs
27-year-old Finnish international Alexei Eremenko (right) on a
season-long loan from Ukraine club Metalist Kharkiv.
Killie finish the month in
7th place with 3 points from 3 matches.
Sept 2010
Fish Celebrates Late Accies Leveler!
To open SPL play for
September Killie host the Buddies, and take the lead with a James
Dayton goal that would be contender for goal of the season.
Unfortunately for Dayton he is lost for at least 6 months with a knee
injury. However it was Killie debut boy Alexei
Eremenko that seal the points with a dipping free-kick to give Killie a
merited 2-1 win.
Next were Celtic to come calling to Rugby Park, and despite taking an
early lead through Conor Sammon, Killie eventually fell
1-2 with Killie also
conceding their obligatory penalty kick to the Old Filth. Better was to
follow as Killie trounced under fire Hughes Hibees
3-1 in the
League Cup at home. A Hamill double along with De Silva doing the
damage.
Next up was a visit to New Douglas Park, and Killie put in a horror
first half show to fall two goals down. But 2 late goals from Hamill
(pen) & the Fish inside the last 7 mins saved Killie's bacon, as the
match ended 2-2. A
draw that certainly felt like a win!
Killie closed out Sept hosting Ayr Utd in a 4-0 win, to commemorate
Garry Hay's
testimonial match, with just over 4,000 showing up!
Killie finish the month in
7th place with 7 points from 6 matches.
Oct 2010
Mixu's Boys Thump JJ's Boys
Killie start October with
3 successive 1-2 defeats, and fall to bottom of the SPL going into a
Sunday SPL clash at in-form Hearts. For the record Killie lost to
Dundee Utd (H),
Hibs (A), &
Inverness (H). Scoring
for Killie in each of the these losses were; Sammon, Silva & recently
signed new boy Portuguese forward Rui Miguel.
Prior to the Hearts match
Killie were bounced out of the League Cup by Rangers at home,
0-2, in a game
that Killie out-shot Rangers 21 to 4!
No one could foresee the
change in Killie's fortunes that started for them at Tynecastle on Oct
31st.
Killie defender Frazer Wright flashed home a
header for the opener early in the second half. Jim Jefferies' Hearts pinned his former team back
in the second period. But an 80th-minute strike by Conor Sammon and a
sublime lob by Alexei Eremenko gave the visitors the
points in a
3-0
shocker!. Kilmarnock, propping up the Scottish Premier
League at kick-off, knew the challenge central
defenders Wright and Mahamadou Sissoko faced in
preventing their former striker Kevin Kyle from
adding to his goal tally, or from providing his
Hearts team-mates with chances, but they stuck to
their tasks superbly. Even more interestingly were
the honest, candid remarks from Mixu, after the
match, where he apologised to Miguel, for picking
him for this type of match, and saw fit to replace
him with a confidence growing and quickly maturing
Conor "the Fish" Sammon after only 38 mins of
play.
Killie finish the month in
9th place with 10 points from 10 matches, with many
plaudits but few points!
Nov 2010
Fish Celebrates His 7th Nov SPL Goal Vs The Dons
Killie
buoyed by their great Tynecastle win, go on to take 10 points out of
their 5 Nov SPL fixtures. 3-0 wins are recorded against
St Johnstone at
Perth (OG, Sammon & Kelly) &
Accies at home with
the impressive Ben Gordon opening the scoring before the Fish netted a
double.
Three consecutive 3-0 wins.... obviously a Killie SPL "best"!
Dundee Utd do end Killie's
fine run where the spoils were shared in a
1-1 draw, with Killie's lead (through the Fish again)
lasting only about a minute. Still a decent away point.
Some
exciting recognition for Killie as both Craig Bryson & Cammy Bell make
their International debuts for Scotland, as second half substitutes
against the Faeroe Islands. Adding to this honour was
Alexei Eremenko being capped for Finland in the same
week!
The first time ever Killie had 3 International caps in their side!!
Killie then hosted Rangers in a Sat ESPN televised match, that saw
Killie take the lead, conceded two stupid penalties, have Sissoko sent
off, fight back with 10 men, to pull even, only to fall a little short
in an eventual
2-3
home loss. The on-fire Conor Sammon scoring both of Killie's goals.
Rangers only shot on (or off) target in the first half, was needlessly
awarded penalty. Killie dominated for long spells but ultimately they
knew they had self-destructed.
To finish up Nov Killie
hosted the Dons in what would be Mark McGee's final match in charge of
the Dons. In a game notable for the use of replacement referees
(from Israel) Killie won
2-0 with
Sammon & Hamill (Penalty) doing the damage for Killie.
Killie finish the month in
6th place with 20 points from 15 matches, and have Finish playmaker
Alexei Eremenko named SPL Player of the Month.
 "It's a big thing for me to win this
award, Winning any award is a good thing, but especially this
one.
I have only been here for three months, so to get this
award is a big thing.
I have to say thanks to the manager and my
team-mates because, without them, I wouldn't have it."
Alexei Eremenko
Nov 2010
SPL Player of
the Month |
|
|
Dec 2010
Craig Bryson Nets The Caley Opener
Killie's first 2 fixtures
in Dec Motherwell (A) & Celtic (A) fall victim to the UK's brutal winter
conditions. However Killie's good run was not to be thwarted when they
played their 1st match of the month on Dec 18th at home to Hibernian.
A
2-1 win was
recorded with Liam Kelly celebrating his new 2 year contract with a fine
first half double, both supplied from Ben Gordon.
Killie then on Dec 21st took a shock lead through Conor Sammon's 12th
SPL goal of the season at Celtic Park, and came within 4 minutes of
breaking their 55 year Parkhead "jinx". Mixu despite being satisfied
with a point, criticises Killie's passing and overall performance, in
his post match comments. Certainly a mark of far the team had come where
1-1
was not good enough.
Killie's final match of the year was to be away to 4th place Inverness,
after the Boxing Day postponement of the Hearts match. Killie knew a win
over the Highlanders would see them leap-frog over them into the lofty
4th SPL position.
Craig Bryson, Liam Kelly and Jamie Hamill inflicted the damage with
Richie Foran's reply at 2-0 failing to muster a revival for tired
Caley, as Ayrshire's Finest ran out worthy
3-1
winners.
Killie finished the year
with only one defeat 2-3 against Rangers - in their last nine matches.
Rangers (A) will be Killie's upcoming Scottish Cup opponents on Jan
10th, so a good chance for revenge.
Chelsea inform Killie that they will not be extending Ben
Gordon's loan deal beyond Jan 3rd. Gordon will be a great loss
having supplied 3 assists (all to Kelly) in the last 3 matches.
Killie finish the month in
4th place with 27 points from 18 matches.
Jan 2011
Killie open the New Year taking a sold-out allocation of fans up to
Paisley for the St Mirren match on Jan 3rd.
