Jan 6th On How Important Jan 2012 Is..."We want to do well because we know the importance of this cup. It's a crucial month for us that could decide our future. We are ready to fight for this. This could be a seriously good season for us - but it could be a poor season as well. In my experience, the most important months are January and February. Our future could be decided this month. We have some good games in the SPL and the semi-final but we will focus on this match and aim for a good run in this cup too. We hope it will be a fantastic season - that's what we want for the club and the supporters. We are going to treat this game like an SPL match because we know they are a good side. Everybody knows that this game is not going to be easy. They are third in their league and they are going to be really up for this match. They are doing quite well in the First Division but we will go there with confidence after a good win against St Mirren on Monday."
On Deano Leaving..."I don't know what's going to happen but I hope he will stay for the rest of the season. If we lose him, it will be a big blow. You can see what he is capable of doing for us. Fortunately we have him available for Saturday's game so we are hoping for a good performance and then see what happens after that."

Dec 30th on Needing Luck After 2 Losses...“I can’t remember a game where a team has created more chances and not scored than we did against St Johnstone. Peter Enckelman was on fire in goals and we also hit the post. It felt as if we could have played forever and not scored. It was just not our night That’s football and fortunately we have another game soon. Hopefully we have one of those days against St Mirren when we create two chances and score two goals and we go on and win the match.”

Nov 27th After the Rangers Victory..."It's a day to remember for myself and for all Kilmarnock supporters, I was lucky to be in the right spot at the right moment. I thought I was 10 metres offside, so I put the ball in the net to just do something, maybe something funny. Then I turned round and saw one of their players running from the post. I've been here for four years and we have never beaten Rangers, so I knew that was coming, Everyone was up for this match, especially after the horrible performance against Inverness. Sissoko, for me, he is one of the best defenders in the country. Sometimes he's a little bit crazy and sometimes he's too relaxed. He can give you a heart attack but today he was brilliant, along with the rest of the team."

Nov 9th After the Caley Fiasco... "It was really hard to take. It was the worst performance ever, certainly the worst I have had in a Killie shirt. Everybody was performing really badly and you have to say Inverness deserved to win so easily.  To concede six goals feels almost unreal. To do it at home is just not good enough.  When we lost the third goal I thought that with our football we could equalise and maybe go on to win. But we lost the plot. I can understand the desire to show our supporters we can come back but you have to keep it tight and keep doing the right things. We didn't do that. We were atrocious and the last 30 minutes were the longest of my life. Now we have to show a lot of character because losing six in front of your own supporters is not acceptable. But the season is long and we can bounce back from this."

Weds Nov 2nd on Getting A*r in the Lge Cup Semi's....""Unfortunately I'll never experience Barcelona v Real Madrid as a player. But, for me, that's what this tie is to the people of Ayrshire. It is a game every player would want to be involved in and it should be a great football occasion. I don't know if it is the biggest Ayrshire derby in history but I think in many ways it will be. Look at what is at stake — the chance to play in a cup final at Hampden. I know how it will be for the supporters when their team loses. They will have to watch their great rivals on TV playing in a cup final. Maybe they'd be better off going to the cinema that day instead or finding something else to do. Those two matches in the Scottish Cup (in 08-09) were great. We drew at Somerset and won 3-1 at home in a replay (with 10 men). Everyone was talking about it to me beforehand. I had no idea what it meant until some fans told me 'Look, Manu, you can be relegated if you like but don't lose to Ayr in the Scottish Cup'. That let me know what it was all about! I'm not young now and wish I had another ten years left to play but I don't. So I'll savour this occasion and hopefully we can take Killie into the final. The club has never won this cup and this is the only chance in my career perhaps to lift a trophy. So it will be the biggest game of my life in many ways."

Aug 14th on Becoming Killie Capt... "I think being made captain has helped me. When the gaffer asked me I had some days when I didn't like the idea. But he asked me because he saw what I was like. He has given me more responsibility with the group. I have to lead the boys by example on and off the pitch and I'm trying - even if it is really hard sometimes. I'm proud I was asked, especially as a foreign player, and realise it's the right time in my career for it. When you go out you have to control everything though, every situation, so you need to have a few less beers than the others! I have the armband but there should be four or five more for guys like Garry Hay, James Fowler and Tim Clancy. They've been here a hundred years and are great for me. We make some decisions together and I'm glad they're there because I can't do it all by myself. Things like deciding the Christmas night out and talking to the wives and girlfriends! I'm the Don with my crew - the capo di tutti capi (boss of bosses)."

July 26th on Killie Being Pundits Fav's For Relegation... "I read in the papers that we were favourites for relegation but things change and we'll prove the pundits wrong. We played well against United and have already given the sceptics something to think about.  We are quite happy with the result at Tannadice and now we have a home game against Motherwell this weekend and we will be going all out to win again.

July 20th 2011 On Being Named Club Captain ...  "I'm really proud of being named captain. I was skipper in games before but now I am the official club captain and it's a new experience for me. I'm from Italy and I came from the lowest league in Italian football. This means so much, especially because Kilmarnock are the oldest club in the SPL.

"I may never win the Champions League or a World Cup in my career but this will stay in my heart for all my life.

"I'm a loud captain and the players will hear me but they've also been taking the p*** out of me already because I'm Italian! The lads throw their arms up in the air because Italians talk and expresss themselves by using their hands a lot."
On Improving His Disciplinary Record.... "I spoke to referees in pre-season friendlies and told them I'll stick to my job and pick up less yellow cards. I've always been like this. Sometimes I've looked crazy and that's part of my character.  I picked up a lot of bookings in the past because the referee did not understand me."

"I don't want to talk about winning and skippering Kilmarnock to a trophy victory. "That would be a dream. It's over 14 years since we won the Scottish Cup. I'm aware ot that "

June 21 2011.... MANUEL PASCALI is refusing to fret over a lack of players - because Kilmarnock could only call on a dozen last summer and still produced one of their best SPL campaigns in years.

The former Parma defender remains relaxed about their chances of at least emulating last season's achievements, even after losing most of their prized assets in the close season.

Alexei Eremenko, Jamie Hamill, Frazer Wright, Craig Bryson and Mehdi Taouil have all departed for pastures new in recent weeks.

And so far new manager Kenny Shiels has introduced only Paul Heffernan from Sheffield Wednesday, although Dundee midfielder Gary Harkins and former Crewe striker Patrick Ada remain on the club's radar.

Pascali, 29, says the departure of so many key stars is a reflection of the success they enjoyed under Mixu Paatelainen and former No.2 Shiels last time out.

But the Italian is confident they can do it again, especially as Shiels has vowed to stick with the passing style that won the club so many plaudits. Pascali said: "It's a shame we have lost a lot of players because they were different class last season. All the big teams have tried to take our best players.

"Everyone has been thinking, 'Oh no, we've lost half the team and now we'll struggle' but last season we were in the same position. On the first day of pre-season training we only had 12 players and were relegation favourites.

"But we also trust in Kenny - he has good contacts all around Europe so there will be some trialists who could give us a hand. It's going to be a tough season but it's important to keep playing so we can enjoy the year."