skygod Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 (edited) KILMARNOCK It’s safe to say that this summer will be different for Kilmarnock. The raft of nonentity loanees from England won’t materialise again. But what it has left Lee McCulloch is a young squad lacking depth. Killie have a good spine with a lot of promising talent to build around: Jamie MacDonald, Gary Dicker, Greg Kiltie, Greg Taylor, Jordan Jones, Adam Frizzell and Iain Wilson. Another promising young Scottish player in Daniel Higgins has been added from Dundee, while Alan Power has arrived from National League champions Lincoln City. He seems to be mostly endeavour. The club have lost Kristoffer Ajer, a mountain of a player even at a young age, who played alongside Dicker in the centre of defence. Neither Miles Addison or Karleigh Osborne are reliable. McCulloch will need to construct a new defence with at least one centre-back and a right-back required. The next area which requires a lot of love is the attack. Killie scored the league’s fewest goals with Kris Boyd (and Coulibaly) the top scorer in the league with eight. A forward who is more mobile and can go in behind to open up space for Killie’s impish attacking midfielders should give McCulloch options. A concern further down the line is the lack of numbers in the squad. One or two injuries could see the team toil unless a number of recruits are made, meaning McCulloch will need to stretch every sinew of his budget. Edited June 28, 2017 by skygod 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackislekillie Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 Fair assessment I think. Are Osborne and Addison even at the club any more? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CB Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 9 minutes ago, Blackislekillie said: Fair assessment I think. Are Osborne and Addison even at the club any more? Didn't Osborne have a year left? I think Addison is geography. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C4mmy31 Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 McCulloch said on Saturday when asked Osbourne was still in contract but confirmed Addison had left the club. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killie alan Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 Osbourne is still at club miles diddy Addison is away as lee told us at he Agm 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skygod Posted June 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 Osborne has/had 18 months left (signed until 31 December 2018, for some reason). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sp3ckyh0td0g81 Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 What's the thoughts on Ajer coming back ? I know McCulloch had said he was desperate to come back (or at least that's what I read on here) any whispers been heard ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piffer Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 Ajer is away with Celtic at the moment. They are playing a friendly at the moment. Rodgers picked his starting eleven then made ten subs at half time before making another in the second half. From what I can see on Twitter Ajer is not one of the 22players stripped for tonight's match. He may have told McCulloch he was desperate to come back but publicly he was saying he wanted to return to Celtic and have a crack at breaking into the first team. Similar to Woodman I think he will do this season what he is told. Ideally he will return to us but they may want to test him somewhere else. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sp3ckyh0td0g81 Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 Hopefully Rodgers see the value in having him back with us for a season 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick11 Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, piffer said: Ajer is away with Celtic at the moment. They are playing a friendly at the moment. Rodgers picked his starting eleven then made ten subs at half time before making another in the second half. From what I can see on Twitter Ajer is not one of the 22players stripped for tonight's match. He may have told McCulloch he was desperate to come back but publicly he was saying he wanted to return to Celtic and have a crack at breaking into the first team. Similar to Woodman I think he will do this season what he is told. Ideally he will return to us but they may want to test him somewhere else. Ajer is with the squad in Austria but is currently injured Edited June 28, 2017 by Maverick11 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piffer Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 7 minutes ago, Maverick11 said: Ajer is with the squad in Austria but is currently injured Just read that in an interview with Brendan Rodgers there. Interestingly he referred to him as a midfielder and state his injury among others as the reason the managers son Anton got a run out as a trialist in midfield 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewarty66 Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 I can't believe someone actually reads The Scotsman 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skygod Posted June 28, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 Yes, I scour all the newspapers religiously to find articles on Killie..... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncD Posted June 28, 2017 Report Share Posted June 28, 2017 2 hours ago, piffer said: He may have told McCulloch he was desperate to come back but publicly he was saying he wanted to return to Celtic and have a crack at breaking into the first team. Similar to Woodman I think he will do this season what he is told. Ideally he will return to us but they may want to test him somewhere else. I agree hel just do as he's told to keep in favour. However, if Rodgers sees Ajer as a future Celtic star it would make sense for him to allow Ajer to return to us to get used to the league he will be playing in if he's not going to be involved in match day squads from the start. Otherwise, I think we will get him back in December if he doesn't get much playing time at the start of season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skygod Posted August 29, 2017 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 Kilmarnock Throwing away a two-goal lead at home to Hamilton has epitomised Killie’s slow start to the season. However, Lee McCulloch can be relatively happy with the business he has carried out, after all there was much to do after last season’s failed experiment of recruiting extensively from England. The Rugby Park side have a good balance of experience and youth. Yet, with Gary Dicker still unavailable there is a glaring hole in the middle of midfield which needs to be filled. Alan Power can already be classed as a mistake, all running power without the ability to match. Dicker is the midfield presence which knits the play together. He gives the team balance and physicality, qualities which are a big miss when he’s not available. (Scotsman) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historyman Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 Running power? Obviously he hasn't seen him. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gdevoy Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 26 minutes ago, historyman said: Running power? Obviously he hasn't seen him. Alan Power? Don't think I have seen him either. I only saw the Dumbarton game in the LC but I have been at all the league games so far. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dieter's Heeder Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 I'd quite like to see us try and get someone like Jason Holt on loan for a season. Decent engine in him and contributes at both ends of the pitch. Not getting a look in at the huns just now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C4mmy31 Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 (edited) According to McCulloch at the weekend, he doesn't expect any new faces in, only people leaving as the squad is "top heavy" as it is ....... Edited August 29, 2017 by C4mmy31 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asasaid Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 When he says 18 minutes ago, C4mmy31 said: According to McCulloch at the weekend, he doesn't expect any new faces in, only people leaving as the squad is "top heavy" as it is ....... Is that in reference to Boydy's weight 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piffer Posted August 29, 2017 Report Share Posted August 29, 2017 If he could get a couple off the wage bill then I think we might see one more in. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skygod Posted September 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 Where Scottish Premiership sides failed to strengthen on deadline day Kilmarnock A quality centre midfielder’s been a problem position for Kilmarnock so far this season. Summer signing Alan Power has yet to show himself capable of performing in the Scottish top flight, while injury issues have robbed Lee McCulloch of star performers Greg Kiltie and Gary Dicker. Starting midfield combinations including the likes of Chris Burke, Rory McKenzie and Adam Frizzell have been overrun, and while Steven Smith’s return eased the issue last week, the 32-year-old former full-back does have a history of injury issues himself. Though Dicker and Kiltie’s return would ease McCulloch’s woes, it’s a gamble to expect them both to hit the ground running after a lengthy spell out. Also, Kiltie may be needed to cover out wide if Jordan Jones or Dom Thomas suffer a loss of form or injury misfortune themselves. (Scotsman) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pompey Repatriated Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 Why is McCullouch only one who can't see it? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigbill Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 3 hours ago, Isle of Wight Exile said: Why is McCullouch only one who can't see it? Because he hasn't got a clue 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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