KillieHippo -May 21

KILLIE HIPPO AN UNOFFICIAL KILLIE FANZINE MAY 2021

GAYFIELD PARK, ARBROATH

• REALITY STRIKES HOME….

• GROWING THE KILLIE FAMILY • EUROS….MON THE JOCKS

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SHOOTING FROM THE HIPPO Welcome to the last issue of this season although to be fair the next issue will be in a month…….nae peace for the wicked!! Well as we feared the worst happened and I’ve been barred from KFC for taking along a skip to take advantage of their chicken wings offer……a bucket is no use to a man of my measurements.

Elsewhere we were relegated so here is some word association: A*r – Trophyless, Arbroath – chanking (see front cover for proof), Dunfermline – bridies, Hamilton – soulless, Inverness – drunk, Ayr – still trophyless, Morton – coo shed, Partick Thistle – hate us (guid), Queen of the South – train day, Raith – boring, Ayr – brasso free.

So there you have it, a well researched and in depth analysis of what you can expect next season if we are allowed out to play. It is still seems a bit strange but I’m not as gutted as I thought I would be, all that might change as I visit some of the miserable outdoor bogs that pass as fitba grounds these days. The two play off games against Dundee showed a lack of belief, lack of desire and no inclination to fight for the shirt. These are all qualities we will badly now need as it’s as much about fight and desire as it is about ability. The record of teams coming straight back in one season is mince so all my faith is in the manager and his ability to quickly mould a team that can get us back in one shot.

It was a certainty there was going to be a clear out regardless of what league we were in and TW hasn’t been messing about. We only had four players still under contract for next season McKenzie, Power, Haunstrup and McGowan. More contract offers were made but the likes of Millen was quickly bumped when he didn’t get back to the club within the agreed time limit. It’s great to see a manager not being messed around by players and TW won’t have much of a summer break as he has to build his new squad.

It’s going to be a big ask getting the squad working as one and hitting the ground running when the league starts at the end of July. I expect we may be slow starters (as usual) but get stronger as the season goes on. At the time of writing we have no goalkeepers but as an ex keeper himself I’m confident the manager will get that issue addressed in the near future.

The signings so far look promising with a mix of experience as well as guys who have played in the Championship so should know what to expect. Ewen Murray from Dunfermline is a strong centre half who looks like captain material and if Scott Robinson can continue his Livi form of last season then he should get his fair share in the lower league. All in all it’s a massive challenge with a new squad and a new manager doing their utmost in a new league. It wont be pretty but I have faith in the manager to get us back up pronto Check out our “Growing the Killie family” article and get your nominations sent ASAP……cheers Sandy

REALITY STRIKES HOME…..

I can’t do this article without harking back to the last game of 1993 – 1994 season as we travelled through in sensational numbers to Easter Road. Under the guidance of the late great Tommy Burns we stayed up by the skin of our teeth and the scenes in Edinburgh and Killie after that game were very bit as brilliant and memorable as our latter cup wins. That will forever remain one of my all time fave Killie games.

Make no mistake, without that magnificent effort to stay up there would have been no 28 years in the top flight, cup wins, euro trips etc. I do take issue with fans who say that our relegation means we just forget those years…..far from it lets dust ourselves down, get promoted and start creating new unforgettable memories.

When the relegation finally happened I was strangely calm, I think it was half expected as we were totally mince and suffering from a number of poor boardroom decisions that ultimately cost us our fantastic top league stay.

Our defending was pub league most of the season…….did Fowler, Thomson etc think it was good enough for us to have a Hearts 3rd choice keeper as our

best option…..incredibly poor recruitment and judgment. I’m not one for “the blame game” but our board needs to recognise their mistakes, accept the structure is wrong and change it or the same mistakes will be made. Anyway let’s have a quick run through the season and look at the succession of results that eventually saw us meekly surrender to Dundee in the play offs: AUGUST 2020 I think the overall theme for the season was individual errors, our biggest threat in most games were ourselves and our disastrous individual and collective defending. We kicked off the season with a goalkeeping mess at Easter Road where we lost 2-1 though probably deserved a draw.

We then got a decent 1 – 1 draw at home to Celtic before a crap referee penalty decision in Dingwall saw us gain a point when it should have been three. Next up we were 1 – 0 up and in control v St Johnstone before Millen’s stupid red card was followed by Keystone Cops defending saw us lose 2 – 1…..you can see how this is panning out.

There were still another two games in the month, we lost 2 – 0 at Ibrox after setting out to defend the 6 yard box for 90 minutes however the last game of the month saw arguably our best performance of the season. We beat Dundee Utd 4 – 0 at RP scoring a couple of fantastic goals into the bargain but as Killie fans we know not to get too optimistic.

SEPTEMBER 2021 Our nemesis Aberdeen were next on the hit list when some slack defending saw us lose 1 – 0 in a game where we were probably good value for a point.

We then beat Hamilton 2 – 1 at home after an early red card for Brophy was followed by goals from Kiltie and Kabamba. I was lucky to be in the directors box for that game so that will forever be remembered as the only Killie game I saw live in season 2020 – 2021!!

We ended the month with our first away win, a 1 – 0 win in Paisley with Kabamba the hero again. Covid was taking a grip at this time and effectively ended our League Cup with the beaks trying to punish clubs at a time when they should have been supporting them.

OCTOBER 2021

Our decent wee run continued with a fine if somewhat lucky 3 – 1 win at Livi, things were all looking relatively positive although there was still a feeling of no confidence in the manager even when results were good. Our only other game this month was a 1 – 0 loss at home to Hibs thanks to another ridiculous refereeing penalty decision. I think it was given by the linesman who was furthest away from the action, it was outside the box and probably not even a foul.

NOVEMBER 2021 November started badly with a televised single goal defeat with a mental Millen handball handing the three points to the orcs. His name does feature in a few of these reports but we should stress our general defending was just as bad. Next up was a very poor overall performance as we lost 1 – 0 in Perth in a game where we never looked like scoring.

We ended the month with a good 3 -1 win over Ross County, just think if we had done the same thing in the second RP encounter we wouldn’t have gone down!!

DECEMBER 2021 We started with a pathetic 1 – 0 loss at Hamilton with Dikamona getting sent off in the first half then the ref giving yet another soft penalty against us for the only goal. Many fans were unhappy at this point and the general consensus was a new manager was need however BB and the board stuck with AD and that is ultimately what probably cost us.

We then lost 2 – 0 at Parkhead against a Celtic team who were devoid of confidence before making it the worst Xmas ever for Killie fans. Our next three games saw us lose 2 – 0 at home to the Dons, 2 – 0 away at Tannadice then 2 – 1 at home to Livi.

You would have though that 5 defeats on the bounce may have sounded an alarm in the boardroom but regrettably not.

We ended up with a 2 – 0 at Fir park and were sitting in 8th place, five points above bottom spot. There were only 6 points between the bottom six so

even then it looked like a battle that could go all the way to the last day. I’d say 90% of fans wanted change but the folk that mattered didn’t budge and it was painful to see our demise unravel in front of our own eyes.

JANUARY 2021 We started 2021 with a 1 – 1 draw at home to St Mirren thanks to a last minute goalkeeping disaster before beating Hamilton 2 – 0 also at RP. Our mini revival was short lived as we then 2 – 0 away to both Hibs and Livi before chucking away a 2 – 0 lead and losing 3 – 2 at home to St Johnstone.

It’s amazing to think at half time we were 2 up but had no absolutely no confidence we would win the game. I know a few guys who stuck a few quid on St Johnstone at half time and earned a nice return. This was AD’s swansong and we all know he is a thoroughly good guy….just not a manager.

FEBRUARY 2021 Fowler was put in interim charge as we lost 4 - 0 at home to a still underperforming Celtic, thank God we never got them on a good day!! Next up was a 2 – 0 defeat in Paisley and with the transfer window shut the timing of the AD sacking was beyond baffling. It was clear the new boss was going to have a ridiculously hard job inheriting a squad who had either chucked it or were simply not good enough.

Tommy Wright was brought in and his first three games were all 1 – 0 defeats, home to Rangers then away to Rangers and Aberdeen. We had a new boss and although there was a noticeable upturn in performance sadly results were still poor. TW got his first point with a 1 – 1 at home to Dundee Utd, Medley’s turn for the defensive error.

We sat in 11th spot one point above Hamilton who had two games in hand….grim.

MARCH 2021

The first game in March was a hugely significant 3 – 2 loss in Dingwall, another wee nail in the coffin as we continued to defend like the Howard arms over 35 (stone) second eleven. Our only other game in March was a 4 – 1 win at home to Motherwell.

Lafferty was our lone hope by this time but TW had us being fairly attack minded and we looked like scoring goals. Sadly our defensive frailties were there for all to see and it was clear TW had inherited a defensive shambles, one that would cost us our survival.

April 2021 Only two league games this month starting with another poor 2 – 2 draw with ross County having been ahead twice. It was clear by this time that opposition teams knew our weakness and we seemed ever more vulnerable as soon as we scored.

Our other game was a good 3 – 0 home win over Dundee Utd who in all fairness fielded half a team The rest of the month was taken up by cup games with wins away at Stenhousemuir and at home to Montrose before chucking it away again at home to St Mirren. We couldn’t have had a kinder draw but the whole team was bereft of confidence due to the mess at the back.

MAY 2021 The final three league games were a pathetic 2 – 0 defeat at Fir Park, another self destruction 3 – 3 draw at home to St Mirren before winning at Hamilton on the final day although by then we were relying on Ross County losing at Motherwell. That didn’t happen and we headed to a play off battle against Dundee with about as much confidence as the Monster Raving Loony Party at a general election.The rest is history and if we want to be honest we got what we deserved. A serious of poor boardroom decisions cost us our proud top league stay. As for our recruitment, if we had signed one averagely competent keeper we would have stayed up……simples!!

EURO 2020 PREVIEW MON THE JOCKS If you’re old enough cast your minds back to the 10th June 1998. Your humble editor was working down south in Lytham St Annes and spending a very happy time in my life. I was working with folk from all over Britain and to be perfectly brutal the social life was incredible…..7 days a week.

The fall out from that was a much bigger belly and an extra chin but would I do it all again…..you bet I would.

Along with our English, Irish and Welsh chums me and my Celtic/Airdrie/Rangers buddies literally took over a wee bar that was affectionately nicknamed “The Winchester”. If you ever watched the classic programme Minder the bar was down some winding stairs and it bore a passing resemblance to the New England Bar where we drank. Lifelong friendships were being born and the troops from all four nations as we were fitba daft and gagging for France 98, the last time we were at the finals of a major tourney.

The day in question was the opening game of the full tournament and the anticipation had been building for a few months as we got away from work early and headed to the Winchester. Not one of the Scottish troops were heading in expectation as we were facing the tournament favourites and a skelping was being predicted from all over the globe.

My memory is rapidly fading but I remember that Scotland put up a tremendous fight and when Collins equalised the Winchester roar must have been heard back at my spiritual home, the Howard Arms. It was a truly unforgettable day spent in the company of great folk and I think even our English mates were secretly wanting a Scottish win……or is that my memory letting me down again???

Of course we ended up with a narrow 2-1 defeat but somehow the result didn’t matter, it was a joyous experience and remains a great memory.

I suppose the memory of that tournament has got sweeter with each passing year where Scotland have constantly disappointed and failed to qualify again. We literally have a generation of youngsters who haven’t seen us at finals and it was only with the appointment of SSC that we managed to qualify again……even if it was through the back door of all back doors.

The whole Covid situation has made us even more desperate for some decent entertainment so with no Crete holidays in the near future. I’ve taken the first two weeks of the Euros off work and it’s going to be 14 days of beer and fitba……Crete without the sunshine. In the absence of the Howard Arms (maybe good news imminent on that front) feel free to join me at the Pyramid to empty the Tennents kegs and discuss why Scotland would be so much better with Killie players in the squad….well maybe not this year but we are still claiming that the manager is ours.

I really do hope that this is the start of another great run of qualification as back in the 70’s and 80’s it was a given that Scotland would be there. Our squad is a bit of a mixture of obvious strength but glaring weakness…..more of that a bit later. The draw has been good to us with difficult yet (maybe) winnable games and of course it includes the ultimate local derby. Contrary to what Sturgeon says we don’t automatically get a second independence referendum if Scotland win.

Of course we are going there to try and progress for the first time but it’s a tourney to be enjoyed and an occasion that brings most of the country together in a positive way. Whilst your out there enjoying yourself have a wee laugh at the dafties who want their own country to fail, Scotland’s shame as you probably know them as.

I’m sure a lot of the country will grind to a halt at 2pm on Monday 14th as we face the Czech Republic in our opening game, the fact that it’s at Hampden is a huge bonus and I’m sure the 12000 fans will make it feel like a full house. The game everyone wants to see is on Friday 18th at 7.45pm as a mini tartan army will head over Hadrians Wall wearing their £20 kilts and Timberland boots. The third game is back at Hampden on Tuesday 22nd 7.45pm v Croatia and lets hope we still have something to play for then.

I could rattle on about the other teams but in all honesty I know next to nothing about them so here’s a wee preview we came across that goes through the tournament on a group to group basis:

GROUP A On June 11, Italy and Turkey will kick off the European Championship in Rome.

Those two are accompanied by Switzerland and Wales, making the group highly competitive. Regardless, Italy are the undisputed favourites. They won a difficult Nations League A group and possess the strongest squad out of these four teams.

If this wasn’t enough, the Azzurri will have home advantage in all their group matches.

Stadio Olimpico will only allow 25% of its normal capacity, but around 18,000 spectators should still provide sufficient support, even though not all of them will be Italian.

Turkey Marginally Favoured Over Switzerland Determining the runner-up is a trickier task. Switzerland did well to obtain six points in a Nations League group containing Spain, Germany and Ukraine. Their only win was awarded to them, though. Either way, three draws in four matches against Spain and Germany is impressive. Their start to World Cup qualifying was also solid, despite their uncharacteristically underwhelming 1-0 against Lithuania.

Turkey come off the back of a phenomenal start to World Cup qualifying but suffered greatly from inconsistency in Nations League B. That could, though, be attributed to Şenol Güneş being fresh in charge and experimenting with tactics, learning his best team.

It seems things are finally starting to click for the Turks, highlighted by their phenomenal wins against the Netherlands and Norway.

Also, Güneş was the mastermind behind Turkey’s third-place finish at the 2002 World Cup. The pedigree and experience of being the manager behind Turkey’s best-ever side cannot be underestimated. Recency bias could be at play here, but Turkey might very well be emerging as a footballing power.

The Olympic Stadium in Baku will allow 50% of its normal capacity, around 34,000 spectators. The bond between Azerbaijan and Turkey is close. Most Azeris will be unofficial Turks for the duration of the Euros. In other words, Turkey will basically enjoy home advantage in their matches against Wales and Switzerland.

Turkey’s recent success, superb manager and pseudo-home advantage gives them a slight edge over their main runner-up contender, Switzerland.

Wales the Victim of a Highly Competitive Euro 2020 Group Ryan Giggs has managed Wales since 2018 and can thus be held more accountable for Wales’ results in the Nations League. Which he probably doesn’t mind, since The Dragons had a successful campaign, winning their group undefeated. But a cause for concern is unveiled upon closer inspection. Several 10 wins against Finland, Bulgaria and the Republic of Ireland. Very narrow wins with late goals against teams that are all weaker than Italy, Turkey and Switzerland. And a 0-0 draw against a historically struggling Irish side.

This persisted in World Cup qualifying, where they obtained a 1-0 win against the Czech Republic – also with a late goal (albeit a Czech side that held Belgium to a draw). The Czech Republic are notably stronger than the likes of Ireland, but Wales’ triumph over them is too anecdotal for any major conclusions to be reached.

The point is that Wales’ recent success can largely be attributed to having the margins on their side and that it’s only a matter of time before they don’t manage a clean sheet or don’t score that crucial late goal. This risk increases the tougher the opposition is. All Group A teams are better than those Wales defeated in the Nations League. Wales are a good team, but this group is slightly too competitive for them to advance to the knockout phase.

GROUP B Belgium comfortably defeated Russia home and away in Euro 2020 qualifying, before Covid-19 forced matches to be played in empty stadiums.

In the Nations League, the Red Devils replicated that feat against Denmark, without spectators too. Regardless, it’s unlikely home fans would’ve given Denmark the three goals necessary to win.

Debutants Finland are arguably on par with Russia, but still weaker than Denmark, meaning Belgium should beat them without too much hassle, despite Finland’s proximity to the St Petersburg venue and presumably greater support from the stands.

Belgium are currently one of the best teams in the world and possesses an exciting blend of youngsters and veterans. Their motivation to win their first major tournament will be through the roof.

Denmark the Presumptive Runner-Up Denmark did well to get ten points in their Nations League A group, going undefeated against England over two fixtures. Their start to World Cup qualifying is arguably still better, even though the opposition is comparatively easy.

Fourteen goals in three matches, maintaining a clean sheet every time, one of which was a 4-0 demolition away against Austria with all goals scored in the second half.

Additionally, their squad consists of several great players representing the likes of Leicester City, AC Milan, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan.

They will also enjoy home advantage in all of their group matches.

Around 11,000 to 13,000 (over half being Danes) spectators will likely feel like a lot after being accustomed to empty stadiums.

Russia did well to reach the quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup, but Denmark have undoubtedly surpassed them, enjoying greater success in the Nations League and World Cup qualifying.

Russia and Finland to Eliminate Each Other

Russia and Finland both played in Nations League B, obtaining eight and 12 points respectively. In Russia’s defence, their group was tougher, but this time they will enjoy home advantage in two of their group matches, including the one against Finland.

Despite Russia’s lacklustre Nations League campaign, they remained undefeated at home, even without fans. So, it would not be unreasonable to consider them slight favourites over the Finns in front of 34,000 spectators (mostly Russians), despite its close proximity to Finland.

Then again, Finland won two away matches in the Nations League, albeit against historically struggling Irish and Bulgarian sides. They also drew 1-1 away against Ukraine in World Cup qualifying, but that was because of a last-minute penalty.

However, the Finns have another ace up their sleeve – the motivation and passion that playing in your maiden tournament brings.

While this motivation alone is unlikely to grant Finland an away win against Russia, it can certainly be enough to manage a draw. And since they will both likely lose to Belgium and Denmark, this draw will presumably spell the end for Russia’s and Finland’s tournament.

GROUP C Despite their recent struggles under Frank de Boer and missing Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands are favourites to win their group. Their squad, although the weakest in years, is still the best compared to the rest of their Group C rivals.

Oranje obtained eleven points in their Nations League A group, losing just one match against Italy. The only other truly poor result was their 0-0 away against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Regardless, the Dutch performed better in the Nations League than any team in their group.

Also, they will enjoy home advantage in all group matches. A cause for concern is their 4-2 debacle against Turkey, but it was a good Turkish side and is too anecdotal to remove Oranje’s status as group favourites.

Likewise, the absence of van Dijk should not be overestimated, even though it would be a blessing for any team to have him. Football is a team sport.

Ukraine a Worthy Adversary Ukraine won six points in their Nations League A group but were relegated under the most unfortunate of circumstances. They were forced to forfeit their away match against Switzerland 3-0 due to a Covid-19 outbreak in their squad.

Ukraine could have remained in League A had it not been for that. The Yellow and Blue also performed well in the Euro qualifiers, winning their group undefeated and beating Portugal. However, they have failed to replicate this success in World Cup qualifying, unable to win a single match out of the three.

Fortunately for Ukraine, Austria have been worse. Despite winning their Nations League B group, the Austrians start to World Cup qualifying has been poor.

Despite a 3-1 win versus the Faroe Islands and drawing 2-2 against Scotland, they lost 4-0 to Denmark. Elo ratings put Ukraine higher in their rankings than Austria. Ukraine will be a dark horse for many and it will be interesting to see how far they can go. Andriy Shevchenko has done a superb job, making Ukraine dream again.

Third Place Likely for Austria Austria defeated North Macedonia home and away in Euro qualifying, but that was a year and a half ago and it’s obvious the Balkan side has improved since then, highlighted by their sensational win against Germany.

Despite their recent struggles, Austria should be favoured to finish above the Balkan side. North Macedonia’s overall results indicate that their win against Germany was a fluke, although deserved.

Their only other convincing win in these last nine months was against Liechtenstein and historically struggling Latvia. There are also marginal wins against Estonia, Georgia, Kosovo, Armenia and Israel, but they are all weaker sides than Austria.

As debutants, North Macedonia’s motivation will be through the roof, but that alone is not enough to grant them a successful tournament. Even if North Macedonia defy the odds and win a match, goal difference will likely spell the end of their tournament.

GROUP D Croatia ended England’s run at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but the Three Lions have now surpassed them, with a marginal victory against Croatia at Wembley in the 2018/19 Nations League. Since then, the Balkan side has gotten worse, losing to Slovenia and scraping past Cyprus 1-0 in World Cup qualifying.

England look likely to convincingly repeat that victory at the Euros. Despite a relatively disappointing Nations League campaign, England’s performance was the best out of any Group D team. Their squad is also the strongest in the group and home advantage in all matches further cements England’s status as group favourites. At least 22,500 spectators (mostly English) will be a big boost for the players, particularly after being accustomed to playing without fans.

Scotland to Defy the Odds and Become Group D Runners-Up England should beat Scotland at Wembley, but the Scots can compete with both the Czech Republic and Croatia, especially in Glasgow.

Scotland defeated the Czechs home and away in the Nations League, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. In the first fixture in Prague, the Czechs were forced to use what essentially was their C team after a Covid-19 outbreak plagued their squad. That, along with a Ryan Christie penalty, assured Scottish victory. However, even after the Czechs were back to (almost) full force, Scotland still reigned supreme at Hampden Park, winning with their only shot on target.

Meanwhile, the Czechs had six shots on target. But stats like that are very common when teams obtain an early lead as Scotland did. So it’s not to say that the Czechs were better or that Scotland’s triumph was undeserved.

Additionally, the Scots will be beyond motivated playing their first major tournament since 1998 in front of home fans. Though not at full capacity, around 12,000 fans (mostly Scots) at Hampden Park should give them the boost they need.

Scotland should manage at least a draw against the Czechs, if not win. The Czechs are a decent away side, but this decency will likely only extend to granting them a draw against Scotland at best, not a win. The Czech Republic is a rising side with a bright future, but they need a little more time and are unlucky to play two away matches in this tournament.

Small Margins Favour Scotland Something that bodes well for Scotland is Croatia’s poor away record; they have failed to win an away match since September 2019.

This can be partly explained by the quality of the opposition, facing the likes of Portugal, France and Sweden. But this record is still not to be ignored, since they also failed to defeat Wales, Azerbaijan and Hungary away in Euro qualifying. This is not to mention their recent loss to Slovenia in World Cup qualifying.

Coincidentally, September 2019 was also when Scotland suffered their most recent home defeat – 4-0 against Belgium. An impressive streak.

Also, Croatia has never beaten Scotland over their four competitive matches.

Most patterns break at some point and Croatia can definitely win against them, but it’s still worth noting. Scotland’s rise in combination with Croatia’s apparent decline, home advantage and motivation of finally playing in a major tournament again is enough to favour Scotland as group runners-up by the smallest possible margin.

Croatia and the Czech Republic Evenly Matched We all remember Croatia’s cinderella story at the 2018 World Cup, but that golden generation has started declining. It’s difficult to compare Croatia’s and the Czech Republic’s Nations League performances since they played in different divisions.

Croatia barely stayed in League A, courtesy of a Marcus Danielson own goal.

Their sole win was at home against Sweden. The Czech Republic won their League B group comfortably, despite losing to Scotland.

The Czechs obtained two fewer points than Croatia in their opening three matches in World Cup qualifying, but the former faced tougher opposition.

Regardless, the difference between their performances, if it even exists, is too minuscule to base conclusions on.

We have to look elsewhere to distinguish them. One such place is Elo ratings, where Croatia and the Czech Republic are ranked 18th and 27th respectively.

However, this small difference – in combination with their recent results – means they are basically evenly matched. Stats and rankings can go out the window on the day of the match.

Despite Croatia’s seemingly superior squad, they are about on the same level as the Czechs. It feels odd to disregard a team that played in a World Cup final less than three years ago in this fashion, but paradigms can change rapidly in football.

GROUP E Despite their shaky start to World Cup qualifying where they dropped points against Greece and scraped past Georgia, Spain is the big favourite to win this group.

On top of winning their Nations League group and having the group’s strongest squad, La Roja also has home advantage in all group matches. La Cartuja in Seville will be at 30 percent capacity, boasting 18,000 spectators (mostly Spaniards). That should provide ample support to boost the players.

While finishing in first isn’t a guarantee, it’s certainly the most likely outcome for Spain.

Slovakia’s Chances Slim Slovakia will likely finish in last place, just as they did in their Nations League B group. Also, their start to World Cup qualifying has been dreadful despite a 2-1 win against Russia. They drew with Malta after being 2-0 down and failed to break down Cyprus. Slovakia does have a couple of good players, but that won’t be enough to take them past the group stage of the Euros.

Sweden and Poland Indistinguishable Poland obtained four more points than Sweden in the Nations League, but that could be attributed to the White and Reds group being a bit easier. Robert Lewandowski is arguably the best striker in the world, but that doesn’t assure success in a team sport.

Poland flopped at the 2018 World Cup despite people having reasonably high hopes of them.

The opposite was true for Sweden, who reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1994. None of these factors might matter at the Euros, but the point is that there are fair cases for both Sweden and Poland to finish as runner-ups of this group.

Euro 2020 Group F Predictions Hungary’s Chances Bleak Despite Packed Home Stadiums Hungary impressively won their Nations League B group, but that is of little significance in a Euro group with teams who all performed well, or at least decently, in League A. However, the Magyars have an ace up their sleeve in being the only Euro 2020 team with full stadium capacity. As a result, 67,215 spectators (mostly Hungarians) will cheer them on at the Puskás Aréna. Interestingly enough, a study conducted by the Institute of Labor Economics found that the absence of football fans did not negatively affect home advantage. In other words, Hungary’s performance might not improve despite their packed stadiums.

There are a few reasons why this study should be taken with a grain of salt in this context.

For one, the study was conducted all the way back in August and could thus potentially be outdated. Secondly, while it’s indicative of empty stadiums not negatively affecting home advantage, that doesn’t necessarily have to mean home teams won’t get a boost of a big home crowd after having been accustomed to playing in empty stadiums for several months.

France’s away record is impeccable, having won their eight most recent matches abroad.

This includes wins against Sweden, Croatia and Portugal. Speaking of whom, Portugal’s away record is a little shakier, recently dropping a 2-0 lead to a draw against Serbia. But it’s worth noting that a last-minute winner by Cristiano Ronaldo was wrongfully disallowed. Not to mention that one fixture is anecdotal.

The Portuguese also reigned supreme against Sweden and Croatia in the Nations League.

Hungary’s stadium capacity makes them unpredictable. It’s possible they get a shock win against France or Portugal in Budapest, but it’s unlikely. What’s more probable is that Hungary’s home advantage merely mitigates the margin with which Le Bleus and A Seleção beat them.

And since Germany’s loss to North Macedonia likely was a (deserved) fluke, Hungary’s final group match in Munich against die Mannschaft will presumably spell the end of the Magyars tournament.

France Euro 2020 Group F Favourites The French have a splendid away record, combined with Germany’s recent struggles, should grant Le Bleus a win against die Mannschaft, even in Munich.

Not to mention Le Bleus are one of, if not the best teams in the world. The same is true when it comes to France’s match against Hungary in Budapest, but by an even greater margin.

Portugal and France are arguably evenly matched, despite the latters’ narrow Nations League win in Lisbon. But France’s slightly better consistency will likely grant them a higher point tally than Portugal.

Portugal to Clinch Second Place Portugal should be favoured to beat Hungary, even though the task will be hard.

Regardless, this is one of the strongest Portuguese sides of all time. Additionally, citing their superior Nations League campaign and start to World Cup qualifying, Portugal would be marginal favourites away against Germany. A German draw or win certainly is within the realm of possibility, though.

Germany Fortunate to Have Home Advantage Germany did lose at home to North Macedonia, but that doesn’t mean they’ll succumb to Hungary in Munich. One match is too anecdotal. The German’s home record was respectable prior to that disaster. With wins against Iceland and a strong Ukrainian side. Their draws against Spain and especially Switzerland might seem poor at first glance, but they’re both better than Hungary and thus indicates that a German win against the Magyars is probable. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> That’s your wee run down for the groups but how are Scotland going to get on.

The first game is absolutely huge and victory would put us within touching distance of progressing for the first time ever. All runners up and the four best third place teams go through so a win and a draw may well be enough. I reckon the fixtures have worked out well and our first game against the Czechs at Hampden has to be our best hope of a victory although may no mistake they are decent and it will be difficult.

The second game against the morris dancers will take care of itself although Southgate’s formation of playing nine right backs may cause us a problem…..did he get his coaching badges along with Lee Clark? The final game at Hampden v Croatia is difficult as they are classy but who knows. The friendly against Holland was a bit of an eye opener, did it hint at a far more offensive mindset from SSC? We lack quality both at centre back and centre forward but midfield is strong and in Tierney we have a player of genuine quality. I’m looking forward to it and will do a wee Euros diary for the next issue….bring it on!!

THE BLUEHAND RETURNS “SACK EVERYBODY” Dear Hippo Well I’m sitting here at home on Sunday morning looking on in envy at the sensational double by St Johnstone and seeing what a decent Killie team should be achieving.

Unfortunately the football since the departure of a certain Mr Clarke has not been good but I’ve witnessed this all before and there lies a problem with a majority of the Killie support.

We have have been spoiled for the last 28 years. Top flight football since 1993/94, three league cup finals and one Scottish cup final with two superb victories.

You and I when following Killie never saw us in a cup final and witnessed the yo-yo years and some dross players on the way. I read with some displeasure the comments against everyone and anyone on social media and shake my head.

Could you imagine the younger supporters being brought up with the Laughlan board or players like John McKeachrin!! Excuse the spelling but he was Keich!!

As far as I’m aware the club is on a somewhat stable financial footing, even after Covid, and Billy Bowie has done what he can to improve the club, yes he’s made mistakes, we all make mistakes but he doesn’t deliberately set out to do so.The Alessio affair (no pun intended) was a huge mistake but it seems to have been a player power decision? Maybe we should have punted the instigators rather than the instigated.

But ultimately it’s all down to a one game shootout between ourselves and a dangerous Dundee. By the time this is printed we will have know the destination of both the clubs and if it’s cheerio to the Premiership then that’s what it is.

I do have sympathy with the youngest support as they have not had the chance to shout, demonstrate this season due to Covid whereas you and I being part of the original Hotheads & Bampots did, but we need to take it on the chin and build again, sometimes it’s better to go down a league to regroup and rise again, although it doesn’t seem like it at the time.

Anyway I’ve rattled on enough for an “old pisher” and look forward to be slaughtered in further issues.

Hopefully the Killie Gods are with us on Monday evening and the younger support keep getting their arses wiped with Premiership paper.

Yours Ex Hothead & Bampot Bluehand. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hippo says – many thanks to my lifelong chum for his honest views and I have to agree with his “lets just get on with it” mentality. As a Killie fan you cannot be a glory hunter so as much as I’m gutted I’m actually kind of looking forward to the challenge.

The initial shock wasn’t as bad as expected as in all honesty I was expecting it, I have never seen a top flight team who defended worse than us…..in all the 28 years up there. As much as a few criticisms may be made of TW he was on a hiding nothing with a squad who were short on ability and short on desire at times. Regardless of whether we had stayed up or not a total clear out was needed and even if that means losing a few who we may have kept, so be it.

I have liked how TW has dealt with the players so far, he isn’t going to be messed about. Millen had his chance and is no loss, Lafferty is a loss but was never realistically staying and was just being an arse by whining to the papers when we didn’t match his ridiculous demands. The early signings have been promising I’d say and there will be loads more to come. The only issue with a lot of signings is it can take a wee while to gel but that is where TW can earn his corn. It’s going to be a difficult season but let’s embrace it, in Tommy we trust.

MCCOOL RETURNS AND IT’S A FAIR OLD RANT….

So, it's the morning after the night before and we waken up a Championship team. Twenty eight years down the drain and on the back of the club hitting heights it hadn't scaled in decades. Two ruinous years is all it's taken for it to plumb depths many fans have never seen in their lifetimes. If Alton Towers can ever create a roller coaster this mental, the queue will start in the car park.

Here's the good news though. We are NOT finished and this ISN'T the end of the world. The fact that many appear to think otherwise, is testimony to having a generation of fans who've never seen the club outwith the top division - a highly unusual state of affairs for any set of supporters who don't follow a genuine elite outfit. Hearts and Hibs have been down and so too would Aberdeen have been back in 2000, had they not dodged a bullet due to Falkirk's stadium situation. Motherwell have been even more fortunate, managing to escape the trap door twice, in 1986 and 2002. The Dundee clubs, St Mirren, and others have spent their time yo-yoing, while all this has been going on. They all have one thing in common, they are all still here, and so will we be.

None of the above, however, means serious lessons don't have to be learned, moving forward. Let's start with us, the fans. I live in Inverness, and a lot of the punters up here seem to think that Dundee being replaced by Kilmarnock represents a better chance of ICT mounting a promotion charge next season.

What they base that on, I'm not quite sure. What do people think has kept us in the top flight for so long, the power of prayer?

Even in the days of servicing a £10m debt, we were by no means the worst financed club in the Premiership. Our budget next year will be similar to Dundee's and so too will our support if fans are allowed back in. Kilmarnock and Dundee are two very evenly sized clubs. Yes they are, so put the phone down!!

I might not be popular for saying so, but a section of our support is the amongst the most negative and downbeat I've ever come across, and it's not a new thing either.

Here are some facts. We had the sixth highest budget in the Premiership last season and next year, it will be higher than second placed Dunfermline's and in a different ball park to every other club in the Championship. Trust me, ICT have had a job keeping the doors open this year and it's been much the same for the Mortons and Ayrs and others.

For all Billy Bowie's faults and mistakes over the last couple of years, he has backed the club financially and will continue to do so. Tommy Wright even alluded to that last night.

Believe me, none of this is happy clapping, it's fact. We are a big club in Scottish football, we always have been and we always will be. Notice at the top of the page, I said we waken up a Championship 'team' today and not a Championship 'club.' We have NOT been punching above our weight all this time, as so many seem to believe we have been. The top division is where Kilmarnock belong in Scotland. We might have been a badly run club in recent times, we have not been a poor one in financial terms.

One bloke said to me in a post last night that we'll be lucky to have the third highest budget in the second tier next season. Come on!! When this is what's coming out of the club, perhaps that may explain why some see us as a skint 'wee guy' who represent an opportunity for them to take advantage of. We may not be the powerhouse that Hearts were last season, but make no mistake, we will be favourites to win the division and will rightly be under pressure to do so, from the get-go. Our aim is a quickfire return to the Premiership and anything else will be failure. Simple as that. The battle starts today, and much as we're all hurting, there is NO ROOM for negativity. We've had enough of it to last a lifetime.

Another thing we've had enough of is anger and recriminations. Bowie, Alessio, Dyer, Donald Trump and global warming? As for the players, the biggest majority of them won't be seen again and we'll be starting with a blank canvas. None of what's gone before matters any more. Establishing blame won't change anything, all we can do is put it down to experience and make sure the same mistakes are never made again. We have a real manager now in Tommy Wright . A guy who's experienced, has a track record and knows the game here. He appears to be up for it, but if he walks, we MUST replace him with someone similar.

No vanity appointments, no rookies, tried and tested is best. That applies in ten years time, as much as it does today. The most important person at Kilmarnock Football Club will ALWAYS be a manager who is expert at getting the best from the resources he has.

Finally, the pitch. It needs replacing now, and not because opposition managers say so, but because Kilmarnock should not have a plastic pitch, the end. Let me guess, we need it for the money, aye? When Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath can afford to have grass? From the best pitch in the country to that bloody monstrosity?

If the Steve Clarke era had one downside, it was that that glorified carpet was still there, reminding us of the bad old days, and the fact that some fans are defensive of it because it annoys our rivals, is pretty sad really. I was relatively quiet about it when it was laid, for one reason alone, namely that I was of the understanding that it was a temporary measure due to the financial crisis of the day, yet here we are seven years later.

As a club, we have a responsibility not only to ourselves, but to promote the Scottish game to the world. It simply ain't a good look. Serious football clubs don't play on plastic pitches and I completely understand there being no real sadness from other clubs that ours is now out of the league.

Indeed, with Livingston now being the only top twelve club to have one, don't be surprised if the 11-1 majority is invoked to ban them from the Premiership, taking the matter out of our hands. I, for one, would totally support such a move.

In the meantime, let's get the season tickets bought, get signed up for the Lotto and if you're not in The Trust, join up today. Look forward to hitting the road to a few different places and revisiting some old haunts. Don't come back with your face tripping you, there's a job to be done and we all have our part to play. We'll be back!

YNTTK Hippo says – thanks Martin for some very forthright views as always, look forward to seeing you again next season

WEE INTERVIEW FOR POLISH JOURNO!!

1. How long you are Killie supporter and how it began? Are you local guy?

I’m Kilmarnock born and bred and my dad took me to Rugby Park as soon as I was old enough to eat a Kilmarnock Pie!! I’ve never known anything else and I’ve always got my dad to thank for setting a good example and make sure I followed my local team!! The club has always played a huge part in my life and I love them as much now as I ever did regardless of what league we play in.

2. Kilmarnock has been relegated after dreadful performance in play offs and bad season in total. What was the main reason for such a hard season and team performance.

It’s been a hard watch for Killie fans over the last 18 months or so and it comes as no surprise to many of us that it has ended in relegation. The buck has to stop at the boardroom as many poor decisions have been made since Steve Clarke left to take on the national team.

Several decisions have contributed to a general decline both on and off the field.

The decision to back “player power” v Alessio was shocking. Alex Dyer was given a job he didn’t want then was kept on for far too long meaning Tommy Wright had no transfer window to use. The board need to put their hands up then restructure the club to ensure we have the right people in place specifically a CEO who would be in complete charge of all football matters.

3. Kyle Lafferty is ranger/transient. He's been representing already 13 professional clubs during his career. He has had huge impact on Kilmarnock results. Do you think he will stay at the club to help with promotion from Championship?

TW did well to get Lafferty in after the window and he has been excellent in his brief spell at the Theatre of Pies.

He has a good working relationship with Tommy Wright so that is our best hope of him prolonging his stay. However his good form will have been noted by plenty of others so I suspect he will be snapped up by another Premiership club.

4. Do you expect revolution in the squad after relegation? For many players their contracts will expire within couple weeks We only have four players still under contract after the summer, Power, McKenzie, McGowan and Haunstrup. You can tell TW was unhappy with what he inherited but he had to keep them sweet as he was hoping they would somehow keep us up. Sadly there were a few bad attitudes in the dressing room so the sooner the manager can bring in his own squad the better.

5. Do you think Tommy Wright should be sacked? If not, why he should stay?

I like Tommy Wright and hope he will prove to be a decent manager for us in the longer term. He probably cannot believe what a poor squad he had and he’ll be desperate to get started afresh next season. The board have promised to back him with a decent budget so it’s just a case of trusting the manager to spend the money wisely. It won’t be easy as clubs who get relegated have a very poor record of coming straight back up in one season.

6. Which positions need to be strengthened before new campaign to allow to the club bounce back and return to Premiership?

With so many players out of contract we will see new faces throughout the team.

The biggest problems are probably defensively both goalkeeper and centre backs. Our defending was pub league standard at times this season and was the primary reason for our relegation. I think we are a fairly old squad so I’d like to think the average will be a lot younger next season.

7. Which players (despite relegation) has impressed you most and why?

Lafferty has been the outstanding player in the last couple of months but as stated above he may choose to stay in the higher league. Chris Burke has been superb all season, if the full squad had his attitude and professionalism then we would have stayed up.

Greg Kiltie is anther player I like but there is interest in him from other clubs so he may be out the door. Young Rossi did fairly well and is out of contract at Bournemouth but not sure that he’ll stay. Apart from that I think we will just be looking to sign up some of the younger players.

IN THE PLUGHOLE – FREE GIVEAWAY We love when fans get in touch with offers of help and especially when it gives 50 Killie fans the chance to win a unique EP. I was contacted by Scott from local band In The Plughole with a remarkably generous offer, here’s what Scott had to say:

Hi Sandy , Scott here. Davie said to drop you an email. As you know we’re all big Killie fans and I had written the song about Rugby Park about thirty years ago. About six years ago we got back together to do a benefit gig for our guitarist who passed at the age of 47 with a heart attack. However since then we’ve enjoyed the crack so much we recorded an EP with Rugby Park on it. We were able to re jig it and put some extra bits in it courtesy of John Livingston and Andy Kerr from the club.

We’ve never wanted to make any money for it , we’ve only wanted it to get out there to fans. They may like it or they may not but at least they get to hear it . If you want them we have Fifty copies to use anyway that you want.

Cheers Scott. KTID.

So if you fancy a unique piece of memorabilia all you need to do is email scott.walley@sky.com and the first 50 folk will secure an EP……cheers

GIVE JIM A CALL AND QUOTE “KILLIE HIPPO” TO RECEIVE THE BEST PRICE AVAILABLE

GROWING THE KILLIE FAMILY

Once again we are doing our fantastic we campaign to donate tickets to families or individuals who for one reason or another wouldn’t manage it next season.

The response so far has been tremendous and the guys at the Trust are following our lead again and doing the same thing. Whether you do it via us or the Trust doesn’t matter, let’s just keep the momentum going and get as many folk along to RP as possible.

If you are an individual or a business who would like to sponsor/donate a ticket then please email Sandy at killiehippo@aol.com and we’ll facilitate it for you and everything will be kept anonymous unless requested.

Most importantly if you know a family or individual who deserves a ticket and for whatever reason can’t afford one please nominate them via email to killiehippo@aol.com and we’ll do our best to get as many sorted as possible…….huge thanks again.

KILLIE BITS + PIECES If you read the last issue you’ll know we did a wee appeal to help out Lesley Muir, daughter of 1965 hero Brien McIlroy. Within a day of the Hippo hitting t’internet we were contacted by Killie die hard Allan Kerr who was more than happy to donate the programme free of charge to such a deserving cause.

On behalf of Lesley and myself I’d like to offer a huge thanks to Allan for his generosity, the more I do the Hippo the more I love the extended Killie family. The programme is winging its way to Lesley and gives her another wee piece of history to remind of what a Killie legend her dad remains to this day. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> If you are wandering by Rugby Park anytime soon (I’d recommend you do it at least once a week) you may take a peek and see work going on at the back of the Moffat stand. The club are building offices in that area and it means that the back 10 rows will vanish faster than Ross Millen’s contract offer. It will allow all the Killie admin stuff to be done back on sight and makes total sense in all honesty.

Of course it means that all the Killie fans will be having a right guid nosey in the windaes during each home game so can I ask all admin stuff to ensure your desks are tidy, wash all your coffee cups and please remove the ridiculousy unfunnyl “you have to be mad to work here” signs from the wall!! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> It’s amazing to think I’m writing this and it’s only about 5 weeks away until we face East Kilbride in our first group game in the League Cup. With the Euros in between it’s a great wee summer for fitba fans but the million dollar question for me is will we get into games, both home and away.

The euros may act as a “dress rehearsal” for getting fans in and who knows what could happen in the next month or so. I heard a whisper that they may be looking at just 2000 getting into games which is still mince……fingers crossed for no Covid disasters during the euros.

GOOD LUCK SCOTLAND

IT’S BEEN 23 YEARS BUT THE SFA FINALLY REALISE YOU JUST NEED TO BRING IN A KILLIE LEGEND TO MANAGE YOUR TEAM AND YOU’LL GET BACK TO QUALIFYING FOR MAJOR TOURNAMENTS. OH AND BY THE WAY ENGLAND, WE’LL DEEP FRY YOUR STINKING JELLIED EELS TOO!!

IF YOU CAN AFFORD IT PLEASE MAKE A DONATION AND ALL MONIES WILL GO TO TRUST IN KILLIE. THE NORMAL COST IS £2 BUT FEEL FREE TO DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN. BANK DETAILS ARE: SORT CODE – 074456 ACCOUNT - 46480868 NAME – A ARMOUR