Somehow, Kettlewell returned || Kilmarnock Vs Motherwell Preview
- Ruaraidh Blackwood
- Nov 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 22
Well, here we are. At last.
After a hugely successful international break both for our boys in Claret and Amber (and in Dark Blue 😉), there's another opportunity for the Well to finally get one over ol' Mr "pretty aggressive guy": Stuart Kettlewell.
Now in the hot seat at Killie, Motherwell go to Rugby Park looking for their first win at the ground since 2021.
The Teams...
Motherwell's record from winning positions early on this season has been pretty horrific, to say the least. We've dropped 14 points from leading positions in games so far this year, and 9 points despite scoring first. Had we had a better ability to close games out, we could be sitting pretty in the top 2. Despite this, a recent run of good form in the league means we're still definitely in the hunt for Europe as we enter round 2 of fixtures.
For Kilmarnock however, it's a bit of a dire state of affairs. After a pretty decent opening spell under Kettlewell, going unbeaten in their first four games of the campaign, it's all gone downhill for the Ayrshire side. With a goal difference of -12 in the last five games alone, Killie have looked all-too-easy to break down.
When in his post-match interviews, Kettlewell has often used such phrases as 'majority of the ball', 'better of the chances', and 'the goals we conceded are avoidable'. Sound familiar?
I was very surprised to see 'David de Gea in 10 years' back in management so soon after his calamitous departure from Fir Park, but was even more shocked that Killie took what seems like a gargantuan step backwards from Derek McInnes. Even when comparing their styles of play, it seems a strange choice. Killie very much had an identity under McInnes, playing a disciplined 4-4-2 system that very much relied on wing-play and crosses into the box.
That stability and robustness has since been substituted for the 3-5-2 esque system Kettlewell prefers (sticks to religiously). I'll get more into that formation's weaknesses when I discuss how we can break them down on Saturday but, overall, Killie have averaged 6% less possession so far compared to last season as well as 3 less shots per game - although with similar shots on target stats.
The Styles of Play...
In terms of formation, Kettleball still very much plays with the 3-5-2 Well fans will remember, with players like Dom Thompson and Liam Polworth in the squad also bringing back... memories.
In terms of players to watch out for, the absolute standout of 25/26 so far has to be David Watson. With 4 goal contributions in 12 league games this season, the Scotland U-21 has played 98.8% of the season for the Ayrshire side.
So how do we break them down? Well, if they're anything like the last Kettlewell team, you simply have to wait on their mistakes gifting you goals, surely? Ha. Ha.
In all seriousness, with a 3-5-2 and wide playing wing-backs, the easiest way to expose them is to play with overloads. Playing the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 system that we do, balls in behind said wing-backs should be our easiest way to break them down. From there you would be reliant on wide players getting to the by-line and finding crosses or cutbacks to on-rushing strikers or attacking-midfielders. The sort of late run that Scott McTominay seems to have trademarked for Scotland and Napoli (what a bicycle kick by the way, WE'RE GOING TO THE WORLD CUP) , and that David Turnbull made look so easy when he first burst onto the scene for us.
This sort of build-up play will require patience however. If Killie show up well, we can bet that they'll be compact, disciplined and hard to break down. And with the towering presences across Killie's back 3 (Deas, Stanger and Mayo have an average height of 1.9 metres), high crosses into the box almost certainly shouldn't be the go-to here. For all Tawanda has a hell of a leap on him, I doubt he's winning that fight. Our focus, therefore, should be trying to play through, not over.
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Now, I know this all sounds very positive, but knowing Kettlewell as well as we do - and seeing who his most productive stars are so far this campaign - we'd do well to be weary of the counter, and set-pieces.
David Watson, mentioned earlier for his productivity, has had goals from counter attacks as well as corners, as well as assists from the former. His ability to drop into pockets and play on the turn should hopefully be dealt with, but he can be very successful breaking the lines either during build-up play or on the counter.
With George Stanger also being Killie's joint-2nd top goalscorer in 25/26 - as well as Robbie Deas featuring in the goal charts thanks to a header against St Mirren in the cup - physical superiority at corners and free-kicks must be accounted for.
Killie have the highest successful cross rate in the league right now at 28.2% - as well as the third highest accurate crosses stat per game - so I suspect JBA may go with the starting CB partnership of Gordon and Welsh - as he did against Livingston - to try and counteract this. Regardless, there could still be trouble if set-plays aren't dealt with effectively on the first and second contact.
The Pitch...
It's a bit of a broken record, but I'm still going to discuss it.
Though we've no idea how the match will play out on Saturday, one thing we can say for sure is... thank goodness this is the last season before plastic pitches are banned in the Premiership. While I totally understand their use for community projects (I myself came through youth football playing on Stenhousemuir's and Falkirk's astroturfs), there is more than enough evidence to call for their outlawing. Be it: the damage and injury it can deal to players with the impact or unevenness of its surface, even if it has been brushed and leveled; the intangible unpredictability and difference to how the ball bounces when compared to grass; and not to mention the unfair monetary advantage gained by having far lower maintenance costs when compared to grass.
Motherwell have proven that a pristine pitch can be built with one of the lowest budgets in the league, with the right team and investment. I only hope that Killie, and whomever else with them who remain in the league next year, can find that same winning formula.
To Sum Up...
We're all fully aware of the potential banana peel that this game could be.
Killie have become something of a bogey team for us, away from home, and Kettlewell will have his players fired up and raring to go to spare his blushes.
However, if Motherwell turn up in the way they have in the league recently, I can see us making short work of the Ayrshiremen (*touches all the wood around me*).
A return to domestic action for the long haul, we can all now settle in for the canter to Christmas now that Scotland have done the work to get us to the World Cup.
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