Mixu Paatelainen has assured Kilmarnock fans that he has options to add firepower to his squad after they drew a blank again in their opening league home game. Killie fans have seen forwards Kevin Kyle, Allan Russell, David Fernandez and on-loan Chris Maguire all leave Rugby Park since the end of last season, a season in which they scored just six goals in 18 SPL games on the road. The game against Motherwell saw Danny Invincibile, who has spent most of his career in midfield, started in a lone central striker's role. Conor Sammon, Killie's only experienced, recognised centre-forward, has only scored two goals in 44 SPL appearances and made little impact when he came on against the Steelmen. But Paatelainen insists some of his trialists could yet emerge as potential successors to the likes of Kyle.
The Finn said: "We've got a few strikers, I've lost count. It's not through lack of effort. There are a couple of options available to us but we want to make sure the players that come in are the right ones. Hopefully one or two of them will fit the bill and be financially agreeable and have the characteristics and attributes of a player that meets our demands. Hopefully that's the case and we can put the transfer market to bed. I can't wait for that because it has been a long pre-season, looking at different players, but it's a very important part of management."
Killie were undone by Motherwell's on-loan Blackburn forward Nick Blackman, who finished clinically just before the halfway point of a game with few clear-cut chances. And a similar loan arrangement remains an alternative for Killie. Paatelainen said: "I've been in contact with loads of managers down south and that's an option but we just have to make sure that everything is right". The former Hibs manager will have Mehdi Taouil and Tim Clancy available following injury and suspension for tomorrow's Co-operative Insurance Cup second round game against Airdrie at Rugby Park. However, Craig Bryson suffered a dead leg against Motherwell and is fighting to recover to face more visitors from Lanarkshire.
Mixu Paatelainen has assured Kilmarnock fans that he has options to add firepower to his squad after they drew a blank again in their opening league home game. Killie fans have seen forwards Kevin Kyle, Allan Russell, David Fernandez and on-loan Chris Maguire all leave Rugby Park since the end of last season, a season in which they scored just six goals in 18 SPL games on the road. The game against Motherwell saw Danny Invincibile, who has spent most of his career in midfield, started in a lone central striker's role. Conor Sammon, Killie's only experienced, recognised centre-forward, has only scored two goals in 44 SPL appearances and made little impact when he came on against the Steelmen. But Paatelainen insists some of his trialists could yet emerge as potential successors to the likes of Kyle.