Neil McCann, the man at the helm of Kilmarnock, insists that stagnation is tantamount to regression. His mantra, "If you are standing still, you're effectively going backwards," underpins his ambition to steer the club beyond mere survival and into the upper echelons of the Scottish Premiership.
When McCann took over in January, the Ayrshire side were languishing in 11th place, having dropped points in more than half of their fixtures and teetering on the brink of the relegation play‑offs. A late‑season surge of victories, however, saw them claw their way out of danger and finish the campaign on a hopeful note.
Reflecting on that turnaround, McCann told Sky Sports News that the atmosphere at Rugby Park has shifted dramatically. "The feeling is that there's a lot of positivity around the club in terms of their thoughts for the season, in particular because of how well we finished," he said. Yet he was quick to stress that past successes are merely a foundation, not a guarantee. "But that's in the past and it's up to myself, Billy [Dodds] and the rest of the staff to really build a squad that can carry that on.
If you are standing still, you're effectively going backwards. So we need to definitely try and move ourselves forward. We don't want to be in a position we were in last January when I took over.
We want to be really positive." Looking ahead, Kilmarnock's first league fixture of the new campaign pits them against newly promoted St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. While some pundits might anticipate an easy opening match against a side fresh from the Championship, McCann cautions against complacency. "Everybody maybe thinks it might be an easier start because it's St Johnstone and they have just come up from the Championship," he noted.
"But I think Simo [Valakari] has a real solid way of playing. Like every manager, we're probably not quite at full tilt yet.
Not at the top gears and we'll continue to strive to get there. But I just think the positivity of last year is a good thing to build on." Beyond tactics and morale, Kilmarnock have also made a significant infrastructural change that could influence their style of play. After a league‑wide decision to ban artificial surfaces from the 2026/27 season, the club removed the synthetic turf that had covered Rugby Park since 2014 and reinstated a natural grass pitch. McCann praised the new surface, explaining that it was installed directly over the former astroturf, resulting in an exceptionally even playing field.
"The beauty about our pitch for this season is it's laid on top of what was the astroturf last year, so it's completely flat," he said. "Four weeks ago, five weeks ago, that was just a sandpit. I'm told by the groundsmen that in the next week or so it's going to really thicken up and it'll be a surface that will rival any in the country." He recalled the previous year's home form, when Kilmarnock turned the artificial surface into something of a fortress, winning six of eight matches at Rugby Park.
"I know we came in last year and it was really positive winning six out of the eight here at home, it became a bit of a fortress for us. But I think it's going to help us with the grass pitch," McCann added. He expressed a broader vision for Scottish football, advocating for a return to natural grass across all top‑flight clubs.
"If I'm honest, I think every top league should have the grass pitches. This will be one of the finest in the country and hopefully that can benefit how we want to play," he asserted.
The manager's outlook is therefore built on three pillars: continuous improvement, strategic squad building, and leveraging the upgraded playing surface to enhance the team's identity. He acknowledges that the squad is not yet operating at "full tilt" but emphasizes that incremental progress is essential. The emphasis on forward momentum reflects a cultural shift within the club, moving away from a survival mindset toward a more ambitious, top‑six target.
In practical terms, this means that recruitment will focus on players who can adapt to a possession‑based, high‑pressing style that a quality grass pitch facilitates. McCann and his backroom staff, including experienced assistant Billy Dodds, will be tasked with identifying talent that not only raises the team's technical level but also fits the club's ethos of resilience and positivity. The coaching team plans to use the flat, even surface to develop intricate passing patterns and a more expansive brand of football, moving away from the more direct, pragmatic approach often required on artificial turf. Moreover, the transition to grass is expected to have a psychological impact.
Players often report feeling more confident and comfortable on natural surfaces, which can translate into better decision‑making and a higher tempo. McCann believes that the new pitch will become a "home advantage" in a different way, offering a reliable platform for the team to execute their game plan without the unpredictability that sometimes accompanies synthetic surfaces.
Fans, too, have welcomed the change. Many supporters view the return to grass as a nod to tradition and a signal that the club is aligning itself with broader European standards. The upgraded pitch is also likely to improve the spectator experience, as the ball behaves more predictably and the overall aesthetic of the stadium is enhanced.
As the season unfolds, McCann's challenge will be to translate the optimism of the previous campaign into tangible results. The opening match against St Johnstone will serve as an early barometer of the team's readiness.
While the manager acknowledges that the squad may not yet be operating at "top gears," he remains confident that the blend of a refreshed tactical approach, a high‑quality playing surface, and a clear strategic vision will propel Kilmarnock forward. In his words, the club cannot afford to stand still; the only viable path is onward and upward, with each step building on the momentum generated by last year's late‑season revival.