Kilmarnock is in free fall, but can Stuart Kettlewell turn it around?

Kettlewell resigned as manager of Premier League club Motherwell in January, citing personal abuse he received from fans during a decline in form.

In a similar vein to this season, he oversaw an encouraging start at Fir Park last season before stepping down after a run of one win in nine.

There is also consistency in the turnover of players the former Ross County coach has had to manage over the summer, as well as persistent injury issues, which have been a regular theme during his time in Lanarkshire.

Despite the worrying condition he was in towards the end of his time at Motherwell, it was often the level of performance that attracted the most criticism.

People tend to forget, they were the third highest scorers in the Premier League under Kettlewell in the 2023-24 season, when they finished ninth in the league.

However, he chose to change his style in the summer of 2024 to a more passive, counter-attacking one, which only brought increased scrutiny when results did not appear.

The same type of questions that were asked of Kettlewell a year ago are now being repeated by a different fanbase, although that will not be lost on the 41-year-old.

“In the first 45 minutes, I’m struggling to think of a single occasion where a Kilmarnock player got the better of a Falkirk player,” he said after Saturday’s agonizing loss.

“We are unable to pass the ball properly, we are unable to secure the ball, which gives opportunities to a good team to keep coming back to you.

“And again, I have to take full responsibility for that.”