McInnes on 'vital' transfer business, VAR frustration & United challenge

charlotte cohen - bbc sport scotland

Wed, 29 Jan 2025, 11:43 am·1-min read

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to host Dundee United on Saturday.

Here are the main points:

The Killie boss admits the injury list makes it "vitally important" the club try to do some transfer business before Monday's deadline but stresses "once the treatment room is cleared everything will seem a bit rosier".
He says the whole team are "disappointed" with the defeat to Hearts last weekend, particularly given there were "encouraging" aspects to the performance.
The Killie manager expresses his annoyance at VAR - "at this stage it should be far slicker" - after saying head of refereeing Willie Collum confirmed Hearts' first goal should have been disallowed.
McInnes insists there's a lot riding on Saturday's match with just nine games to go before the split: "There's a realisation that if we're going to be a top-six team we really have to get going with it."
On the challenge of United, McInnes says "I wish I could forget" the last game between the sides at Rugby Park when Killie conceded a 99th-minute penalty to draw 3-3.
He hopes to have Brad Lyons back from injury this weekend but Rory McKenzie is still touch and go. Matty Kennedy's recovery is "taking a wee bit longer" than hoped and Robby McCrorie has undergone successful surgery after fracturing a cheekbone.