McCann aims to continue Kilmarnock's upward progress

"If you are standing still, you're effectively going backwards." <p>Progress is key for Kilmarnock manager Neil McCann as he looks to the top six rather than a season of relegation fear.</p><p>The Rugby Park side were 11th when he was appointed in January, having lost more than half of their league matches, before a run of wins towards the end of the season saw them avoid the relegation play-offs.</p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/kilmarnock-scores-fixtures">Kilmarnock fixtures: Rugby Park side kick off new campaign at St Johnstone</a></strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11781/13551122/scottish-premiership-2026-27-fixtures-dates-schedule-every-match-across-opening-weekend-live-on-sky-sports">Scottish Premiership: Every match across opening weekend live on Sky Sports</a></strong></li><li><strong>Not got Sky? <a href="https://www.sky.com/tv/sports?dcmp=Ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink" target="_blank">Get Sky Sports</a> or <a href="http://www.nowtv.com/membership/watch-sky-sports?DCMP=ilc_skysports_nc_articlelink">stream the Premiership with no contract</a></strong></li></ul><widget id="6"></widget><p>"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 told<em> Sky Sports News.</em></p><p>"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.</p><p>"If you are standing still, you're effectively going backwards. So we need to definitely try and move ourselves forward.</p><p>"We don't want to be in a position we were in last January when I took over. We want to be really positive."</p><p>Killie head to McDiarmid Park on Sunday for their Premiership opener against newly-promoted St Johnstone, live on Sky Sports, and McCann is expecting a test.</p> <widget id="5"></widget><p>"Everybody maybe thinks it might be an easier start because it's St Johnstone and they have just come up from the Championship.</p><p>"But I think Simo [Valakari] has a real solid way of playing.</p><p>"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.</p><p>"But I just think the positivity of last year is a good thing to build on."</p><h3>Pitch perfect?</h3><p>Kilmarnock have ripped up the artificial pitch at Rugby Park, returning to grass for the first time since 2014.</p><p>It is after top-flight clubs voted to ban plastic pitches from the start of the 2026/27 campaign, although Falkirk have been given an additional season before replacing their playing surface.</p> <widget id="7"></widget><p>"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," McCann added.</p><p>"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.</p><p>"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.</p><p>"But I think it's going to help us with the grass pitch.</p><p>"If I'm honest, I think every top league should have the grass pitches.</p><p>"This will be one of the finest in the country and hopefully that can benefit how we want to play."</p>