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Neil McCann hails 'immaculate' Rugby Park pitch ahead of Kilmarnock's return to grass The manager spoke to the media on Friday morning before Kilmarnock's next game against Martin O'Neill's Celtic Neil McCann has hailed Kilmarnock’s new pitch as “immaculate” ahead of tomorrow’s Premiership clash with Celtic. The match will mark the club’s first game on a grass surface at Rugby Park since 2014, following the long-awaited removal of the artificial pitch. The Killie boss admitted he had his doubts, just a few weeks ago, that the surface would be ready in time for the visit of the Scottish champions - but says he cannot wait to see his players take to their new surroundings after watching its transformation over recent weeks. McCann also reflected on the honest reaction inside the dressing room following last weekend’s defeat in Perth, discussed the challenge of taking on Martin O’Neill’s Celtic but insisted his side can beat anybody when they are at their best. Here is every word the manager had to say away from the cameras… Northern Carpets & Beds are a locally run bed & carpet showroom offering very competitive prices and exceptional service to the whole of Ayrshire & beyond. We are proud to back the Chronicle and look forward to seeing fellow Killie fans soon in store or on our website! Q. You said the players came in and they were angry after last week. As a manager, obviously you don’t want last week to happen, but do you take satisfaction from seeing that reaction? “I never enjoy that because it’s clearly on the back of a bad result. No, I don’t enjoy it, but I don’t push back on it - I expect them to be annoyed. “So there’s maybe a bit of satisfaction that they’ve got a self-driver as well, because you need to have a self-driver. It can’t always come from the coaching staff.” Q. Did you expect to be out on the pitch before Sunday? “I’ll tell you what, about three weeks ago, when they were saying the pitch was driving towards the Celtic game, I had my doubts. But Gal {Mark Gallagher, Stadium Manager} is pretty long in the tooth when it comes to this. I trust him, and I trust Gordon {Munro, Head Groundsman}, who was brought in specifically for this pitch. “The coverage and the way it’s looking now is unbelievable. As you know, I was talking about my morning routine on the stairs, and you could see it day by day once the feeding went on, getting thicker and thicker. “We played on Linfield’s pitch at the start of the season, and it wasn’t ready. Ours was very similar to that a few weeks ago. “Now it’s immaculate, and in a couple of weeks it’ll just be unbelievable.” Q. Are you not tempted to go on once he’s away at home? “I’m waiting for him to go away and then we’ll be on there with a ball! “Absolutely. Me, Doddsy {Billy Dodds} and Broaders {Kirk Broadfoot} are out there when Gal disappears. “But I’m really excited to get the boys on it. It’s not going to be today (Friday), but hopefully Saturday we’ll get a wee bit of time knocking the ball about.” Q. The pitch has been something that’s been held against the club. Is it pleasing that it’s not going to be cast up anymore? “I’ve used it as well. People in glass houses and all that… “I’ve said about the pitches. I think for our product and how it’s viewed from the outside world. I know there are Scandinavian teams that do it and some of the Russian teams. I just think it should be grass pitches in our league. “I know there’s a wee bit of pressure being applied to the last remaining one at Falkirk. They {artificial pitches] are brilliant and they serve their purpose. But maybe now, if we get a bit of traction going, then that last bit of evidence that we’ve got an advantage will be gone.” Q. I know you’ve still got a month of the window left. Did you take anything out of last weekend that refocused the mind as to what you might still look to do in the market? “There’s always needs and wants, whether that’s possible you just can’t tell. “But as I said in there, I think the team that we’ve got are more than capable of winning games against anybody. And I say that quite bullishly - against anybody. “If we’re at our very best, we’ve shown over the last year how we want to play, and we can be a threat. But that needs to come right on the day. Showing them Sunday, when we’re not at our best, shows you we’ll get nothing. “Because this is a really demanding league. There’s an honesty about it, there’s a quality about it, and every coach does their homework. So I fully expect our boys to be on their mettle on Sunday. “If we play to our best, we can win the game. Simple as that. “We don’t need any more additions to the squad. If we do get them, then it can only help us because the season’s so arduous and long that we’re going to need a really strong group if we want to get to where we want to be.” Q. Bringing the two new boys in last Friday, who in the dressing room do you look to help integrate them? “I think they all do because of the strength of the group that’s here from last season. “When we’re placing the demand on them for what we expect in training, it’s easy for the ones that are here to make sure those points are getting pushed through. “The players that were here can tell them, ‘He’s not a maniac - he did all this to us last year.’ But it’s for the right reasons. “All joking aside, we’ve actually got a number of guys who are very experienced. Not just in age, but in playing a lot of games, and that’s always helpful.” Q. Celtic have spent about £17 million on two new forwards. How hard a challenge is that to cope with? “I don’t know what their budget will be for a season, but I’m only guessing it towers above ours. We’re probably around the bottom reaches - but I’m not here crying about it. “I’m actually in a very fortunate position as manager of a club like Kilmarnock. The players are in a very fortunate position to play at a club like Kilmarnock. We’re still in the Premiership. “Going up against Martin O’Neill, who has the luxury of spending maybe around £17 million on players - good for them. It just gives us a challenge and we’ve got to try and meet that challenge. “I’ve always been that kind of guy. I like a challenge. I’ll set the guys the task of going out and being competitive on Sunday, with the full belief that if we play well, we’ll have a chance of winning the game.” Q. Can the players use that? You’ve spent that much, but we’re still going to have a go? “Yeah, of course. You can use everything as a motivational tool and fuel for the fire. “I tell them always: just get what you need to get the engine going. “What drives me is just winning. I like winning and I love to see my team winning.” Q. Obviously the result was disappointing on Sunday, but to score three goals showed what you were like at the end of last season, after there had been criticism about not scoring enough in the League Cup. “I knew it would come. I’ve been saying that. “The fans, I understand why, because they’re looking at the opposition and I’ve given all the reasons why maybe we didn’t score - teams sitting in against us. “But teams in the Premiership won’t sit in against Kilmarnock. That’s not being disrespectful, or them being disrespectful to us. I just think they’ll believe they can win. “That allows us space and we’re a threat. You give us space, we’re liable to hurt you and we showed that last year. “We scored three goals, but if you score three goals in a game of football you should be coming away with something. “That’s part of the anger the players showed after the game. It was quiet anger; it wasn’t shouting and bawling. There wasn’t a requirement for that. “So yeah, we can score goals. Now we need to get back to being tight at the back again.” Q. Has the club had any communication about Doddsy and what he might face after last week’s sending off? “He’ll miss the game on Sunday. “So I’ll just need to get on with it with big Broaders and Fraz {Fraser Stewart} in the dugout with myself! “I don’t want to go into the nuts and bolts of it, but Doddsy is quite relaxed. Although I’m quite animated on the touchline with the boys, I’m quite relaxed as well. “I don’t think we’re an over-aggressive coaching team. “I’ve spoken to Willie Collum several times this year. He doesn’t seem to have a problem with us! But unfortunately, we’ll miss Doddsy on Sunday – he can keep Deasy company in the stands and we can get him back in next week.”