Stuart Kettlewell confident in his plan for Kilmarnock

Stuart Kettlewell says he has a clear plan and identity for Kilmarnock as he prepares for his first competitive match as boss on Saturday.

The Premier Sports Cup group opener away to Highland League club Brora Rangers will see the former Ross County and Motherwell boss get his tenure at Rugby Park up and running.

Kettlewell, appointed manager in May, has made nine new signings this summer and is hopeful of adding one more and with three wins and a defeat in four pre-season matches, he is confident going into the new season.

“I think the biggest challenge you’ve got is if you don’t have a plan,” said the Killie boss, who will announce his new captain and vice-captain to the squad on Thursday.

“If you don’t have a way you want to play, if you’ve not profiled them, if we’re going to just kind of stumble along and hope that we find something, I think that’s your biggest challenge.

“Probably in my nature and how I work, it’s always about a clear structure, a clear plan, clear identity of what you want your team to look like.

“That will sometimes alter, depending on who you’re playing, where you’re playing, what surface, weather conditions, that different type of stuff.

“So if I didn’t come in with a plan, I think that’s the one where you’re never sure how it’s going to knit together.

“But if we’ve been doing our work and doing our due diligence, which I believe we have done, we should start to see the fruits of our labour.

“And fortunately, for us, even over the four games we’ve managed to have in pre-season, I’ve started to see a lot of bits that I like, but also bits that I know that will still take a wee bit of time to improve on and to start to click.

“But the buy-in from the players so far has been great and I’d probably be sitting here worrying if you don’t see that buy-in and that real desire to act out what you’re asking of them.

“But to a man the players have been fantastic that way.”