Neil McCann Under Pressure: How Bad Is the Kilmarnock Crisis After Dundee United Defeat?
Neil McCann rescued Kilmarnock from relegation last season, but three games into the new campaign, his side are bottom of the Scottish Premiership with no points.
A 4-0 home defeat to Dundee United on Saturday leaves Killie 12th and last after three matches, following a 5-1 thrashing away to Celtic on the opening weekend.
That leaves them with a -9 goal difference, no wins and no draws to their name.
It's a remarkable contrast to the way McCann finished last season.
Appointed in January with Kilmarnock deep in a relegation battle, he and assistant Billy Dodds oversaw four straight wins to secure Premiership safety with a game to spare, earning plenty of praise from the Rugby Park faithful.
That goodwill is already being tested, though.
UK betting sites have now made Kilmarnock favourites for relegation, and the mood around Rugby Park has changed dramatically in just three weeks.
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How Kilmarnock's Rescue Act Has Unravelled
Kilmarnock's season opened with a 5-1 thumping away at Celtic, McCann taking the blame afterwards and admitting his side had conceded far too easily, while also hitting out at what he called a "disgrace" in the aftermath.
A 3-2 win over Ayr United in the Premier Sports Cup offered brief relief, but normal service resumed in the league on Saturday as Dundee United ran out comfortable 4-0 winners at Rugby Park - Kilmarnock's first home league game of the campaign ending in a heavy defeat in front of their own fans.
Three games in, McCann's side have the worst defensive record and the worst goal difference in the division, and are already looking over their shoulder at the bottom of the table rather than building on last season's great escape.
Cracks Showing Off the Pitch Too
The pressure is beginning to show in McCann's media duties as well as on the pitch.
After Kilmarnock's League Cup win over Ayr United, he clashed with BBC Scotland's Jonathan Sutherland on air, calling a question about his side's defensive record "negative."
To McCann's credit, there has been no sign of the kind of organised fan backlash seen elsewhere in Scottish football this season, with no trending calls for him to go.
His remarkable escape from relegation last term has bought him some goodwill, but patience only stretches so far, and a winless start coupled with the division's worst goal difference will continue to test it.
What's Next for McCann
Kilmarnock don't have long to arrest the slide.
They host St Mirren at Rugby Park on Wednesday before travelling to Aberdeen on Saturday - two winnable fixtures on paper, but two games McCann can ill afford to lose without the pressure ramping up further.
A repeat of last season's turnaround is exactly what Kilmarnock need. The question is whether McCann has enough credit left in the bank to be given the time to find it again.
