Analysis: Matty Kennedy missed as Killie prove toothless against St Johnstone

The visitors struggled to create anything in Perth and it's now four defeats in the last five games

If losing 2-0 to Celtic going into the international break couldn’t exactly be described as a ‘high’, a performance which deserved a win, never mind a point, had most Killie fans feeling confident ahead of the return of the Premiership.

Though consistency has been a real issue this season, a performance like the one at Rugby Park last time out would blow most domestic sides out of the water.

When the team sheet for a delayed kick-off at St Johnstone was announced, though, there was no place for Matty Kennedy as well as long-term absentee Stuart Findlay.

That immediately raised concerns about how Derek McInnes’ side would fare without their most potent attacking threat this season, and those fears proved well-founded.

A 1-0 loss dropped Killie to 10th in the league and means they’ve taken just three points from the last 15.

It wasn’t a game which will live long in the memory, but we’ve watched the whole thing back so you don’t have to…

---

Read More:

• St Johnstone 1 Kilmarnock 0: Instant reaction to a dismal defeat

• Every word from Derek McInnes after another Killie loss to Saints

• Maintaining performance levels while rediscovering consistency: Killie's big challenge

---

In the absence of Kennedy, Killie started in what could loosely be termed a 3-5-2 with Corrie Ndaba at left wing-back and David Watson as the most advanced midfielder.

The hosts were in a 4-3-3 which could switch to 3-4-3 to allow Andre Raymond to get forward on the left, with Ndaba occasionally pushing up to match that when St Johnstone aimed to play out from the back.

We’ve highlighted throughout the season that Ndaba’s versatility, allowing him to play a variety of roles within the same game, is a huge asset for McInnes.

However, the Irishman was never likely to provide much creativity down the left which always looked like being an issue given how productive Kennedy has been.

The below chart compares his numbers to Danny Armstrong, who plays on the opposite flank, and the difference this season is stark.

If St Johnstone didn’t have to worry about defending their right flank that risked making it even more difficult for Armstrong, who has struggled this season.

Unfortunately that’s exactly what happened, as Killie struggled to get anything going down the left.

Here’s a clear example from the first half.