Derek McInnes insists he’s ‘fed up’ with Killie’s discipline problems after they picked up a sixth red card of the season in their loss to St Johnstone.
Makenzie Kirk bagged the only goal of the game in Perth on Saturday early in the second half as the Ayrshire side slipped to a third successive loss and they now head into this week’s visit of Dundee sitting 10th in the table.
But it was a late red card for Liam Donnelly – his second of the campaign – that irked McInnes the most as the gaffer confessed he’s had enough of seeing his side shoot themselves in the foot.
The midfielder was shown a second yellow card six minutes from time following a late challenge on Drey Wright.
And while McInnes confessed he feels his players have been hard done by at times, he’s called on them to get their act together and remain ‘squeaky clean’ as they look to reverse a slow start to the season.
The gaffer said: “Our discipline isn’t helping us and we have to be better – we have to be squeaky clean.
“I have told the players to stop picking up yellow cards in the first half because it puts undue pressure on you.
“We are seeing a lot of red cards and I guarantee you, a lot of them would not have been given last season.
“The bar has been set low for whatever reason and we have to deal with that. I am not excusing Donnelly because once he’s booked, he can’t make that challenge.”
He added: “For the first one, the boy cut across him and rolled over. He didn’t pull him or stop a promising attack. It’s a foul but it’s not a yellow card.
“Liam Donnelly, having been booked, needs to show restraint. I am annoyed by that and getting a bit fed up with it, and it needs to stop to be honest.”