Source: Team_Talk
Killie chief wants good times again
Michael Johnston is looking for new boss Mixu Paatelainen to bring back the problem-free days of his Kilmarnock chairmanship.[LNB] The 43-year-old former Finland international was finally announced as the new manager of the Ayrshire club at Rugby Park this afternoon after weeks of speculation as to who would succeed Jimmy Calderwood.[LNB]Paatelainen, out of work since leaving Hibernian last May, learned a club who has battled against relegation in the last two seasons will ask him to work with a 25% reduction to the £2million budget.[LNB]"I hope to see him bring all his experience to bear to the situation in which we find ourselves, which is we've had a run of three poor seasons," the Killie chairman said.[LNB]"My first two years here as chairman were pretty easy when I look back on it.[LNB]"We finished fifth both times in 2006 and 2007 and when getting to the League Cup final in 2007, I thought, 'what's the problem with this chairman lark, it's great.'[LNB]"But the last three years have been a bit more of a struggle so obviously we want to avoid relegation battles and we want to have cup runs and Mixu is the man to achieve that for us.[LNB]"He is a very determined character, he knows so much about football and I want him to use all his knowledge to improve us."[LNB]Johnston denied the correlation between money and success, saying: "The most successful time I've had as chairman was when our wage bill was at its lowest.[LNB]"It's no secret that we spent just over £2million on the player budget last year and we will knock off 25%.[LNB]"We had to honour contracts but there are players away and the new players that come in will be at a lower level.[LNB]"We've allowed the wage bill to go up over the last four years in the expectation of success and more money coming in but that has gone.[LNB]"There is a period of correction but everybody is in the same boat and players will have to come to realise that this summer and going on.[LNB]"But we are not alone in that.[LNB]"All of the SPL clubs are reducing squad sizes and player wage bills and we won't be the lowest player wage bill in the SPL by any manner of means.[LNB]"There will probably be three or four clubs with lower wage bills than us so pounds spent on players don't mean success."[LNB]Killie have already lost striker Kevin Kyle to Hearts and defender Simon Ford to Chesterfield but Paatelainen is confident he can attract players to Rugby Park to take up the challenge set by his chairman.[LNB]The former Cowdenbeath boss, who signed a two-year contact with the Ayrshire club having the option of a further 12 months, said:[LNB]"There are plenty of advantages of coming to Kilmarnock and we will use them.[LNB]"This is a traditional SPL club but every club has ups and down and unfortunately in the last couple of seasons the club has been at the bottom end of the SPL.[LNB]"When I was a player in Scotland they were always in the top six and doing well.[LNB]"But nobody deserves anything unless things are getting done and hopefully I can bring things back.[LNB]"Our target is to improve.[LNB]"You will ask what position we want to finish but first and foremost I want to bring the enthusiasm back in to the way we play and I believe if you work hard and are positive then you will get results."
