Killie want Calderwood to impress

But he has high expectations of his new manager for his four-month contract with his stated aim to push for a top-six place in the Scottish Premier League.Calderwood insisted on a short-term contract when accepting an offer to replace Jim Jefferies at the helm of the cash-strapped club, after clearly being frustrated by the lack of concrete offers since leaving Aberdeen at the end of last season.Aberdeen qualified for Europe on the day Calderwood's departure was announced after he lost the full backing of the Pittodrie board.But the offer from second-bottom Killie was the first real opportunity for Calderwood and assistant Jimmy Nicholl to return to football."We thought we might have had a chance to get a job but it's been seven months," Calderwood said."There were a few little things but nothing that came as close as this to getting a job."That was disappointing and we just wanted to get back in, and we've got a challenge."I think it's good for the club that it's only four months and it's good for us also."Johnston took just three days to replace Jefferies after the pair's relationship became strained almost eight years into the former Hearts manager's reign.And the chairman admitted losing Calderwood to a bigger club in the summer was a chance he was prepared to take in an attempt to restore Killie's top-six hopes."That's always a risk but that would be a happy situation for both of us in many respects," he said."If he's successful and results are good and we're back up the league, and if it leads to Jimmy getting a move to a bigger club, perhaps in another jurisdiction, I'll be happy and he'll be happy."However, Johnston expects Calderwood, who led Dunfermline and Aberdeen to the top six in the previous eight SPL seasons, to prompt a charge up the table.Johnston said: "Our priority in recent years has been to be in the top six. We are only seven points away from that now. It's something we both feel is attainable."Calderwood's challenge begins tomorrow with the visit of Motherwell, if the areas around Rugby Park pass a police safety inspection today following fresh snowfall.The game would see a managerial debut for both teams with Well interim boss Craig Brown awaiting his first game in total control.Brown said: "He will lift them, I'm sure. He's a very popular guy, Jimmy."The fans will love him, the players will love him and therefore it will be a boost for Kilmarnock."Every team with a new manager gets an automatic boost, and hopefully Motherwell will get that as well."The former Scotland manager, speaking at Toryglen indoor football centre, added: "It was an interesting one because last Thursday we were here and Jim was following us with his Kilmarnock team."We had a good chat and he was telling me about one or two happenings. I think everybody in management had sympathy with him."But he won't be long out of a job, I'm sure. He did a great job at Kilmarnock over the years with minimal resources, so I'm sure someone will wish to use his services."

Source: Team_Talk