Alex Dyer leaves Kilmarnock after St Johnstone defeat
Kilmarnock owner Billy Bowie said: "This was a tough decision for the club and not one which was made lightly. However, in light of recent results and in the interest of preserving our Scottish Premiership status, we feel this is the correct time for a change."
Saturday 30 January 2021 20:56, UK
Kilmarnock have parted company with manager Alex Dyer by mutual consent following Saturday's 3-2 defeat to St Johnstone.
Killie established a two-goal lead at BBPS Stadium, Rugby Park but a second-half fightback from Saints saw them take the points and leapfrog Kilmarnock in the table, with Dyer's subsequent departure confirmed early on Saturday evening.
The latest loss - in a game that went ahead despite two Kilmarnock players testing positive for coronavirus during the week - was their third in a row and leaves them ninth in the Scottish Premiership, five points above bottom club Hamilton.
A Kilmarnock statement read: "We are grateful to Alex for all he has achieved with the club since joining Killie in October 2017.
"However, recent results and performances have been disappointing and with 24 points from 25 Premiership matches, we believe this is the right time for a change.
"Alex was part of the management team which secured back-to-back club record points totals in 2017/18 and 2018/19 and a return to European football at Rugby Park."
Killie owner Billy Bowie said: "This was a tough decision for the club and not one which was made lightly. However, in light of recent results and in the interest of preserving our Scottish Premiership status, we feel this is the correct time for a change.
"Alex is a great man who I have the utmost respect for and he will always be warmly welcomed back to Rugby Park.
"I want to thank Alex for his important contribution to some truly wonderful days here at Kilmarnock and I wish him every success in the future."
Dyer joined the club in 2017 as assistant to current Scotland boss Steve Clarke and helped them secure a return to European action two years later.
But when Clarke left to take over the national side, Dyer missed out to Angelo Alessio for the manager's job in Ayrshire.
Dyer eventually secured the post after Alessio struggled to impress, although he in turn was unable to reach the levels Clarke achieved and has now also departed Rugby Park.
Speaking after the defeat to St Johnstone, Dyer said: "I'm disappointed. We were 2-0 up and in control of the game and the second half came around and we weren't at the races. I don't know why.
"We stopped doing all the stuff we'd done well in the first half and if you do that against a side who are confident, then you get punished.
"It's a big frustration. All they had to do was repeat the things they'd done in the first half, manage the game and we would have got a result.
"When they got their first goal, we panicked a bit and the nerves came back.
"When it went 2-2, for me there was only going to be one winner and that was them because they were on the front foot. We stopped doing what we're good at and they got the winner.
"There is a fragile confidence about the team and that comes with not winning enough games and losing late goals like the way we did the other night [at Livingston]. Confidence is low."