Rory McKenzie is confident Kilmarnock will rediscover the form that has seen them finish in the top five for the past two seasons - despite a rocky start to the Angelo Alessio era.
The 25-year-old admits it hasn’t been easy after the disappointment of being knocked out of Europe by Welsh minnows Connah's Quay Nomads but insists an improved performance against Rangers is evidence that the hard work is paying off.
It's no secret the Kilmarnock club face a daunting task in attempting to repeat the feats of last year following the departure of Steve Clarke .
The ex-Chelsea assistant and West Brom manager, who inherited a side that had become more accustomed to battling for survival than challenging for European football, steered Killie to fifth in the league in his first season before achieving a remarkable third place finish last year.
But McKenzie said: "Going out of Europe so early on was difficult for us all and especially the new manager. But since then we have been working hard and our performance on Sunday against Rangers shows the improvements we have made.
"The last two seasons were incredible and finishing third was an amazing achievement. But this year will be a whole new challenge as the likes of Hibs and Aberdeen have spent money during the summer to improve their squads."
Speaking of the difference Clarke made, the striker turned midfielder paid tribute to an improved training regime and a different mindset that the Scotsman implemented.
“He installed a winning mentality into the players," he said. "Right from the off he came in and results turned in our favour and winning breeds confidence.
"We went into every game last year thinking we were going to win and for a few months almost knowing we were going to beat the teams below us. It is something I’ve never felt before.
“The training was much more professional. He was regimented in the way we played, and we worked on it relentlessly throughout the week. Everyone knew their jobs and I think that helped as the season went on as anyone in the squad was ready to slot in if there were injuries.”
Despite the loss of Clarke, 25-year-old McKenzie believes there is no reason why the team can’t carry the momentum of last season forward and once again challenge for European football under Alessio.
He said: “We have the same group of players and we’re working hard with the new manager so there’s no reason why we can’t kick on.
The biggest issue will be dealing with the expectation placed upon us now. People will be waiting for us to show a dip in form and it’s up to the players to maintain the same level of consistency we showed we’re capable of.
“I’m hoping for a successful and enjoyable season. A cup run would be nice as well for the players and the fans to have as I feel that would have been the icing on the cake last year if we could have reached a final at Hampden."
