Turning up at St Mirren’s Ralston training ground last week was strange.
The buzz wasn’t indicative of a 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock – but Stephen Robinson’s side are a top-six team who are now going for Europe. Everyone said hello and music was playing loud from the gym. And as Robinson walked into the room for his exclusive Mailsport interview, the mood was matched by the St Mirren gaffer.
He explained: “Now it’s sunk in it wasn’t the way we wanted to do it but, as I said on Saturday, the players have earned the right to a poor performance. The top six wasn’t decided against Kilmarnock. It was decided over the other 32 games where I think we’ve been excellent.
“It was more relief. We’ve been in the top six for the vast majority of the season so it would have been a massive disappointment if we dropped out of it at the last hurdle. You enjoy
Saturday and Sunday then my mind switched to the Hibs game. I don’t enjoy things for too long. If you sit on your
laurels you tend to stand still.”
Asked if he thought top six was a possibility when he took over in February 2022, Robinson replied: “Yes but then we hit all the financial problems that I wasn’t aware of when I came into the club. St Mirren were sitting in a good position but people forget how close they were to the bottom as well.
“The players have brought the town together with the energy in the stadium and some of the quality football they’ve played. They have earned the right to be in the top six and now we have had time to settle down, we want to achieve more.
“We want to get into Europe. We’re on the same points as Hibs, people are saying the draw has not been kind to us but I think it has. We have two opportunities straight away to put points on the board and try to look above us.
“It’s something to be embraced. We have waited this long, why would we go with any fear? Everyone expects us to be the team others take points off. It hasn’t been the case this term. We have taken a lot of points off top-six sides this season, we’re going to embrace it, enjoy it and chase Europe.
“We’re on the same points as the team in a potential European spot in fifth and we’re not far behind fourth. Anything can happen on the day.”
Going through matches which were vital to his team’s achievement, the Northern Irishman hailed victories against Ross County, Celtic and a point against Rangers.
The 48-year-old reckons taking those points could be the difference between European football and just playing out the rest of the campaign.
He said: “The Ross County game at home – we lost to Aberdeen with 10 men and we lost to Motherwell when we had dominated the game – you think nothing is going to turn for you. Then Richard Tait scored the winner against County and the belief started to grow and come through. The players and fans truly believed we could go and have a good season.”
Knowing his side are underdogs for a place in Europe next term is something Robinson is used to. But he added: “When you consider how many years St Mirren have spent outside the top division and the financial parameters that we have worked under, it’s a huge achievement. The players and staff should be very proud of that. Rightly, they celebrated with the fans and rightly the celebrated their moment.”
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