St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson ‘grateful’ for board backing

St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson is relishing the challenge of “massively” heightened expectations as he aims to continue the club’s “upward trajectory” in the next three years.

Robinson has committed his future in Paisley to summer 2027 after leading the club to sixth and fifth – St Mirren’s highest finishes in almost four decades – in his two full seasons in charge, as well as ending their 37-year wait for European football.

“It’s been an upward trajectory at the football club, we hadn’t been in the top six for a long time, 37 or 38 years, and hadn’t been in Europe for a long time as well,” said the 49-year-old Northern Irishman.

“So that is something people have been accustomed to and expectation has risen massively.

“I’ve said previously that if we can be a top-six side once in every four and five years that’s real success. Obviously as a manager I want more than that and I want it every single year.

“But there are always periods where clubs like ourselves are rebuilding, there will be young boys put in to develop, and it goes around in swings and roundabouts where that success comes.

“But we have to try and and make that more often, we have to try and sustain that relative success and continue to build the football club for years to come.

“I’m only here for a short period of time in the grand scheme of things and you have to try and leave things in a really good place for the people that matter most and that’s the fans.”

St Mirren, having balanced domestic and European football early in the season, are currently eighth in the table after three success Premiership defeats.

“Our results haven’t been good enough if recent weeks, some of the performances have been good,” Robinson added.

“Saturday was poor [4-0 defeat at Hearts]. But it’s a longer-term approach, it’s stability for the football club and I’m grateful for the support the board has given me because they believe in what we are doing.

“I think we have proved that over a period of time that longevity and stability will take the club forward and keep progressing.”