St Mirren Manager Stephen Robinson Eyes European Qualification
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has stated that leading his team to European qualification would be the greatest achievement in his managerial career to date. The Paisley side currently sit one point behind Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership table and will need to better their rivals’ result on Saturday to leapfrog them into fourth place.
This weekend’s match against Celtic, who will be collecting their Premiership trophy, presents a significant challenge for St Mirren. However, Robinson remains optimistic, telling BBC Sport: “It’s certainly not an impossible task. We’ve taken the whole European pressure off the players and said, ‘let’s remain unbeaten in the top six’. For St Mirren to be unbeaten in the top six would be an incredible achievement.”
According to Robinson, the team has shown resilience in their post-split fixtures, with wins against Dundee United and Aberdeen, as well as draws against Rangers and Hibernian. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that securing a result at Celtic Park will be their toughest test yet. As BBC Sport reports, Robinson said: “That is our first and foremost goal. If we do that, it might be enough. We can’t affect what happens at Dundee United and Aberdeen.”
The St Mirren manager also expressed concerns about the intimidating atmosphere at Celtic Park, stating: “It’ll be 100 degrees inside Celtic Park and their fans will be there to celebrate. So it’s our job to try and put a little bit of a dampener on them.”
Robinson’s side qualified for Europe last season, marking the first time in 37 years that St Mirren had achieved this feat. This season’s success has come despite facing numerous challenges, including the departure of three new signings – Kevin van Veen, Shaun Rooney, and Jaden Brown – who left the club amid separate court cases. Robinson described this period as “un-enjoyable at times”.
Upon securing a top-six finish, Robinson admitted that his team received criticism for celebrating the achievement. He told BBC Sport: “We got a bit of stick for celebrating reaching the top six. That was a relief on my part because we weren’t in a relegation battle.”
Robinson emphasised that being in the top six is a significant accomplishment for St Mirren, stating: “Being in this division is a huge success for St Mirren. Being in the top six is a brilliant achievement. Being in Europe is something that happens once in a lifetime for most St Mirren fans. If we can do that twice in consecutive years then that would be a super achievement.”
As the team prepares for their match against Celtic, Robinson’s focus remains on securing a positive result and potentially making history for St Mirren. With the right mindset and performance, the manager believes that his team can achieve something special and make their fans proud.
St Mirren’s potential European qualification would not only be a testament to the team’s hard work but also a reflection of Robinson’s managerial abilities. As the BBC Sport article notes, leading St Mirren to European qualification would be a crowning achievement for Robinson, capping off an impressive season for the Paisley side.
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