WE’VE GOT TO AIM FOR THE TOP
Gaffer’s vow as he wins Manager of the Month award
The day Jack Ross was unveiled as St Mirren manager he spoke of his aim to take back Saints back to the top flight.
Looking back, he admits he probably never realised the task he had inherited as he walked through the Greenhill Road front door.
Seven months later Saints have just survived relegation by the skin of their teeth, narrowly avoiding the dropzone play-offs on goal difference.
Sitting with his latest manager of the month award, presented to him at the stadium yesterday morning, Ross already has an eye on next season.
And the Saints gaffer reckons it is time to target the top.
Ross said: “When I took the job I said that I thought the club should be in the Premiership.
“And I have stuck by that during the difficult period as the structure of the club was always there. Going down a league would have set us back a year and also made it more of a challenge to not lose supporters in that period.
“But we’ve flipped it around and we’ve brought fans back. So the club has the structure to get back to the Premiership; the stadium, the training ground and the fanbase. The ownership is prudent and won’t get carried away, but there’s a drive and determination there to take the club back.
“And there are a group of players there who, if I can keep them together, have that drive as well.
“The club has to aim to be promoted.
“There’s no point in settling for mediocrity. We’ve finished seventh so if we finish fifth next year is that improvement? Not really for me. We have to look to give ourselves an opportunity to be promoted.”
Ross is now in the midst of piecing together his squad for the next season. Adam Eckersley has already signed up while Andy Webster, Ben Gordon and Jordon Stewart have all been told that their services are no longer required as their contracts come to an end.
Having brought in a mammoth 10 players in the last transfer window, Ross is now sitting down looking at a list of targets.
But he says he has no intention of repeating his exploits in the transfer market this summertime.
Ross added: “I had never imagined it being like that and I hope I never have to do that again over the rest of my management career.
“It was a risk. James Fowler and I spoke just before the window opened and I told him we were going to have to roll the dice.
“And he agreed. It was a lot of work as we don’t have scouting or recruitment – it was just the two of us. So it was a lot of work between us.
“But this summer I don’t want to change very much.
“Some of the guys we had on loan still have a year to go with their parent clubs like Craig Storie and Rory Loy, while Cammy Smith and Billy O’Brien are out of contract.
“So I have to have discussions with the club again. It’s out of my hands again, but they know my thoughts, including players we want to keep.”