Win or lose, it’s all about hangovers...
The boss of Saturday’s opponents Caley Thistle, John Robertson, has openly spoken in the past fortnight about inheriting a side he believes is suffering from the “hangover” of relegation. We have all been there. But St Mirren were that one guy at a party who wouldn’t go home after they dropped down.
The Paisley side instead went on a twoseason bender before the board realised they had a serious problem, calling up Jack ‘The Priory’ Ross to check them into rehab.
The Paisley side are displaying all the signs now of a club now back on the straight and narrow – but for all we can laugh and joke now, ICT should take St Mirren’s plight as a stark warning as to what the future may bring if they don’t get their house in order… and quickly.
The similarities between the two sides are startling.
Both won major trophies in the run-up to their relegation, and in Inverness’ case the first major trophy in their relatively short history.
In the wake of the success both sides made botched attempts when it came to replacing their managers. Tommy Craig and Richie Foran were the fall guys in this instance.
And with that came the inevitable drop down the leagues, and again a switch in manager and a major rebuilding job in the hands of a fresh management team.
That leads you on to the next similarity, and crucially the one that could have the most telling on what direction Inverness go in the coming seasons.
Wranglings at boardroom level are often sensationalised. It shouldn’t play any role in what the product is on the pitch, but at small provincial clubs discontent rapidly spreads through the ranks.
In St Mirren’s case it was a board that wanted to sell.
Everything was a short-term fix and there was never any clear vision for the club’s future since the day the For Sale signs went up.
Meanwhile, in-fighting at ICT appears to be the problem, with directors coming and going on a more regular basis than St Mirren managers in recent seasons.
St Mirren toiled that first season down as Ian Murray simply failed to ignite a club that was in dire need of burning the deadwood and starting again.
Alex Rae briefly lit a fire under the side to get them going, but his brash nature behind the scenes saw the club having to fan the flames pretty soon after a brief brush with the drop zone.
And that is where Inverness have to be careful. John Robertson hasn’t exactly hit the ground running since taking over the reins in the summer – taking over a job, by the way, which he didn’t even apply for.
With Brechin City in the league, they shouldn’t have any concerns of falling victim to back-to-back relegations, but one bad run of form could see the malaise set in even further in the Highlands and the fans quickly on Robbo’s back. Steadying the ship the first season is key. Dreams of returning to the top flight should be put on the back burner. The Championship serves as a reality check, and as much as fans complain about the big leagues, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.
Four games in and they are in seventh spot, with just one win and a draw under their belts, and arriving in Paisley looking to cause what would most likely be viewed as an upset.
Despite having been tipped by the bookies to challenge at the top end of the table, Inverness look far off the pace already.
It is not nice to see anyone struggle. But in Saints’ case it is easy to look now at other clubs and understand exactly what is going wrong.
Focusing on getting their own house in order, St Mirren face a massive month ahead if their title ambitions are to be realised.
Having done the hard part already with a win over Dundee United – the next four fixtures could prove pivotal as to where Saints’ ambitions lie towards the end of the season.
On paper, before a ball was kicked, the next four games may not have looked the most difficult. As discussed, ICT always showed signs of toiling even before they sold Ross Draper, while Dunfermline were middle of the road last season.
Clashes against Queen of the South and Brechin City are always hopeful of mustering maximum points, but it will be easier said than done.
But now a few weeks into the season, Dunfermline look like the team to beat as they remain unbeaten. Some frugal purchases from Allan Johnston and it is easy to see why they are hitting the heady heights of the league summit.
But instead of approaching this month with trepidation, it should be one approached with excitement. A good four weeks could cement St Mirren’s place among the frontrunners, with 10 points a realistic ambition for Jack Ross’ side.
If they can achieve an unbeaten month then the hangover of relegation will fast become a distant memory.
And the hangover of a promotion party could draw ever closer.