Alan will be a tower of strength
New gaffer was the stand-out candidate
Gordon Scott insists he isn’t a football snob – but stresses he just wants to see his Buddies being the best.
The Saints chairman beamed with delight as he unveiled his new gaffer, Alan Stubbs, at the Paisley 2021 Stadium yesterday morning.
Scott has handed Stubbs a three- year deal as boss of St Mirren as he puts his trust in the towering Englishman to steer the club in the right direction.
And the Saints supremo revealed that Stubbs was the stand-out candidate for the position as the Buddies put their best foot forward.
He said: “Alan ticks every box in terms of the football we want to play and the experience we’re looking for in a manager so he’s perfect for us.
“The first target is to stay in the league but I just want to enjoy my football and entertain the fans and bring supporters back.
“That ’ s much more important than finishing seventh. I obviously want to finish sixth but in terms of a couple of positions, I’d rather enjoy my football and stay in the league than be bored every week.
“But we’ve got every chance of being up there this season. If Kilmarnock can do it then why can’t we? It’s not a target we’re setting but if we could end up top six I’d be delighted.
“I can’t stress enough the emphasis on entertaining. It’s an entertainment industry. I’d rather enjoy my football and finish ninth than be bored to tears and finish seventh. “The difference between finishing seventh and ninth isn’t much. It’s barely an extra player. But if you play good football and get a couple of thousands fans through the door then it’s financially better.”
St Mirren were inundated with the applications for the manager’s position, with the likes of football legends Guti and Patrick Kluivert both linked with the position.
But Scott admits there was always little chance of a big-name appointment as he looked to get a long-term appointment in the hotseat.
He said: “The level of interest in the job is a good reflection of Scottish football right now. It’s in a good place and with Steven Gerrard coming in it’s on the up.
“The interest we had was flattering but realistically you’re not going to bring these guys in because it might work for a couple of months or a year but won’t last long term.
“We’re trying to build something long term. It’s all right being up one season and down the next but we’re looking for something that will be sustainable.
“The three-year deals shows a commitment from both of us. He wants to achieve something and build. It was very important.
“While things didn’t start particularly well with Jack Ross, we felt we’d got the right guy. We did a lot of work on it and this time we looked at managers in Scotland over the last 10 years who have been successful.
“We looked at their age, experience, where they had played and Alan ticked all the boxes.
“Most of the people who have been successful in Scotland at clubs like ourselves have been from Britain.”