SPEND, SPEND, SPEND

Stubbs: We must buy

Alan Stubbs is adamant he has to delve into the transfer market yet again in a bid to turn Saints’ fortunes around.

The St Mirren manager bemoaned his side’s fragility in the wake of a confidence-sapping defeat at the hands of Livingston on Saturday, with the Buddies booed off at both half-time and full-time.

The 46- year- old has already raided the market on 10 occasions following permanent moves for Cole Kpekawa, Jeff King, Josh Heaton and Cody Cooke.

Matty Willock, Alfie Jones, Hayden Coulson, Lee Hodson, Danny Rogers and Nicolai Brock-Madsen have also signed on loan over the course of the summer.

But Stubbs insists he has no intention of stopping now as the transfer window gets set to close on Friday.

He said: “Between now and then hopefully we can do something to strengthen the squad – it is something I have been saying for the past few weeks.

“I know we need to make it stronger and hopefully we might be in the position to do something.

“I don’t think it is about targeting some individuals, it is about us, as a group, having to be stronger.

“Early on I said there were some players available to leave because they weren’t going to get the playing time.

“But we just have do the best we possibly can in making the squad as strong as we possibly can.

“We have got six days now to try and do it.

“It is not about the players that are here not doing it, or the players that I have brought in not doing it – that’s not the point.

“The point is we need to be better as a group. Whether it is the ones that were here before, or the ones now here, regardless we need to do better.”

Stubbs refused to be pressed on a move for Kenny Miller, simply stating that the club has registered its interest with the former Rangers striker.

However, he insisted that he has not made fan favourite Cammy Smith available for transfer – although he stressed that he would listen to offers.

Smith was dropped to the bench for Saturday’s defeat to Livingston before being introduced on the hour mark.

Stubbs said: “At the moment, no – Cammy Smith isn’t free to leave.

“But everyone knows what football is like – anything can change.

“But as far as I am standing here now, what I’ve got is what I’ve got.

“If something happens next week and we feel that it is to the benefit of the football club and it makes us stronger then it might be something we looked at.”