We’re in the salvage yard ...but not on the scrapheap
For St Mirren, the season was never meant to go this way.
A solitary victory in their opening nine games only serves to confirm a miserable few months that eclipse the bright optimism that the summer looked set to bring.
Alan Stubbs was supposed to provide the steady hand required to take the mantle from a generational manager like Jack Ross.
Instead the Englishman followed in his footsteps; hotfooting it back across the border quicker than you can splutter Nicolai Brock-Madsen. A tenure so fraught with issues, it should be no surprise that Oran Kearney continues to be picking up the pieces six weeks into his tenure in the dugout.
By this time next week, Saints will have completed their first round of fixtures following their return to the top flight.
Between now and then, St Mirren travel through to Perth tomorrow afternoon to take on St Johnstone before welcoming Motherwell on Wednesday, in two games which could alter the course of the side’s season - not only the Buddies but also for the Steelmen and the Saintees, who too haven’t had their troubles to seek.
But if the Paisley side are to come away from the first third of the league season having only mustered one victory then the uphill task will be plain for not just Paisley punters to see.
The blame can’t lie at the door of Kearney but the problem certainly does thanks to the mess he inherited.
The goodwill afforded to him will without doubt remain until at least January but after that the Northern Irishman is well aware that the fortunes of the side will rest firmly on his shoulders as he will get the opportunity to make his mark in the January transfer market.
As the sun set on last season, enthusiastic voices talked of taking to the Premiership like a duck to water, although many conceded that it was never going to be as simple as the stroll to the Championship ultimately proved to be.
If St Mirren’s four years away should have taught them anything, it should have been not to take anything for granted.
An expected promotion push under Ian Murray resulted in a brief flirt with relegation and a season ending with Alex Rae at the helm and a sixth place finish.
Fresh hope under Alex Rae resulted in not only a massive flirt with relegation, but more running away from League One at the alter with Jack Ross in charge.
In the world of St Mirren, nothing is ever as it seems when it comes to expectations.
The old and wise will testify to tempering all hopes.
But riding the crest of a wave following that party in the sunset, one can only suppose it was easy enough to get carried away.
Ross’ departure, of course, threw the ultimate spanner in the works.
But you would have had to have the best blinkers on if you didn’t believe that he would be on the next horse out of town - and you would be excused if you assume that a list of potential candidates was already pinned to the boardroom wall.
Ultimately, Stubbs failed to deliver - and it could prove to be the most costly mistake the club will make this season.
The hoo- ha over getting an experienced coach in was understandable, and for a club of St Mirren’s size Alan Stubbs was a relatively big coup - but from almost day one it looked like a crash course destined for disaster.
The accusation levelled at the club’s board that they ought to bear some of the responsibility for his appointment is one that has been aired – after all it was them that rolled the dice to give the man the reins before sacking him a mere 77 days later, with a record that goes close to one of the worst in the club’s history.
Taking Iain Munro’s less than a day reign out of the equation, Stubbs also presided over the shortest permanent spell in charge of the club.
It is perhaps therefore all the more remarkable that he somehow managed to assemble a squad so unrecognisable to that of last season’s in such a short period of time.
That team was bulldozed for one reason or another, and aside from the departure and replacing of Lewis Morgan there was no need for such widespread changes.
A need for experience of the top flight? Yes.
A few additions here or there? It should go without saying. But the rip it up and start again attitude is still plaguing the club long after his departure.
That’s not to say that there wasn’t method behind the madness.
But a failure to replace Gavin Reilly, whose contract offer was taken off the table, has proven costly.
Myles Hippolyte was never a regular but up until Kearney’s call to draft in Adam Hammill, the option of his width was never even there – and that has been painful.
The list goes on. And could have been longer if he had got his way.
But now it is no longer his mess, it is Kearney’s to deal with and his decision to split the squad in two is telling in itself.
The fact that he has a squad of 29 players to keep an eye on only points further at the mismanagement of the squad by his predecessor.
Kearney has made no excuses though – in his eyes it is his squad.
He isn’t to blame for the first round of the season, but wins in the next two matches could see at least some of the summer’s optimism reignited.
A season that is already off the rails can still be recovered.
Saints aren’t on the scrapheap just yet, instead they are in the salvage yard as Kearney kickstarts his reclamation project.