£2 SHOP BET WITH PRESSUREISN’T GOINGFORTHE TOPSIX...IT’S TRYINGTO PAY YOUR MORTGAGE Robinsoncallsforabitofrealityamidtop-sixpush
SOUTHWELL, MARKET RASEN AND TAUNTON RACECARDS: PAGE 19
Stephen Robinson says the pressure of leading St Mirren into the top-six pales into insignificance when compared to keeping a roof over your head.
But the Buddies boss inists he’ll still do all he can to help the Paisley club finally finish the job and cement a historic top-half finish this season.
Having never finished in the top six since the introduction of the split in the current Premiership format, Robinson knows there’s a place in the history books at stake for himself and his current crop of players.
After beating Ross County on Saturday, the Saints are now sitting pretty in fifth with just seven games left to try and hold their ground.
With Aberdeen and St Johnstone both still aiming to deny the Buddies, Robinson understands there’s still work to do with a crucial trip to McDiarmid Park coming up this weekend.
But when asked if he was feeling the pressure to finish in the top six, in just his first full season in charge at the SMiSA Stadium, he told Express Sport: “No. Pressure is paying your mortgage. We’re all able to pay our mortgage, so we’re not under that much pressure.
“You’ve got to try and embrace it. This club hasn’t been a top-six football club so where that pressure comes from, I don’t know.
“It’s a case of that’s what we’re setting out to achieve. But if I’d said to you we were sitting fifth in the middle of February with everything that’s gone on at this club from May, then I think everyone would have snapped their hand off.
“But we want to to finish it off. We want to make a good
off. We want to make a good season into a brilliant season and we’ve certainly got the capabilities and personnel to do that.”
Saturday’s victory against the Staggies helped lift the Saints’ supporters’ mood after a drab midweek defeat against Motherwell which was the Paisley club’s third loss on the spin.
Robinson insists keeping a steady course and not getting too carried away whether his Buddies are winning or losing will be vital as they look to bag a top-six spot come the split in April.
Robinson said: “We analyse everything to death and you can overthink things at times. Sometimes you just have things that don’t go your way.
“The other night against Motherwell, they scored from a cross – contrary to what Max Johnston has said it’s a cross! – and sometimes things like that happen.
“You read into it, you make big things out of it. Obviously social media is about instant responses and reactions and emotions.
“You just have to remind players that all it is is three points. It’s a bad match, it’s not a bad week or a bad month.
“You just have to stay steady with it. When we win it’s a good win, it’s not ten points. Then reset yourself, do the simple things well.
“It’s not a crisis and you just have to be level with winning and losing. We’ve just got to remember where we are and what we’re trying to achieve.”