GREY MATTERS
Ross says basement battle has taken toll... but he loves it
THE task of preventing St Mirren from dropping into the third tier of Scottish football may be all consuming but Jack Ross is loving every minute of it.
The Buddies boss was rewarded for his side’s rousing renaissance with the Ladbrokes Manager of the Month award for March yesterday but Ross is certainly not going to be resting on his laurels until safety is secured.
St Mirren remain bottom of the Championship but are just one point behind Ayr United, who they thumped 6-2 at the weekend, with Raith Rovers in eighth now just three points away.
The salvage operation being performed by the Saints may take a toll – “I’m getting greyer,” he said with a wry smile – but Ross is revelling in the cut-and-thrust as he continues to make his managerial mark with the Paisley club
He said: “I love the job but it engulfs you. Is it what I think about pretty much all the time? Yes, it is.
“I know it’s a cliché, but this award is a reflection of what the players are doing on the park.
“Our performance levels have been terrific, their ability to handle pressure has been excellent as they have been labelled as must-win games. They’ve had to deal with that and it’s a huge credit to them.”
Since ringing the changes in the January transfer window, Ross has watched his various gambles, wheelings and dealings bear fruit as St Mirren’s rise gathers pace.
He added: “Because of the size of the club, every time we didn’t win it was a disaster.
“That was difficult for people at the club to deal with. It almost feels if you don’t win we’re down, we’ll not get out of this. It’s hard to change that mentality but the group we’ve brought in has helped.”
The exchanges with a few brassed-off supporters in the aftermath of a sorry 3-0 home reversal to Queen of the South earlier in the year may have brought negative storylines at the time, but there have been benefits.
Ross said: “I would like not to do it again and I don’t think I will but I felt it was appropriate at the time. It was done from the heart.
“The amount of letters, emails and phone calls I got was incredible. I think there was a realisation that we needed to be united because of our position.
“It wasn’t done with any preconceived motive but there was risk involved in it. The response I got from the fans gave me comfort afterwards.
“I realised that there are a heck of a lot of supporters who have a huge passion for the club and wanted to get out of this position. That reassured me and others that the passion is there. If that is still there then if you get it right on the park, the passion will come out again.
“I always believed we’d get out of this. I’ve said that consistently even though some may have thought I wasn’t telling the truth.
“I felt after the window there was a better balance in the squad. There’s a bit more pace and energy but the one thing you can’t guarantee is the chemistry.
“Will they come together as a group? But there’s a great feeling among them. They feed off each other and the crowd too.”