To receive our full, free St Mirren newsletter straight to your email inbox, click here.
Stephen Robinson has admitted St Mirren are not equipped to be a European side, yet.
The Paisley manager led his club into UEFA Conference League qualifying this season, first defeating Icelandic side Valur Reykjavik before being knocked out by SK Brann of Norway.
Continental football perhaps came earlier than expected for St Mirren - despite a lengthy 37 year wait since their last European exploits - with the experience taking its toll on and off the park.
“It was intense," said Robinson reflecting on the European adventure. "It was a brilliant experience for everyone - staff, fans, getting four games in Europe over the two legs.
“We’ve learned so much in terms of the administration. The reality is we’re probably not equipped to be a European side.
“We’ve gotten there very early in terms of numbers of player, numbers of staff, numbers of administration staff and we’ve probably all learned lessons from it.
“We all believe if we can replicate it in the coming years, we will be in a better position to be more successful.
“But that’s what happens. You’ve got to start somewhere. We’ve broken into Europe, I believe we represented ourselves very well and did the fans proud.
"And you try and grow that each year, grow the infrastructure of the club and help us be better equipped when we get into Europe again.”
Robinson has been backed in the transfer window again this summer but money is also being pumped into infrastructure to attempt to haul the club forward off the pitch.
And the manager has admitted the financial reward from Europe is not as grand as it may seem from outside the club with charter flights and bonuses eating into the income.
"It's not what people believe and sometimes what is written," he explained. "We've probably made money out of it but not loads of money.
"By the time you take travel out of it and paid bonuses and costs, there's not much left and it's certainly not millions of pounds we've got to play with.
"The club needs to grow as well, outwith the first-team playing staff, so investment needs to be made in other areas of the club like administration and the training facility."
Read more:
-
Inside track on Jim Gillespie St Mirren role amid Rangers CEO job link
-
Stephen Robinson hopeful St Mirren can hold on to 'top talent'
A long-standing frustration for managers in Scotland has come from the scheduling of domestic matches around European fixtures.
St Mirren had trips to Aberdeen and Dundee United either side of their match against SK Brann in Norway while their opposition were given a free weekend.
Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes echoed the sentiment as he discussed the possibility of applying for a match against Aberdeen to be postponed ahead of the Conference League play-off second leg against FC Copenhagen.
"When you play some foreign teams, they are halfway through their season so they have a distinct advantage straight away when you are halfway through pre-season," Robinson said.
"The Norwegian FA gave Brann a complete week off to help their preparation. We travelled to Aberdeen. On the face of it, it's not that bad, but it accumulates over the four or five weeks you are in Europe.
"I think the SPFL and SFA have to do everything in their power to help Scottish teams - Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, Kilmarnock.
"It helps the coefficient, it helps raise the profile of Scottish football. People need to look at it and have conversations.
"I understand why Kilmarnock wanted the game to be changed. It would be the sensible thing to do but we don't do very much which is classed as sensible in Scotland!
"When Scottish teams go into Europe, I want every team to win and do well. It raises the whole standard of Scottish football.
"Surely the FA and the league do everything to help you? Everybody else seems to."
