Stephen Robinson joked Ange Postecoglou must be “shaking in his shoes” after hearing he was up against the St Mirren gaffer for the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year Award.
As exclusively revealed by the Paisley Daily Express yesterday, the Buddies boss will go up against the Hoops manager – as well as Stirling boss Darren Young and Dunfermline gaffer James McPake – for the highly-coveted prize this weekend.
Robinson has been recognised for a superb effort in his first full season in charge in Paisley, leading the club to a historic first top-six spot since 1985.
He also has the Saints still firmly in contention for a European spot, which if achieved would represent a first foray on the continent since they competed in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987.
While the former Motherwell boss admits he isn’t the favourite to lift the gong on Sunday evening, with Postecoglou likely to scoop the prize, Robinson insists the nomination is a just reward for the entire club’s efforts this season, having battled financial issues off the park to upset the odds and finish in the top half of the top flight for the first time in nearly four decades.
Robinson told Renfrewshire Live Sport: “I can imagine Ange is quaking in his shoes right now!
“He’s way ahead of everybody with his achievements this year.
“Listen, it’s a privilege to be nominated – especially by your peers. But any manager will say that it’s a recognition for the club as a whole.
“The circumstances that we’ve worked in, everyone’s pulled together – the board, the staff and the players. It’s a credit to them that we even get nominated. It’s the first time in a long time St Mirren have been a top-six side and that’s been acknowledged by everybody.
“The circumstances we’ve done it in have been hard and it’s pleasing to see us coming out the other side of that.
“We’re not a sustainable top-six club, whatever way we try to dress it up, but we’re trying to put blocks in place to give us a chance to do that. That’s pleasing to see, that that’s been recognised.
“I focus on the football side and we shouldn’t be anywhere near the top six in terms of what we have available to us to go and get players. We have and that’s a credit to the recruitment and the players that are already here.
"The players and staff have worked tirelessly. Nobody’s picked up on us working with four staff all season, I tell other managers that and they start laughing as if I’m making it up!
“So, I’m delighted for them and it’s for them. It’s nice for all our hard work to be recognised.”
While St Mirren’s season will be classed as a success whatever happens in the next four games, Robinson is determined to make this campaign even more memorable yet.
The Buddies face Hearts this afternoon knowing a win would close the gap on Steven Naismith’s side to just one point as the pair battle it out with Hibs for a European spot next season.
After suffering a disappointing 1-0 defeat in Leith last weekend, the Saints boss wants his players to show no fear at the SMiSA Stadium today.
Robinson said: “I usually play things down, but we need to win this game to give ourselves a realistic chance of Europe and I am confident we can win it.
“For some reason, in the first 30 minutes [last week] we played with a bit of fear and I never see us playing with fear. We played to not get beat, instead of going out there to win it. We rectified that 10 minutes before half-time and in the second half and we have to play like that. We have nothing to lose. Nobody expected us to be here, no one has any expectations outside this group of players.
“I’ve told them to forget the plaudits for top six. That’s gone, that’s done now. We want more plaudits and recognition for this group of players and staff and we have to go and win. We will only do that by being positive.
“We are 1-0 down in the race for Europe and why not go out and be positive. If we don’t win the game being positive, I can deal with it. But not like the first 30 minutes against Hibs where we are waiting for something to happen. Let’s go and make it happen.”
Robinson also confirmed a permanent move for injured striker Tony Watt this summer was unlikely, given his wage demands and the time left on his Dundee United contract.
He added: “At this stage, it would be wrong for me to talk about it. He’s Dundee United’s player, he’s gone back and he’s not fit to sign anyway. And he’s on a lot more money than we can afford unless things moved a lot in our favour, so at this moment in time, we’ll just have to monitor that situation.”
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