Suffering Stephen Robinson is taking the blame for St Mirren ’s current poor form.
But the defiant and determined Paisley boss is adamant his toiling team can still shoot for their highest Premiership finish in 22 years.
Robinson was left disappointed at his side’s hefty defeat to Rangers and again irritated at the manner of the goals conceded.
The manager has just one win since taking charge and a relegation play-off remains a threat going into the post-split fixtures with a six-point gap over 11th placed St Johnstone.
Robinson isn’t passing the buck and, when asked if it was a concern that his troops could still be sucked into a dogfight, he said: “100 per cent, it’s not been good enough since I came in.
“I don’t look to blame anyone else, it hasn’t been good enough.
“A lot of teams are going into this post-split with a lack of confidence. So it’s up to me to get the boys going again, find a system which stops us conceding as many goals as we have.
“We don’t need to be pretty between now and the end of the season. We just have to try and get as many points as we can.
“I know people say we are six points off second-bottom, but we are two points off seventh place as well.
“I ultimately take the blame. We have won one in eight since I came in. No excuses, we have to be better.
“We will go away and reset and aim for seventh place going forward.
“We are more than good enough to finish seventh which, I would add, would equal the club’s best finish for 22 years.”
Saints recovered from the nightmare loss of an early goal to Kemar Roofe to find a foothold, but the concession of a second to the striker and Rangers just seconds before the half-time interval ruined any hopes of a revival.
Robinson said: “We made a poor start and then I thought we defended really well. Rangers were getting frustrated.
“But then the team talk changes completely on the eve of half-time. Two crosses into the box, they didn’t cut us open.
“It is a theme that we are getting done by crosses into the box and with our personnel, we shouldn’t be.
“Then we have to go chasing the game a little bit and Rangers are a very good side who can pick you off.
“At 1-0, we are very much in the game. You can see Rangers getting frustrated and going longer which isn’t their game.
“But the goal on the stroke of half-time changes the complexion of the game.
“We are not marking men, we are marking space at the moment. The players know that. They are an honest group of boys.
“Defensively, I felt we were good in the first half. We were organised, got into good areas but didn’t create chances.
“I take responsibility for it. We’ve got a really low number of players. We’ve only got 14 fit players.”
