Stephen Robinson saluted St Mirren ’s outstanding execution of a plan as they left egos aside to outgun Celtic.
The Paisley boss was purring after a brilliant display from his team floored the champions at the SMISA Stadium. Robinson knew his team needed to be pitch perfect in all departments to beat Celtic at home for the first time in 12 years and they produced spectacularly.
The manager said: “You can do plenty of things in training, but they have to be the ones to implement that and they did it for 96 minutes with the intensity and concentration they put in. In a moment or a split second Celtic can change the game. We never gave them an opportunity. “We didn’t give their creative players any room to play and I thought we were fantastic on the break. Potentially it could have even been more. Our base is built on being very, very hard to beat and break down. You need people to buy into that, you need no egos. You need boys to run and die for each other.
“It tells you how good a squad I’ve got in terms of attitude when the boys who aren’t playing, you watch the intensity they’re at and it helps push everything on. I’m not sure we wanted it more. I think Celtic are a top, top side. Very organised and very hard to break down.
“We looked a real threat. I’m not too bothered about getting the credit to be honest. I know how good a performance it was and in that dressing room there’s been a lot of credit given to the players. When you start thinking you’re a good team, that’s when football has a way of giving you your comeuppance. We’re just quietly going under the radar. There’s no egos in the dressing room.”
Robinson insists the raft of changes made by Celtic had little effect as he continued: “What, you mean Kyogo playing up front, Maeda and Abada? No. Look, whatever they do they’re a top side, they’ve got a fantastic manager in Ange and they’re incessant, they’re non stop.
“And I think we weathered that, we were very prepared for it. It’s not as if we ripped up the script just to play Celtic. We knew we wouldn’t have loads of the ball but when we did we had to be brave. You have to pass and we did that.
“We’ve got the right personnel, we’ve got the right attitudes in the football club. And no egos. When they do we slap them right down again. Football doesn’t give you too many good moments when you’re managing clubs like ourselves, the smaller clubs, so we’ll enjoy it.”
Victory was Robinson’s first over Celtic as a manager and he added: “I believe so. I’ve had points and draws but not a win.
“You need things to go your way, a bit of luck and a decision to go your way. You need boys to be right on top of their game and they were.
“It’s a fantastic result, but I don’t want to speak about me as a manager. The boys deserve the credit. I said to them before the game, this is as prepared as I think we’ve ever been. And so much credit to the players for taking the instructions on board and ultimately doing it.”
Robinson had a laugh at the fact his team have now joined Real Madrid as the only ones to beat Celtic this term.
He added: “Listen, we won’t get too carried away. We’ve won a game of football. There are things I still think we can be better at.”
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