'Careful investment & Robinson's tactical nous seal extraordinary achievement'
So it happened. With Roland Idowu's late rocket and a goalless draw between Motherwell and Hearts at Fir Park, St Mirren's 3-2 win over Ross County secured a historic third consecutive top-six league finish. Cue wild celebrations at the SMISA Stadium.The social media response was predictable: comments about "over celebrating" a mere top-six finish. But context matters in football more than any other sport.For St Mirren, this isn't just another season. It's the culmination of years of steady building, careful investment, and Stephen Robinson's tactical nous overcoming financial limitations. When he took over and lost eight of his first nine matches, who would have predicted this trajectory? Robinson himself called this his "biggest achievement" - above cup finals and European qualification elsewhere.Only ourselves, Celtic, and Rangers have managed top-six finishes in each of the last three seasons. Robinson has built something special in Paisley.What makes an achievement worth celebrating isn't some universal standard. What matters is the journey, context and odds overcome. For a club that starts each season with survival as the primary objective, establishing ourselves as consistent top-six performers is extraordinary.Speaking of Hearts, it's worth reflecting on how they missed out. In a game where both they and Motherwell had everything to play for - a win for either would have secured that coveted sixth place - we witnessed a spectacle that lacked urgency and conviction as the sides went out with a goalless whimper.Robinson deserves immense credit. Working with a backroom staff that squeezes every drop from limited resources, he's created a team greater than the sum of its parts. As he said: "Nothing has gone our way this season - we've had to fight for everything."Our financial resources are a fraction of what most of Premiership clubs enjoy, and our issues both on and off the field well documented. Yet here we are, consistently outperforming teams with significantly deeper pockets, demonstrating a level of stability that many better-funded clubs can only dream of achieving.Every year St Mirren's first objective is to stay in the league. The fact we've not only done that but established ourselves as a genuine top-six club is remarkable - especially with a thin squad, missing key players, and being at the top of the SFA referee apology table.If you can't celebrate that, what can you celebrate? Football is emotion, community, shared experiences. The day fans stop celebrating achievements - whatever those might be in their club's context - is the day the soul leaves the sport.What's most amusing is that we're actually pretty decent against supposedly superior teams. This season alone, we've taken 19 of our 41 points from fellow top-six sides. Seven from Hibs, six from Rangers and six from Aberdeen.For a club punching above its weight, we seem quite comfortable trading blows with the big boys.Andrew Christie can be found on the Misery Hunters podcast., external
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
43 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Rangers will never suffer Crystal Palace UEFA sweat as SFA chief makes dual ownership rules clear
Mike Mulraney explains that Ibrox takeover as well as Hearta and Hibs deal meet key criteria set by Hampden beaks Mike Mulraney insists the SFA would never allow dual ownership where it could cost clubs a place in Europe. Co-Leeds United investor, the 49ers group, has just bought a minority share in Rangers, similar to Brighton owner Tony Bloom at Hearts and Bournemouth's holding company Black Knight who have put money into Hibs. SFA chiefs have given these deals the green light but only because they are minority investments in the Scottish clubs. English FA Cup winners Crystal Palace are sweating on their European inclusion for next season because they also have control of French side Lyon. Mulraney said: 'We make sure if ever there is a contention about a dual-ownership model whereby the Scottish club would be seen as subordinate, that cannot be. You can't get investment rights unless you agree the Scottish club is never subordinate. 'In the event UEFA said, 'these two clubs can't play in the same competition, we've changed the rules', nobody really thought about it. The SFA ensures that the Scottish club is never subordinate.'
Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
The man driving the Rangers revolution - 'make some hard and fast decisions'
Thelwell comes in from Everton with a clear remit at Ibrox Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Born in Autumn 1973, Kevin Thelwell is of a vintage that he vividly remembers when Rangers shocked the football world to appoint Graeme Souness as player-manager in 1986. Although growing up in the north-west of England in what he has described as an 'Evertonian household', it would have been hard to remain unaware of the Ibrox club's policy around the time of signing some of the best players from the top clubs in England. Indeed, a couple of them were playing for Everton. Gary Stevens and Trevor Steven were among those attracted to Ibrox by wages and the prospect of European football. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is a different era now, of course. Thelwell has made the circuitous route to Ibrox, via Everton of all places as well as New York and Wolverhampton, having made his mark in the world of football strategy and operations rather than as a professional player, which was the dream. He came through the youth ranks at Crewe Alexandra but failed to make a competitive appearance either there or at Shrewsbury Town, the club he later joined. Kevin Thelwell is Rangers' new sporting director. | SNS Group As Sporting Director at Rangers, he is seeking to revolutionise the club in a quieter way than when Souness implemented his less than subtle strategy in the mid-to-late 1980s. Ideally, though, it will prove as effective in the long-term. The coming weeks will reveal a lot as Thelwell gets to work alongside Russell Martin, the manager who he had a significant say in choosing to take Rangers into a new era. They have already started sifting through the first team squad of 27 players, many of whom fans would suggest have overstayed their welcome. It's been speculated that as many as 12 might be exiting with another 12 brought in to replace them. Players such as Conor Coady, from Leicester City, and Maccabi Tel Aviv striker Dor Turgeman have already been strongly linked. 'I probably wouldn't want to put a number on it in this moment,' said Thelwell, when asked about the extent of the squad overhaul. 'I think clearly there's been some work being done behind the scenes. We've been evaluating and reviewing the current group that we've got. There's some very, very good players in that group. But then also, as at every football club, there's room for improvement, isn't there? Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rangers' 'real opportunity' 'Now that Russell is in as the head coach, we've got a real opportunity now to sit down very, very quickly and talk more about what that group looks like currently and what we need to do going forward. Make some hard and fast decisions and then start to hopefully build a team very, very quickly that helps us to win.' There are clearly players Rangers would rather keep because of what they can do on the pitch, although the new strategic model is hinged on a more sensible approach to selling players at the right time to accumulate the maximum profit possible. Nico Raskin, who has shone for Belgium in recent days, falls into the category of a young player attracting admiring glances and who would attract a decent fee. 'From my perspective, we want the strongest team possible, don't we?' said Thelwell. 'Of course, I think we all understand there's going to be some players that come and also there will be some players that leave. That has to be part of any plan, effectively. But in reality, where we want to be is we want to make sure that by the time that transfer window closes the team looks stronger for the work that we've done during that trading window. And that's what we'll be working on.' Swapping Goodison Park for Ibrox means changing one iconic venue for another. Stadium architect Archibald Leitch's criss-cross balcony motif, as conspicuous at Ibrox as it is at Everton's ground, will make him feel at home. There are some crucial differences, however – principally the pressure to win trophies. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've been very lucky over the course of my career to visit Rangers and Ibrox many, many times,' said Thelwell. 'Clearly, it's a huge club with an unbelievable fan base. The atmosphere when things are going well here is like no other place. I'm very lucky that I've experienced an unbelievable football club most recently in Everton. Goodison is very, very special, but Ibrox is very, very special as well.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Babis Kostoulas, 18, is incoming Premier League star compared to Gabriel Batistuta and was eyed by Arsenal and Man Utd
BRIGHT PROSPECT Babis Kostoulas, 18, is incoming Premier League star compared to Gabriel Batistuta and was eyed by Arsenal and Man Utd GREEK wonderkid Charalampos Kostoulas is set to complete a record-breaking move to the Premier League after just one season at senior level. And absolutely no one in Greece is shocked by this development, which SunSport revealed was in the works last month. Advertisement 3 Olympiacos wonderkid Babis Kostoulas is joining Brighton 3 Kostoulas is moving to Brighton after a record-breaking deal 3 Brighton have signed a very promising prospect in Kostoulas SunSport understand Brighton are set to complete the signing of Kostoulas, 18, on Wednesday after sealing a whopping £34million deal with Olympiacos. The teenage sensation will undergo a medical before putting pen to paper on a lucrative deal that may run for four years, with the option to extend for a further one, worth £1.3m per season, plus bonuses. That makes Babis - which is short for his forename - the most expensive Greek signing of all time as he overtakes Kostas Manolas' £30m move from Roma to Napoli in 2019. The Greece Under-21 international started making noise in the country almost two years ago while rising through the ranks at Olympiacos. Advertisement The forward - who can cover both wings, play behind the striker and spearhead the attack himself - showed immense killer instinct, surprising speed and fantastic technique from the age of 16. Babis quickly earned comparisons to Argentina legend Gabriel Batistuta and was thus nicknamed "Babistuta" by everyone who got to witness his talent. The versatile striker lived up to the hype last season with Olympiacos' Under-19s as he led them to Uefa Youth League glory with five goals and two assists in nine matches. Kostoulas and co made history as they became the first ever Greek team to win a European trophy, shortly before Olympiacos' seniors won the Europa Conference League. Advertisement CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS The wonderkid's impressive introduction comes as no surprise as he was mentored from his father who knew everything about winning silverware and competing in the Champions League with the Greek giants. Thanassis Kostoulas joined the Piraeus outfit in 1999 and spent eight glittering years that saw him winning seven league titles and two Greek Cups. I can win the Ballon D'or says Brighton's Carlos Baleba The former centre-back amassed a total of 202 appearances, 15 of which were in the Champions League against the likes of Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid. Advertisement And Thanassis saw his son following his footsteps this season as he was quickly established as a key member of manager Jose Luis Mendilibar's first team. Babis broke his goalscoring duck in November during the derby against PAOK in the fiery and intimidating ground of Toumba Stadium. That night he became Olympiacos' youngest ever league goalscorer at the age of 17 years, five months and 11 days. A series of impressive performances in the Europa League soon followed and he played a critical role in Olympiacos' journey to the Last 16, which saw them finishing in the top eight of the league phase. Advertisement Many believe Mendilibar's side would have made it farther if their wonderkid was never injured. Attracting Premier League interest Kostoulas went on to cut a prolific figure in Greece and helped his team win the Double in their 100-year anniversary with seven goals and two assists in 35 appearances before picking up a muscle injury at the end of the season. SunSport revealed how his impressive displays quickly caught the attention of the Premier League with Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Brighton showing interest. The Prem giants faced competition from other elite outfits, such as Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and AC Milan. Advertisement But it was the Seagulls who won the race for a player who started the season with a release clause worth a mere £423,000 on Transfermarkt. Sources suggest Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler made Kostoulas his top "personal choice" as the club continues to poach the world's brightest prospects following the likes of Yves Bissouma, Moises Caicedo and Kaoru Mitoma. This comes shortly after the Seasiders also landed Babis' 19-year-old compatriot Stefanos Tzimas from Nurnberg following a £20.8m deal. Olympiacos could have made more Olympiacos could have waited longer to sell their brightest wonderkid in eight years, but opted on going down the same route they took with their last gem. Advertisement Panos Retsos burst onto the scene in the 2016-17 campaign immediately after getting called up from the youth ranks, just like Kostoulas. Retsos impressed so much that he was handed the armband at the age of 18, making him the club's youngest ever captain. And Olympiacos decided to strike while the iron was hot to sell the centre-back to Bayer Leverkusen for a then record £14.8m. Evangelos Marinakis' club could have got an even higher price than the money they're receiving from Brighton. Advertisement Kostoulas would have played in the Champions League and probably even the World Cup with Greece, where he has yet to receive his first senior call-up, if he had stayed put. Hefty sell-on clause The Greek champions run the risk of jumping the gun but played it smart by adding a sell-on clause worth up to 12 per cent. And that could prove to be a genius move as the attacker has the qualifications to emulate other Brighton prospects that went from total anonymity to global superstardom and astronomical transfers. His football skills speak for themselves, but what many don't know about is his personality. Advertisement Kostoulas inspires tremendous confidence that he perfectly combines with humility. And it shows in his interviews with a posture and eloquence we rarely see from footballers, especially youngsters - nothing like Chelsea superstar Cole Palmer. Olympiacos never really got to enjoy Kostoulas, but even just one year proved enough for every single fan to understand his true impact - just like Yaya Toure who left a year after his arrival in 2005 and went on to make history. Brighton have hit the jackpot in terms of discovering another rare gem, but they will have to show their usual patience and support to get the most out of this kid. Advertisement Because this is a player that has been going from strength to strength without much sign of slowing down since his academy days that convinced everyone a move to an elite club was simply imminent.
