On transfer deadline day, Stephen Robinson declared his St. Mirren team to be as “strong as it’s ever been” despite losing out on Dutch striker Kevin van Veen.
Kilmarnock beat off competition from the Paisley club and Motherwell to sign the 32-year-old from Groningen on loan until the end of the season. Kilmarnock is currently three points ahead of the fifth-placed Saints in the tight Premiership table.
Before Saturday’s trip to Hibernian, Robinson expressed his interest in Van Veen, who scored 29 goals for the Steelmen the previous season. However, he insisted that his squad is well-prepared thanks to the January addition of Elvis Bwomono and the loan signings of Kwon Hyeok-kyu, James Scott, and Jaden Brown.
“I believe that everyone in Scotland was staring at Kevin,” he remarked. It’s something you have to consider as a club when he became available, but nothing came of it. We followed the lead at the eleventh hour.
Everyone in the league would have been interested in Kevin in one way or another because he is a player who has excelled in Scottish football, but it wasn’t meant to be.
We turned off our phones early because we were satisfied with the business we had already done and wanted to see if there was anything we could do better. However, nothing materialised. I slept until ten o’clock.
We have a really good squad, and I’m really pleased with the acquisitions we made.
“For the resources we have at the club, I believe our squad is as strong as it’s ever been at St Mirren.
“You have to live within your means and we do it diligently. Of course you try to stretch your resources as far as you can to be successful but I am very happy with what we have got.
“There’s no doubt players like Kevin van Veen have done really well in Scottish football before but it is up to us to step up now with the squad that we are very confident in.”
Hibs, on the other hand, had a hectic transfer deadline day.
Nectarios Triantis from Sunderland and Owen Bevan from Bournemouth are two young centre backs that Nick Montgomery signed on loan until the end of the season.
Additionally, Hibs signed Spanish forward Eliezer Mayenda, 18, on a loan from the Black Cats.
Robinson declared: “We know who they are. Nick will make the decision as to whether or not they are prepared to begin after arriving late last night. However, our players will be knowledgeable about them.
“We are aware of what to expect from Hibs; they are a strong team with a number of exceptionally talented players, and we need to perform at the highest level to win.”
Robinson is one of many managers connected to the open managerial position at Aberdeen after Barry Robson was fired. Nevertheless, the Northern Irishman dismissed rumours, stating: “I’m tired of it now. I have a big enough job to do here. My full focus is here.”
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