The Buddies are assessing the market with the manager acknowledging the club’s financial position.
Stephen Robinson yesterday said he is confident the St Mirren board will back him in January – but recognises every penny is a prisoner in Paisley.
The Buddies boss has an eye on next month’s transfer window with the club’s head of recruitment Martin Foyle continuing to assess the market and identify options.
Robinson admitted he would be “delighted” if Saints could add a couple of players to their ranks for the second half of the campaign. But the manager knows deals will only be done if the club can ensure the books will remain balanced.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s Premiership trip to St Johnstone, Robinson said: “It would be lovely to get some more investment in. If the board can support me, they will.
“We’ve had an injury to Ryan Strain so if we can find some funds to get another body in then we will do. We’re always looking and things can happen in the window. We’re prepared.
“Myself, Martin Foyle and [vice-chairman] Jim Gillespie are on the ball in terms of what we need and what options we have.
“We can’t wave a magic wand but we’re no different to any of the other six or seven smaller clubs in the division. It would be nice but we have to live in the real world.
“As a manager, it’s important the club doesn’t have the losses it has had before. That’s not the way we work. We have a very good squad and we think if we can add one, possibly two, then we would be delighted with that.
“It would be great to strengthen the squad and have even more competition for places. But that creates its own problems as there are a lot of unhappy players who aren’t playing.
“I’ve had managers complain about that as well – I know which I’d rather have! We are actively looking at every position and seeing if we can strengthen and what is available. What I won’t do is bring players in that aren’t going to push boys who are in the team.”
One player who doesn’t appear to be part of the future plans in Paisley, however, is former Motherwell left-back Jake Carroll, 32, following a Ralston training stint.
“Jake’s not training with us at the moment and I think he has been in with another couple of clubs,” Robinson added. “He trained with us for three months and he was someone I tried to help as he was very good for me at Motherwell and you try and look after people who are good with you.
“We gave him the facilities and the expertise of Gerry Docherty to get himself fit again. He’s training somewhere else at the moment and we wish him all the very best with that.”
Saints thrashed St Johnstone 4-0 when the sides last met at the end of October – a result which cost Perth gaffer Steven MacLean his job.
Former Scotland boss Craig Levein is now in charge and Robinson anticipates a challenging encounter as his side face the first of three games against bottom-six opposition.
He said: “They have the same players so we know the personnel well. Craig is a very experienced manager and he’s come in and made them hard to beat and very organised.
“They have talented players. Earlier in the season, Steven had a lot of injuries which is difficult for any manager as he was never able to put his strongest team out.
“These are getting games we have to get points from. If you can get a point away from home and win your home games then it keeps that distance from the bottom six and puts to bed the chance of other teams catching you.”
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