RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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St Mirren's summer has been loud and unrelenting, following on from our loud and unrelenting spring.
Dating back to the departure of Stephen Robinson and interim promotion of Craig McLeish, a healthy percentage of the conversation around the Saints has been emotive and, particularly when this arrangement was made permanent, furious.
There are a multitude of valid reasons in support of questioning this decision. Are we stable enough to go all in on a rookie manager? Is McLeish the rookie manager we should go all-in on? Should landing in the relegation play-off have been disqualifying?
Such debate was always likely to erode the possibility for nuanced discussion, and so it has proved. Despite coasting (sort of) through League Cup group stages which have previously swallowed up the Saints, a blind and unwavering pessimism seems to have taken hold of many.
Passing out from the back has failed to pass the sniff test for some, despite leading to fewer shots on goal, fewer dangerous attacks, more possession and far more chances created.
With all this noise approaching deafening levels in the wake of an unfortunate defeat to Dunfermline, descending into ranting at club officials, Saturday's season opener in Falkirk carried the air of an immediate cup final.
With the appropriate caveats that we also secured an early victory in Falkirk last season, and that this Falkirk side have been robbed of significant talent over the summer, the 2-0 win must be taken as a milestone victory for St Mirren's new man in the dugout.
Goalkeeper Jacob Chapman may have enraged the Facebook da's with neat short passing and inviting the press, but kept his clean sheet.
Eseosa Sule led the line and spurned a glut of chances, yet dazzled in his ability to stretch Falkirk and find himself in such dangerous positions regardless. Jayden Richardson came in from the cold, performing admirably in a back four redefining themselves after a near decade of three-at-the-back clearing of lines.
For there to be something approaching calm, in St Mirren terms at least, this wave must be carried into Saturday and the hosting of top-flight new boys St Johnstone.
Six points from six when the opponents are likely bottom-half bedfellows may not be literally essential, but the mood arising from dropped points in these fixtures gets in the way of that necessary patience.
On Saturday's evidence, and the promise of more signings, more familiarity with tactics, more momentum and confidence, there is plenty of cause to look forward to the return of league duty to our newly renamed stadium.
Mark Jardine can be found at Misery Hunters
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