It only took a couple of hours yesterday for Stephen Robinson to realise he’d missed the madness of Scottish football.
A couple of wisecracks lobbed out of passing car windows in Paisley as he got to work with his new St Mirren side did the job.
Robinson knew he was back in the thick of it. And he can’t wait for the 100mph bedlam to ensue.
A whirlwind afternoon on Monday saw the Northern Irishman finish up preparations for facing Rotherham with relegation-threatened Morecambe only for his chairman to drop the news that St Mirren wanted to talk terms.
Less than 24 hours later he was on the Buddies’ training ground in Ralston and preparing for a Premiership return against Dundee tonight which could shoot his new side into the European spots after just 90 minutes in charge.
And he was also laughing off the kind of banter he knows only too well makes the Scottish game one of a kind.
Robinson, who guided Motherwell to third and into Europe just two seasons ago, said: “If you had told me at 1pm on Monday afternoon that I’d have been taking a game against Dundee on Wednesday night I wouldn’t have believed it.
“But it’s a great opportunity to build on the already good work done and experience the madness of Scottish football again.
“When you’re successful somewhere you always have fond memories.
“I have so much respect for Scottish football.
“It doesn’t get the kudos it should do. The stadiums, the fans, the atmosphere, the passion, is all incredible.
“I’ve already had some things shouted out of car windows at me. Maybe it was ‘welcome to Paisley’. But I don’t think it was the kind of thing you’ll print!
“It’s good to be back involved, to be playing against teams like Rangers and Celtic, Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen. It’s a big attraction.
“I’m a big Scottish football fan. I like seeing the Scottish national team doing well. The missus has even taught me Flower of Scotland so I’ve no choice. It’s something I’m entrenched in.
“I love to see the Scottish game progress and it has done. I’m really looking forward to getting stuck back into it again.”
Our game may be as volatile as ever but Robinson claims he’s returning to Premiership dug outs a calmer figure.
He may only have been away for a year and spent most of that battling at the wrong end of League One with the Shrimps.
But he insists he’s got a more balanced outlook as he looks to take St Mirren to dizzy new heights.
He said: “When I took the Motherwell job I was a young, inexperienced manager and you make emotional decisions when that’s the case.
“You can get caught up in the day and the occasion but I don’t do that any more. I think I’ve learned to stick to my principles and to what I believe in.
“There’s such a fine line between success and failure and you need to remember not to get too high when you’re doing well.
“When you’re not doing too well then the hardest thing in football is not to get too low. Fans and everyone else have their own opinions on social media, which I pay zero attention to because you learn to stick to what you believe in.
“That’s made me a better manager and it bodes well for us moving forward.”
When Robinson decided to end his three-year reign at Fir Park on Hogmanay 2020 he reasoned he’d taken Motherwell as far as he could.
Two cup finals, into Europe, and a record transfer fee for David Turnbull is not a bad return.
But he needed a break. The Northern Irishman said: “I put a lot into it. I’m very hands on. I do the coaching along with my assistant and it got to the stage with Covid you were managing different problems as well as football problems.
“I didn’t enjoy the fact there were no fans in the stadium. I’d been at Motherwell a long time and sometimes you do need to recharge your batteries.
“I got offered job quite soon after I left Motherwell but I didn’t feel it was fair on myself and my family or the football clubs to take it straight away.
“I’ve got the hunger and desire back to keep doing what I have done.”
Such is the affection he retains for Motherwell, Robinson’s decision to say yes to St Mirren only came after sounding out Fir Park chief executive Alan Burrows.
But it didn’t take long for him to feel at home with his new side - with former Well stars Curtis Main, Charles Dunne and Richard Tait acting as a welcome party.
The 47-year-old said: “Alan is someone I trust very much. I had a brilliant relationship with him when I was at Motherwell.
“This was not an easy decision. I had good people at Morecambe and the town was very good to me.
“But I spoke to Alan and he’s a big Scottish football fan and he sung the praises of St Mirren and the people here.
“Dunne was texting me before I knew anything about it. Good news spreads fast!
“It makes it easier because those boys have played under me before. We’ve had success with those players.
“They know my voice, they know what I want from them and it does make the transition a lot easier than taking a club on its knees.
“I’m taking over a club going in the right direction and it’s got a live chance of being in the top six.”
