Stephen Robinson met with the media on Friday morning at Cormack Park ahead of our Semi-final clash against Rangers at Hampden Park.
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Wednesday reflections
“As you would expect, disappointing, especially the second-half performance. We spoke about it, but you haven’t got time to feel sorry for yourself. If there’s a moment to put it right, certainly a semi-final at Hampden is that time.
“There certainly didn’t look like there was belief in terms of our level of energy and intensity in the second half. But as a group, of course there’s belief. As a staff, of course there’s belief. I’ve been to a lot of semi-finals, been very lucky to win them all.
“So we go with real positivity. The players believe in what we’re doing. We just need to be better than what we done, in the second half especially.”
Saturday night at Hampden
“There’s certainly no better arena to do it in. As a footballer, you always get another chance. Sometimes a manager doesn’t, but as a player, you always get another chance. What a chance it is to go to Hampden, full house, with a big support with us as well. It’s certainly the right place to do it, and we believe we can.
“I think until you’re in this position, you don’t realise how difficult things are and the parameters you have to work under. Derek obviously does. Of course, I’ve got nothing but total respect for him. He’s one of the top managers in the country.
“Certainly, everybody wants time, but you don’t get given time in football. We’re all well aware of that, and results are what dictate that.
“No, I’m not seeking any assurances. I’ve just had my normal conversations, which I do. I speak to the Chairman once a week and I speak to Adrian once a week. That’s no different from any other week, so there’s been nothing different.
“We face a really good Rangers side. Derek’s built a really good squad, a really big, athletic, strong squad. Obviously, we come up against a team that are in form, a team that are winning football matches.
“We know that we have to be better than what we are. As I said, I’ve been to Semi-finals before and I’ve always been the underdog. No doubt that would be exactly the same, rightly. It’s up to us to turn that around.
“I’ve proved that we can do that as a staff. We’ve got a group of players, some of whom have been to the final previously and won, so they’ve got that experience. I’m certainly sure there’s enough experience in the room between the staff and the players to cause an upset, which it would be.”
Team news
“We’ve got a problem at the back, of course, that’s been well documented, with Lewis Mayo, Mats Knoester and Dan Happe. Dan is suspended, but he’s actually ill as well, so he’s got the virus.
“Kristers Tobers has had a little bit of a setback. There’s a little bit of swelling on his knee, so he won’t be available for selection tomorrow. Chris Cadden won’t be available tomorrow either.
“We haven’t had to seek our troubles, but again, as I always say, somebody’s misfortune is somebody else’s opportunity. It’s a chance for people who maybe haven’t had opportunities, or people who haven’t been fit, to stand up and be counted. As I said, there’s no better stage than Hampden to do that.
“It’s a mild hamstring injury (Cadden’s injury). We’re hoping he could be fit for the Hibs game, but at this early stage, it’s still very hard to say. We just know he won’t be available with the quick turnaround for Saturday.”
Semi-final experiences
“We’ve proven that before (ability to cause an upset). We’ve beaten Celtic, we’ve beaten Rangers. Beat Aberdeen in a semi-final as well previously. If you go with the right mentality and the right belief, you can cause an upset, of course.
“But we have to go with that belief, and you have to go and play above what we have been playing. Rangers have started really, really well. You said they maybe haven’t played as well as they can, but that’s a sign of a good side. They keep picking up points and they keep picking up wins, and they’ve got a manager who knows how to win games.
“We know what kind of test we’re going to face. There are no surprises. We’ve got a fair idea of what Derek’s team will be, and it’s up to us to rise to that occasion and show the level of quality that I see in training, and that we’ve seen at times throughout this season. But we need to put it all together for 96 minutes minimum.”
Facing the challenge head on
“Obviously at the back we’re very, very light in numbers. So, we’ll have to adjust, but we’ve done that before and you have to do that.
“This is football. This is life. Sometimes things are meant to test you. If you believe and stick together, then you can cause an upset. But, as I say, we have to be right at the very top of our game to do that.
“There’s no better place to turn it around, of course. We know the results over the last couple of weeks haven’t been good enough. Simple. No one’s getting away from that fact. There was a good performance in that as well, but ultimately, we deserve the criticism.”
A big night in Glasgow
“This is what you come here for. You come here to get to semi-finals and play at Hampden. As I say, I’ve been lucky enough to do that at every club I’ve been at. I know that, given time, this can be very successful, but I also live in the real world. You need to get results to give yourself longevity, and what a place to start at Hampden.
“I’ve done it before. Every semi-final that I’ve been in, the teams I was with, Motherwell and St Mirren, were not expected to win. They weren’t expected to win the semi-finals. So, yeah, I know how to motivate teams, and the staff know how to get teams to believe.
“It’s certainly an opportunity. All the pressure will be on Rangers, and the expectation will be on Rangers. We’ve seen many upsets over the years.
“Can we cause one? If we play at the top of our game, which we’ll need to, against what is, for me, a very, very strong Rangers side, then of course we can cause an upset.
“Positivity, playing forward, believing in what we see all the time, believing in each other. And they do. We spoke yesterday, and it’s a brilliant group of boys, a great, great group of boys who want to be successful. No one was hiding away from the fact that the results haven’t been good enough.
“We’re under no illusions. It needs to be better. The players know what needs to be better, and they’re all in that together. There’s no fractions, there’s no people going off on their own. Everyone’s together, and everyone wants to turn that around together."
