What next for St Mirren after Robinson's shock departure?

Facing the media on Thursday as part of St Mirren's interim coaching team, Jamie Langfield described a mixture of shock but lack of surprise at Stephen Robinson's switch from Paisley to Pittodrie.

The shock came from the speed and timing of Aberdeen's swoop for the Northern Irishman, with the deal done 24 hours after formal talks began.

The lack of surprise was down to the job that Robinson had done with St Mirren, and after his achievements had seen him linked with numerous clubs over his four-year tenure.

Three consecutive top-six finishes, a return to European football after 37 years, and a League Cup triumph mean the manager leaves Paisley as unarguably the most successful St Mirren manager in recent memory.

His place in the affections of the support is assured.

Speaking after his appointment, Robinson talked about the memories he would cherish and that "in an ideal world" he would have left at the end of a season.

Making his exit with nine Premiership games to go certainly doesn't qualify as ideal, but what kind of predicament does it leave the club in?

The glorious scenes at Hampden in December were a bright light in what has been a grim and gloomy league season.

After 29 Premiership games, St Mirren have just five wins and a goal difference of -22. It leaves the team just three points ahead of Kilmarnock, who are in the relegation play-off spot, and five behind Robinson's new side Aberdeen in ninth.

Following three seasons of playing in the top half of the table post-split, it's a nervy position and one that had some supporters questioning whether, cup heroics aside, Robinson's ability to get the team punching above its weight was a thing of the past.

Parallels exist with his time at Motherwell, when cup finals and continental football were followed by a season where he resigned with the team third bottom.

Nobody can say with certainty how things would have panned out if Robinson remained in Paisley, but there may be a sense that, while the timing is terrible, the manager was nearing the end of a natural cycle of success.

With a tough set of pre-split fixtures and then the dogfight of the bottom-six scrap to come, the St Mirren board now need to act more quickly than they may have anticipated to find a successor.

St Mirren chief operation officer Keith Lasley says the recruitment process has already begun and will be as swift as possible while still being thorough.

"There's two sides to it," he told BBC Scotland. "There's the end to this season where we need someone to come in and help us get the results we need in the league, and there's the excitement around the chance to get to another cup final.

"Then there's the longer term, of someone who is going to drive the club forward. It's about getting the right candidate who can come in and do both those things.

"We need someone to take on the fantastic work that has been done, and the foundations laid, and pick it up to move the club into another exciting period."

Lasley said "nothing has been ruled in or out" in terms of a manager with Premiership experience or a fresh face from outside Scotland, but it's notable that there are no obvious stand-out candidates at this time.

Of recent top-flight bosses who might normally be considered, Steven Naismith is unlikely to be keen on taking a job when the Scotland coach is preparing for the World Cup.

Paisley-born Robbie Neilson seems content as part of the City Football Group as assistant head coach of Belgian side Lommel SK.

Tony Docherty is currently at Aberdeen but, with Robinson taking Brian Kerr with him to Pittodrie, Aberdeen might have a surfeit of assistants.

Neil Lennon might be a strong candidate but seems settled at Dunfermline, where he has a cup semi-final to look forward to as well as designs on long-term progress.

Among St Mirren fans online there's some support for bringing Robinson's former assistant Diarmuid O'Carroll from Sparta Prague for his first job as manager but that carries risk.

And Charlie Adam, who had a spell as Fleetwood Town boss two years ago, has become the first person to publicly throw their hat into the ring.

An interim coaching team will be in the dugout against Rangers and while St Mirren want an appointment soon, the international break after the trip to face Falkirk might allow more time to get the right man.

Mac: Sad but feels right. What more could he achieve with us and this squad. Massive overhaul needed and the task was too daunting given budget available.It had all become a bit flat and a struggle after winning cup.

Sean: Forever grateful to Robbo for the last four years. But to bolt for more money, nine weeks from the end of the season with a Scottish Cup semi final looming, after months of begging fans to be patient as our league form took a slide, to a team which has a poor track record in terms of giving managers the same time he was afforded with us, does leave a sour taste in my mouth.

Stewart: Awful timing from Saints point of view.

Andrew: I am pretty gutted but knew the day would eventually come. He should never have to buy a pint if he visits Paisley again. We moved quickly to get Robinson when Jim Goodwin left. I would like us to do the same again and get Neil Lennon.