St Mirren want next boss to 'galvanise' team

St Mirren want a new manager to "galvanise" the side for their Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic and battle against relegation, says chief executive Keith Lasley.

League Cup-winning boss Stephen Robinson left for Aberdeen last week before Sunday's 1-0 home defeat by Rangers and Lasley hopes to appoint a successor "in as timely a manner as possible" given the "immediacy of the challenge".

The Buddies are 10th in the Scottish Premiership, above Kilmarnock on goal difference and nine points clear of bottom side Livingston. The team finishing bottom is demoted and the 11th-placed team enter the Premiership play-off final with a Championship side.

"The timing's tricky," Lasley told club media.

"Given your first choice, you'd be in a natural break in the summer.

"In football, you don't get to pick these times."

St Mirren will take on Celtic, who they beat in December's League Cup final, in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden on 19 April, with Dunfermline Athletic playing Falkirk in the other semi on 18 April.

Lasley indicated St Mirren were considering candidates who had applied as well as those the club had approached. He also praised the interim management team led by Craig McLeish for how they had "stepped up really well", with the Paisley side visiting Falkirk on Saturday.

"We've got points to win in the league to hopefully move ourselves away from the bottom end of the table and also a big semi-final coming up in the short-term, which is great to have on the horizon," Lasley said.

"We need somebody who can come in and really galvanise and really push us forward in that short-term.

"We want to make sure it's the right person to push us forward in the long-term."