With European football just in the rearview mirror and back-to-back top-six finishes at St Mirren, Stephen Robinson has one of the safer jobs in football management.

The Northern Irishman has helped transform the fortunes of the Paisley club over the past two-and-a-half years and has quickly become the seventh longest-serving manager in the SPFL - such is the revolving door policy of football management.

"I think if I lose the next couple I could be joining them," he joked in a recent press conference when the matter of managers down south - and in Scotland - already being replaced this season was mentioned. Ian Murray and Jim McIntyre have been dismissed by Raith Rovers and Arbroath respectively this term.

"I live my life thinking the worst-case scenario. When you are a manager, you know there is an inevitability sometimes that you will lose your job, such is the case in modern-day football.

"I hate to see managers lose their job. It always amazes me in a business sense that you appoint someone and sack them so quickly.

"You would never do it in any other walk of life if you had a bad month but, in football, if you have that then you are under a huge amount of pressure."

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St Mirren have lost their last three outings but it is hardly panic stations in Paisley given one defeat was to SK Brann and another to Celtic with the loss in the middle to Dundee United understandably more of a frustration to supporters.

Robinson, too, is assured enough of his own ability to right the records given his successes at St Mirren to date.

"I don't fear getting sacked. I'm very confident in what I do," he said.

"I believe we have put a lot of structures in place and the club is night and day compared to when we first took over.

"But ultimately, you have to win football matches no matter how many chips you have in the bank.

"Unfortunately, every manager knows that before they take on the job."