St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson: I won't apologise for being passionate

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson says he makes no apology for being “passionate and protecting his players”‘, but has revealed he has received an apology from the Buddies fan he clashed with last weekend.

Robinson and his players were applauding the travelling support after their 1-0 defeat to Livingston last weekend when the manager became involved in a heated exchange with a fan who, according to assistant boss Diarmuid O’Carroll, questioned his side’s ‘heart’.

Robinson wouldn’t confirm the reason he was angered and played down the confrontation as being between “a frustrated fan and a frustrated manager” but defended his right to stand up for his players.

“I have spoken to the fan since,” he revealed. “There is no issue whatsoever.

“We both want the same thing. I disagreed with his analysis of the game.

“I am very protective of my players, like my kids, maybe too protective at times. But that is my job, to take the pressure off them.

“I get criticism every week in various forms, some more abusive than others, and that wasn’t the case on Saturday. It was someone expressing an opinion that I didn’t agree with.

“He reached out to me and apologised and that apology was accepted. It was just two frustrated people. We have spoken several times. He is a good guy, a big St Mirren supporter and he will be there on Saturday.

“I won’t apologise for being passionate and emotional. I am an emotional person, I have put a lot of work into this football club.”

St Mirren had plenty of chances against the side sitting bottom of the Premiership, and Robinson admitted that the circumstances had heightened those emotions.

He said: “You have just lost a game you should have won comfortably, where we had played the best football probably I have seen a team outside the Old Firm play at Livingston and you have lost. It was frustration but it’s gone.

“I know everyone wants to make a big drama but there are no issues whatsoever with people expressing their opinion. That’s all there is to it.

“We have evolved into a very good football side and we are getting better and that is the frustration among everybody, that we should have won the game.”