If you are a fan of St Mirren, then the you will certainly be enjoying the current 2017/18 campaign to date. The form the Buddies have shown so far has been superb and has set the team up to enjoy what should be a successful season.

That is even more pleasing when you consider the start they made to last season. A poor early run saw them languishing at the foot of the table and looking like they might have been relegation candidates. New boss Jack Ross was brought in to rescue the situation and he has done so in great style.

Can they clinch the Championship title to move back into the Scottish Premier League as champions?

The football is flowing for St Mirren

One of the best factors you can point to as a major improvement in recent times is the style of play. The coaching staff have got the Buddies playing a more fluid, possession based game which makes the most of the players at their disposal. The balance within the side seems perfect, with a heady blend of youth and experience. Alongside seasoned campaigners like Stephen McGinn there are young bucks like Cammy Smith and Danny Mullen to make a team that has a bit of everything.

Of course, one of the major differences this season has been the impact of manager Jack Ross. In truth, he has been excellent since he took over halfway through last season and you can tell the players are all behind him. You can sense a real buzz around the club and a large part of that feel-good factor is the results that Ross has produced.

When you combine these factors together with their recent form, you have to say St Mirren are in with a strong shout of winning the title. There seems to be only a couple of teams that can match them on the pitch which gives them a real chance.

What challenges may St Mirren face for the Championship?

In terms of other clubs challenging them, the only one you would see as a real danger is Dundee United. United were in top-spot until the last set of results and are still in second, only currently two points behind St Mirren. With a bigger transfer budget and new boss Csaba Laszlo installed at Tannadice, the Tangerines will be no mugs in terms of pushing St Mirren for the title.

You could regard a couple of other teams such as Queen of the South or Livingstone as threats, but they are a little way behind St Mirren now and may have left themselves too much to do. This is especially true for Livingstone now they have sold star player Danny Mullen to the Buddies.

Fans will hope Ross stays

As a Buddies fan, you will probably worry more about manager Jack Ross leaving than anything else. You will remember the state the club was in when he took over and how much his influence has turned them around, so will not want him to jump ship. Unfortunately, Ross is getting a big reputation for himself in the game and it seems any club without a manager in Scotland will be looking to him now. A positive factor is that he seems to really love the players and club so, hopefully, he will want to taste the SPL with St Mirren.

Bookies looking favourably at the Buddies

If you want to become more involved with St Mirren, then keeping up to date with their season at a bookmaker is a great move. Not only can you find out the latest results but also the latest odds, so you can back them to grab the title. Currently, most bookies have them around 3/1 which shows that many involved with the sport think they can do it. With only Dundee United ahead of them in the betting stakes to win the title, this adds more fuel to the fire of the Buddies chances.

If you are feeling confident about the team’s chances then betting online at Stakers.com is a great way to back them and possibly win some money. It will be even sweeter as a fan if St Mirren clinch the title and you manage to profit out of it!

Thrilling end to the season is promised

Whatever happens over the Xmas period and beyond, it promises to be an exciting end to the 2017/18 season. You would hope that St Mirren can continue their good form and avoid any injuries to key players to stay ahead of Dundee United. It is certain that the Tangerines will fancy their chances of grabbing the title, which will see quite a tussle between the two clubs. The crunch game could be when they play each other – this could well be the one that decides which way the Championship crown is headed.

Author

Founder of Paisley.org.uk in 1998 and constantly strives to change peoples attitudes to the town, Brian is a self described Paisley Digital Champion who promotes Paisley via any means necessary. You can also follow me on X