Small is beautiful says striker Thommo

Jul 31 2012 by Andy Newport, Paisley Daily Express

ST MIRREN striker Steven Thompson is hoping that size doesn’t matter in the Paisley club’s bid to break into the top six of the SPL.

Thommo admits that the Buddies will have one of the smallest squads in the league this season as the purse strings are tightened following the decision to send the Rangers newco into the Third Division.

But the former Scotland hitman reckons Saints can prove that dynamite comes in small packages.

And he praised Buddies boss Danny Lennon for making sure the players aren’t too knackered to cope with the demands of a long season.

Thompson, 33, told Express Sports: “The squad isn’t big but, if we keep everyone fit, there is enough quality in there for us to achieve our goals – and the main goal is to reach the top six.

“Pre-season has been very good and the management have been really fair with the players.

“We have worked hard but we’ve been given plenty of opportunities to rest as well and that’s important for me and for the rest of us, especially with the size of the squad.”

Thompson bagged a career-best tally of 16 goals in all competitions last season and showed he still has his shooting boots on by hitting the net during the 1-1 pre-season friendly with Accrington Stanley, in Lancashire, on Sunday afternoon.

Sadly for Saints, Thommo will miss this weekend’s SPL curtain-raiser against Inverness Caley Thistle through suspension but he’s confident the Paisley men can grab the win without him.

He said: “I feel St Mirren are in a better position now than when I joined the club last summer.

“The club is moving forward and has the potential to do really good things.

“Looking at us now, we’re in good shape.”

Thompson also told how the entire squad is looking forward to the start of the competitive action after a long and difficult summer which has seen the financial state of Scottish football dominate the back pages.

He added: “Once the season starts, I hope everyone will just focus on the football and, hopefully, people will enjoy the standard in the SPL.

“There has been an awful lot of speculation and a lot of talk and things written about Rangers and the general state of Scottish football but we have to let it go now and focus on what we need to do.”