ST MIRREN manager Alex Rae concedes he is glad to see the back of the January transfer window as he turns his attention to matters on the pitch.

The Buddies were able to do some business before Monday’s deadline day with Gary Irvine, Alex Cooper, David Clarkson and Rocco Quinn all coming in.

The quartet will bring a raft of top-flight experience to Saints as they attempt to climb from the fairly modest place of eighth in the Ladbrokes Championship to the promotion-play places.

But after a stressful few weeks, Rae is delighted a sense of normality can return to the Paisley club ahead of a league double header with Queen of the South.

He said: “I’m pleased deadline day was quiet in some respects because that meant we done our business earlier.

“We obviously shipped out a few players and managed to bring a few in.

“I’m relatively happy with what we have done. It is early doors for them [new signings], they have still got to make their impact, but January was a nightmare.

“It was just constant nipping and tucking and deals were on, deals were off, so I’m pleased to see the back of it.”

Last weekend’s 3-1 win over Alloa represented St Mirren’s first league victory on home soil this campaign.

It was undoubtedly a relief to all that this troublesome statistic was shaken off, but Rae maintains he has tried to keep an air of positivity about the corridors of the Paisley 2021 Stadium over the past few weeks.

He said: “We have obviously lost a couple of games as well but we try and make it as bright as possible so that we make the environment around about the place enjoyable.

“We are also aware at the same time that you don’t want people walking about skipping and dancing when we have lost a game.

“So it is about just trying to get that balance where we have got a good working environment, everybody knows that we want to put a shift in when we get here and then that way we can then start focusing on the important things like trying to win football games.”