Caley Thistle chairman Ross Morrison feels tying up manager John Robertson on a new contract gives the Highlanders much-needed certainty ahead of the new Championship campaign.
Robertson has extended his contract at Caledonian Stadium by a further two years, which will keep him at Caledonian Stadium until 2023.
The announcement came on the same day as Caley Jags’ prospects of promotion to the Premiership were finally killed off, after the final league reconstruction proposal for a 14-10-10-10 model failed to get enough support.
The news of Robertson’s extension comes as a boost to Caley Jags, with the 55-year-old having been suggested as a potential candidate should his former club Hearts part company with boss Daniel Stendel following their relegation to the second-tier.
Robertson had also been linked with the vacant St Johnstone job, following the resignation of Tommy Wright.
Morrison feels Robertson will now be able to forge ahead with plans for the new season, with a shortened 27-game Championship campaign pencilled in for an October 17 start.
Morrison said: “Getting John sorted was critical to the future plans. We discussed this in January so it has been brewing for a while.
“We just wanted to sign him up whether we were in the Championship or Premiership.
“With all the uncertainties that have been going around just now, one of the biggest certainties was to have our manager safely signed up for another two years.
“John does it on a great budget, he finds players for nothing. There is a strong core to the squad there, but John hasn’t done anything because we’ve been uncertain about what we’re doing.
“He can get on with his work now that we know.”
Morrison is pleased to continue his working relationship with Robertson, who has guided Inverness to a top-three finish in the last two seasons.
Morrison added: “I love working with John. He does what he does best, and I do what I do best.
“We sometimes chat about various things, but I never advise him about football as he’s an absolute expert. If I ever try to, he will give me that withering look – I have learned from my mistakes on that one.
“He’s got a great relationship with Scot Gardiner and between myself and the board, there’s a great triangle which works very well.”
Morrison was disappointed, albeit not surprised that league reconstruction plans did not go through, adding: “We were expecting nothing – I didn’t expect it to go through.
“It could have been avoided quite easily, and it wouldn’t have changed many people’s lives for Partick Thistle to stay in the Championship. I don’t see why you wouldn’t try and help them out.
“Shortening the season was the easy bit to agree. We had to get some sort of certainty about when we will start.
“Hopefully things will get better with Covid-19, and things will be more relaxed by the time it kicks off.
“There has been talk of crowds not going back in January, but maybe it could be November or December.
“We just never know with the way things are going.”
