Alex Gogic is enjoying a career renaissance at the heart of St Mirren's midfield, a transformation that has coincided with the team's impressive early-season form. The Buddies currently occupy fourth place in the Premiership with 10 points from six games, a position few pundits foresaw after a summer of relegation talk.
A tactical evolution
Under manager Craig McLeish, the 32-year-old Cypriot international has been deployed in a more advanced, playmaking role. This shift has allowed Gogic to shows a broader range of skills beyond the defensive duties for which he was previously known. "I am absolutely loving it," Gogic said. "This is no disrespect at all to any manager I played under previously, particularly Stephen Robinson, who was brilliant and so successful here, but it is good to show people that maybe I am not just a guy that can tackle. I can actually play football as well, you know?"
His journey to this point has been winding. After coming through the youth system at Olympiacos, where he started as an attacking midfielder, he moved to Swansea City's academy under Michael Laudrup. A trial at Hamilton Academical led to a four-year spell, including an outstanding 2019/20 season that earned him a move to Hibernian. A loan to St Mirren under Jim Goodwin became permanent last summer, and he has since become a central figure in McLeish's plans.
Defying expectations
The team's current standing is a stark contrast to the gloomy forecasts that followed a narrow playoff survival against Partick Thistle last season. The board's decision to retain McLeish is now being vindicated. St Mirren's recent form shows one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five outings, a run that includes narrow losses to Rangers and Celtic. They host Dundee United this afternoon, looking to bounce back from a 1-0 defeat at Ibrox last time out.
Gogic's personal story adds a rich layer. His father, Sinisa, was a professional who played for Olympiacos and helped them to a domestic double and a Champions League quarter-final in the late 1990s. Alex himself was nicknamed 'Pappous' or 'Grandad' by Olympiacos fans due to his serious demeanour as a youngster.
Building for the match
As they prepare for Dundee United, St Mirren will be without several key players including Keanu Baccus, Liam Donnelly, Malik Dijksteel and Samuel Ramos. The squad depth will be tested, making the contributions of experienced figures like Gogic even more important. The team's top scorer this season is K. Phillips with three goals in two appearances, a statistic fans can explore further on our stats section. The next fixture at home provides a chance to solidify their top-six credentials and continue a revolution that has an old war dog learning new tricks.
Read the full report at The Herald
