St Mirren and Motherwell both stressed they had not agreed to plans for two divisions of 10 with the Paisley side declaring their preference for a 14-team set-up.

Dundee United, Kilmarnock and Inverness had already come out against the plans while Hearts remain to be convinced.

SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster claimed clubs were approaching consensus following the first full meeting to discuss reconstruction on Monday, but it now looks increasingly unlikely that the issue will be resolved when they reconvene on January 17.

St Mirren and Motherwell were among six clubs involved in the review group but, although both urged sceptical fans not to dismiss a 10-team league, they are weighing up the options.

Saints chairman Stewart Gilmour claimed the proposals were some way off the finished article and that it would be "some time" before a vote is held.

He added: "St Mirren have at this stage not changed their position from preferring a 14-team league set-up.

"However, we have to look at the other options. A 16-team option does not work, despite being promoted often by people in the media, who have no idea of the financial responsibilities of running a football club.

"In this option 15 home league games is not a financial equation for St Mirren that works.

"The two 10s is an option we have to consider as, the way it is being structured at the moment, dropping into the second 10 would not bring the 90% drop in commercial revenue from the Premier League to First Division that it currently does."

Gilmour stressed that relegated clubs need to put themselves at "enormous risk" of going into "serious debt" if they push for instant promotion back to the SPL under the current system.

He added: "The two 10s proposal would see much more of a stepladder in funding all the way from first place in the first 10 to last place in the second 10 and make it much easier to both sustain the club and plan properly for a bright future.

"For this reason it is sensible for the club to consider all proposals, although I emphasise again our preference, should we be able to find a financially stable model, is for a larger top league."

Motherwell vice-chairman Derek Weir, who attended the meeting on Monday, also pointed out that "far more work" was needed on the proposals but he did ask fans to consider the financial benefits of a 10-team top flight.

"What we do have to bear in mind is the importance of the funds we receive from TV deals, other media and sponsors," he said in a statement.

"We are unfortunately already in a position where our best players can move to lower leagues in other countries for significantly increased wages and any further reduction in income from those sources will only make this problem worse.

"The reality is that the media in particular want as many games between the bigger clubs as possible.

"Making any change which reduces the number of these games will inevitably impact on what they would be prepared to pay.

"It is for this reason that we have been prepared to consider the two leagues of 10 set-up but, despite what has been reported, we have not yet agreed to any of the proposals."

Weir, a Fir Park season ticket holder since 1975, was keen to point out that fans were being consulted after a recent Supporters Direct poll revealed that almost 90% were against the plans.

"Clearly the fans are a huge part of the game and we absolutely need to fully consider their views before making any decisions," he said.

"That process is already well under way, with the SPL chairmen meeting representatives of the Supporters Trust from each club.

"There is more work to be done before any conclusions are reached and I can absolutely assure you that all input and views are being considered as part of the process."

Doncaster has insisted there is consensus on the need for radical reform.

"We will have to see what happens on January 17 but what we do know is that we had a very good meeting on Monday," he said.

"People had some concerns, not of principle, more of detail.

"Those concerns will be looked at between now and January 17 and clubs will have a decision to make but there is a real acceptance that we need radical change."

Doncaster continued to argue that a larger league was not financially viable.

"There is no point talking about a 16-team league," he told BBC Scotland.

"If you are a supporter of Kilmarnock and Dundee United, do you want your club to receive around £1million less each season?"

He added: "We would all like in theory a bigger league but it can't happen.

"Aside from the financial arguments that make it an impossibility, there are football reasons as well.

"If we think we are suddenly going to create this free-flowing football by going to a 16-team division I think we are deluding ourselves.

"We would have a lot more meaningless games, we would lose Rangers-Celtic games and Hearts-Hibs games and we would be replacing them with the likes a Celtic-Falkirk or Dunfermline.

"While that is great for fans of those clubs, I'm not sure it's going to drive many more people through the turnstiles."