Icelandic starlet is out of the picture
Jim Goodwin admits losing Norwich City loanee Isak Thorvaldsson is a body blow to his squad plans.
Buddies boss Goodwin brought the young Icelandic talent to Paisley to bolster his midfield options.
But just one month later the 19-year-old has returned to his parent club, making just two late substitute appearances , against Rangers and Livingston, during his short stint at St Mirren Park.
Goodwin told Express Sport: “You don’t want to lose anyone when you are as tight as we are for numbers.
“But at the same time I am not going to hold anyone against their will.
“It’s too important a season for us as a club to have people who aren’t really committed.
“We felt it was best for both parties that Isak went back down the road.
“It was a big decision for the lad. He’s only 19 and his family are down in Norwich.
“It’s a hell of a long way away and I don’t think he realised at the time just how far it is.”
Goodwin feels the prospect
may have been more willing to settle with the Saints if he’d quickly broken into the starting XI.
After finding games hard to come by, he has returned south but Goodwin believes the club’s relationship with the Canaries won’t be soured by the experience.
He said:“If he was playing every minute of every game, it would probably have been a different conversation.
“But it’s not something we are going to dwell on.
“We just have to accept what’s happened and wish him all the best.
“He wants to be closer to home and that’s it.
“He’s a great lad and our relationship with Norwich is flourishing.
“We had a great time with Akin Famewo last season and they were really happy with his progress.
“He’s now in their first-team squad and we hoped for the same with Isak, but things don’t always work out.”
Another player St Mirren will have to do without for tomorrow’s trip to Perth to face St Johnstone is defender Joe Shaughnessy.
He starts his suspension after the club decided not to appeal the red card he received against Ross County.
Goodwin added:“Obviously, Joe Shaughnessy is a big loss.
“Post-match, when I hadn’t seen the footage back, I gave my honest reflection on it then.
“Since going back and looking at all the different angles, we as a club and Joe understand why that decision was made.
“We have no hard feelings about it. My opinion of it is still that it was a hard tackle. He won the ball, definitely.
“But the fact of the matter is he catches the Ross County player after it and in the modern day game you just can’t do that.
“So we accept the red card and there was certainly no malice or intent on Joe’s part. He’s not that type of person.
“We have no arguments about the decision.”