Saint who helped send Hearts down tells them it’s over
St Mirren striker Jon Obika believes Hearts should stop whingeing and accept relegation.
Obika scored the goal to beat the Jambos in Paisley in March, a result which rooted them to the foot of the table and led to them facing the drop when the league was called last month.
Since then, owner Ann Bud ge–who initially claimed she would accept the SPFL’S decision – has repeatedly threatened to sue when attempts at reconstruction failed.
Discredited former manager Craig Levein has claimed he would have kept Hearts up if he’d been in charge for the eight unplayed fixtures.
Obika, one of nine new signings brought in by Goodwin, disagrees.
“Right from the start of the season, we had to adapt,” he claimed.
“There was a new manager and he had to sign his own players. Then everyone had to get to know each other and learn everyone’s strengths and weaknesses.
“That took time and hard work on the training ground before it started to kick in.
“By the time the lockdown came, we’d lost only three of our last 11 games (Hearts, by contrast, had won just one of their last seven Premiership fixtures) and we had that confidence going into games where we didn’t even think about being beaten.
“It was unfortunate for us that the season ended when it did because the boys were convinced that we were going to continue taking points from everyone.
“Obviously, I can understand why anyone at Hearts would think that they could still come off the bottom and move away from the drop zzone because there were 24 points still to play for.
“But when you look at the form guide, we were the ones who were looking forward to moving up the table.
“We’d lost to Hearts at Tynecastle, but we were the only bottom-six side they had won against, and we’d drawn with them and beaten them at home.
“It’s unsatisfactory when a season ends in that way, but no one could have predicted this pandemic and there were sound health reasons for making that decision.
“It’s only now that I can really appreciate the significance of my goal and the result that night.
“Things were so tight at the bottom back then that it did have the feel of a playoff final about it – it was a real six-pointer.
“We knew how important that game was going into it, in terms of what he had hoped to do for the rest of the season – although no one could have predicted what happened next.”
Obika, though, is loving life in Paisley. Saints became his 12th club in six years when he arrived from Oxford last summer, but his career started very differently when he starred for Spurs in Europe as a teenager.
“Harry Redknapp gave me my debut as a sub in a win away to Nijmegen in the UEFA Cup, and my first start was in a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk. I was excited more than nervous and loved every minute of it,” said Obika.
“I’d go to training and watch Luka Modric never give the ball away. Playing alongside guys like Gareth Bale and Kyle Walker meant you had to raise your level.
“Harry was amazing to work with. He knew the names of everyone at the club, even the Under-16 team. He also kept things very simple and having clear information is really important to players.
“Jim Goodwin reminds me off Harryh ini ththatt rrespect because he also ddoesn’t over-complicate thinngs.
“Like Harry, he’s a boss with a passion which makes you want tto play for him. One conveersation with him was eenough for me to de cide to come to Sccotland – and I’vve never
regrettted it.”