Kevin Twaddle reckons if St Johnstone can snare Simo Valakari then he could become their very own Jimmy Thelin.
Saints are in talks with the Riga boss in a bid to try and bring him to McDiarmid Park. The 51-year-old already has a proven managerial career, winning multiple leagues and cups in Finland with SJK and KuPS. Twaddle knows the Finn has a stellar CV and could come in and really shake up his former club, like Swede Thelin has done with his 100 per cent start at Aberdeen.
Twaddle predicted: “It would be a good appointment for St Johnstone. Simo is already an experienced coach. He has had success and won leagues and cups with two teams in Finland. He has done well in Norway and is now having success in Latvia. Simo would be another in the mould of Jimmy Thelin at Aberdeen. Simo would change the philosophy at St Johnstone a wee bit.
“Simo would definitely bring St Johnstone together and I think they are a club that needs that right now. I also think he would be good for Scottish football because I don’t like to see the same names in this managerial merry-go-round, where they leave one job and walk into another.”
The Perth club has regressed in recent seasons since their cup double. Twaddle believes Valakari can help galvanise the club again and get the fans right behind the team – as he did at Motherwell. Things went stale under Craig Levein and he paid the price earlier this season.
St Johnstone then began the process to appoint his successor. Valakari was interviewed along with Larne boss Tiernan Lynch, Ayr United’s Scott Brown and Aberdeen coach Peter Leven. Brown and Leven both pulled out of the running after talks. Twaddle stated: “Simo will bring his own style and brand. Given time he will do a great job.
“Simo is a young coach. He has had a good managerial career and he definitely could go on to much bigger and better things. St Johnstone, I played for them. They are a great club but they are in a bit of turmoil just now.
“They need a bit of stability and Simo could bring them. He would also get the fans on-side because all the Motherwell fans loved him. The Motherwell fans also loved him and still hold him in high regard. Some are disappointed he hadn’t got the Motherwell manager’s job before now.”
Twaddle even going back to Valakari’s playing days knew he was going to become a manager from their days together at Fir Park. He thought outside the box and ways to improve himself as a player and was a carbon copy of Roberto Martinez. Martinez went on to coach Wigan, Everton, Belgium and is currently the Portuguese national boss.
“Simo actually reminded me a lot of Roberto Martinez” the former Motherwell winger claimed. “They had the same qualities. You could tell they would be on to have good coaching or managing careers. Simo has great mannerisms.
“He was level-headed and didn’t get too up or down. He is a lovely lad but as a player he was ahead of his time. He was into sports science and did a lot of core work. He was always looking to get the maximum from his body. He never drank and he was just an amazing professional.
“He loved to put the foot in but he also had quality on the ball. He was a winner, he didn’t like getting beat. Simo was always going to go into coaching or management.”