St Mirren might have lost the Irish Xavi, but that’s an easier blow to take when you’ve already got Flynniesta waiting in the wings to step into his boots.
It’s become a well-worn joke with both Saints and Hibs fans that Jack Ross is determined to hoover up the Paisley club’s best players and bring them to Easter Road.
So when it emerged there was another club chasing Jake Doyle-Hayes’ signature after his move to Dundee United dramatically collapsed there was really only one culprit to consider.
Cue the 22-year-old standing with a Hibs scarf above his head.
Now it’s been clear for some time that the former Aston Villa prospect saw his future lying away from Paisley.
His contract offer from the Buddies had been sitting on the table for so long the ink was starting to fade.
What has been interesting to see is the reaction from St Mirren supporters and fan groups.
The consensus between a lot of Saints fans is that Doyle-Hayes won’t be that big a miss and won’t be too difficult to replace.
And I have to say I agree with both those statements.
When the youngster first joined with the nickname of the Irish Xavi from former club Cheltenham Town, eyebrows were certainly raised.
There was more than a hint of ‘prove it’, and to be fair to him he absolutely did in his opening two months with the club.
His assuredness on the ball and willingness to take passes from defence and build from the back was impressive and certainly played a big part in the 11-game unbeaten run the Buddies went on to enjoy.
However, once his agent made it clear that he would be looking for other options in the summer, Doyle-Hayes’ levels took an undeniable dip.
He’s not the kind of swashbuckling midfielder that will bag you goals and assists, a Jamie McGrath-type playmaker, but his presence and influence began to wane.
When St Mirren needed wins during February and March as they chased a top six spot, the Irishman was unable to inspire his side on to the victories they needed.
Now I’m not putting that all on him. That would be totally unfair, but if he’d reached the levels he produced when he first touched down in Paisley then St Mirren’s season could have been even more of a success.
Likewise in the Buddies’ Scottish Cup semi-final clash with St Johnstone. He wasn’t able to dictate in the midfield, instead it was the Perthshire side who controlled that crucial battleground and went on to lift the trophy in the final.
While clearly a very talented player when playing to his full potential, St Mirren haven’t seen that midfielder for quite some time so I totally understand the calls that he won’t be that big a miss.
I also heartily agree that he won’t be too hard to replace, because the Buddies already have the perfect candidate ready to step in and play that role.
Cometh the hour, cometh Ryan Flynn.
I’ve only covered St Mirren for the last few years, but in that time it’s been clear to me that Flynn is technically one of St Mirren’s best players - if not the best.
When I spoke to Jon Obika this week about his time in Paisley and asked who Saints best players were, Jamie McGrath was of course mentioned but so was Flynn in terms of pure talent and ability.
When you look back at the dominant performance the former Sheffield United man put in at Tannadice when Saints smashed Dundee United 5-1, he sat in the deep-lying playmaker role and absolutely strolled it.
He also linked up wonderfully with Ethan Erhahon, which could provide a fruitful partnership for the coming season.
So while Jim Goodwin will likely be looking for a replacement for Jake Doyle-Hayes, he may well be better off sticking with the Flynniesta he’s already got.
