SIMO: I WAS WRONG NOT TO BIN BENJI

SIMO VALAKARI admits he should have axed Benji Kimpioka - because he'd mentally checked out of St Johnstone months ago.

- FRASER MACKIE

SIMO VALAKARI admits he should have axed Benji Kimpioka - because he'd mentally checked out of St Johnstone months ago.

Valakari has combed over the calamities that contributed to Saints' drop to the Championship.

And one was the scoring form of Kimpioka dropping off a cliff after the end of October.

The Swedish striker rejected offers to move in January which would've copped Saints a tidy transfer fee.

And the 25-year-old remained on the fringes as he ran the rest of his contract down.

Valakari admits it was an unnecessary negative when he needed everyone pulling in the same direction. He said: "Looking back, maybe that's something I could have handled differently.