Opinion: Hearts had no option but to sack Craig Levein

The Edinburgh Reporter’s Mike Smith, a lifelong Hearts supporter, gives his thoughts on the sacking of manager Craig Levein.

So farewell
then, Craig Levein. I first suggested on this website in January of this year that
the Hearts manager should step down from his managerial duties and perhaps
revert to his Director of Football role at Tynecastle. Now, ten months later,
he has been dismissed from both although curiously he is being kept on until
the summer, as Hearts put it, ‘to work closely with the Executive Management
Team to continue to develop and improve the structure of the backroom and youth
operations’

It’s become something
of a cliché to say football is a results driven business. But it is. And Hearts
results, particularly in the Ladbrokes Premiership throughout 2019 have been extremely
poor to say the least. Hearts have won just one league game this season – ironically
this was at Easter Road where they came from a goal behind to win 2-1. This,
and the Betfred Cup quarter final win over Aberdeen at Tynecastle a few days
later, bought Levein some time but these results merely papered over the
cracks.

It’s not just
the results that have been Levein’s undoing. Some of Hearts performances have
been brutal to watch. The persistence with the long ball lumped forward to Uche
Ikpeazu has been easily countered this season by opponents. It may have had the
surprise element last season when Hearts started the season so well and went to
the summit of the league. But it’s been nowhere near as effective this season –
and has been painfully evident Craig Levein doesn’t have a Plan B.

Levein’s
team selections have been baffling at times as have his tactics and formations.
True, Hearts have suffered a year of horrific injuries and the long-term absence
of influential players such as Steven Naismith – ironically set to make his first
appearance for several weeks this weekend – John Souttar, Jamie Walker and
Craig Halkett would have an adverse effect on any team. Add to this injuries to
the likes of Michael Smith and Christophe Berra and it’s fair to say Lady Luck
has not so much turned her back on Hearts as fled Gorgie altogether.

That said,
the players who have played in their absence have simply not been good enough.
Jake Mulraney and Sean Clare have struggled to make any impact whatsoever.
Clare, in particular, doesn’t seem to know what his role in the team is. When
Levein inexplicably moved the Englishman to right back in the defeat to
Motherwell a few weeks ago, he was at fault for Well’s third goal – and the
fans leapt on his back.

Steven
MacLean impressed last season but looks out of touch this campaign. Ryotaro
Meshino has shown occasional flashes of what he is capable of, but the Japanese
midfielder could only find a place on the substitute’s bench in the 1-0 defeat
at St Johnstone last night. Levein’s player recruitment has, frankly, been
shambolic. It’s difficult to see what the likes of Aidy White and Loic Damour
bring to the team while Oliver Bozanic has been brought in from the cold to little
effect. Meanwhile, two of Hearts most promising youngsters – Harry Cochrane and
Anthony McDonald – have been allowed to go out on loan to Dunfermline Athletic
while others such as Connor Smith and Chris Hamilton are at Cowdenbeath also on
loan.

The one
bright spot of the past year has been the emergence of young full back Aaron Hickey
but, even at that, there have been stories linking the teenager with a January
move to Manchester City.

Most worrying
of all, in this writer’s opinion, is the apathy that has rapidly been enveloping
the club. There were less than 3,500 fans at the Tony Macaroni Stadium last
Saturday for the match at Livingston. Hearts usually take about twice that
number alone when they visit West Lothian. In addition, ticket sales for this
Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi-final with Rangers at Hampden have been disappointing.
I can’t remember the last time Hearts didn’t sell out for a cup semi-final. It’s
clear many Hearts fans are deterred from going to the National Stadium as they
know what happens when Craig Levein takes his teams to Glasgow to face either
Rangers or Celtic. A lack of belief means Hearts are beaten before the game
kicks off – when was the last time a team managed by Levein team won at Celtic
Park or Ibrox? – and with the appalling performances of late it’s little wonder
Hearts supporters are simply not prepared to be taken for a ride.

Ann Budge
has taken a huge decision to dispense with the services of a man she holds in
such high regard. When the pair of them strode along the touchline at
Tynecastle in the summer of 2014 having taken Hearts out of administration,
there was real belief that Hearts were back from the abyss. The appointment of
Robbie Neilson as Head Coach brought immediate reward as Hearts raced away from
Hibernian and Rangers to win the Championship and return to the top flight of
Scottish football. But when Neilson departed three years ago Hearts – a two-month
spell at the beginning of last season aside – began a slide that had to be
arrested.

The
departure of the manager today should be seen as a beginning of this. Craig
Levein was a fantastic player for Hearts in the 1980s and early 1990s – one of
the best defenders I’ve ever seen in maroon. During his first spell as manager
in the early 2000s, he gave me some of the best moments of my life as a Hearts
supporter – hammering Hibernian 5-1 at Tynecastle and defeating Bordeaux in the
south of France in the UEFA Cup being two that immediately spring to mind. But
his second stint as Hearts manager has, sadly, been a failure. And today’s
generation of young Hearts supporters will only see him for that.

I would like
to think Ann Budge will appoint someone who has not had a previous association
with Hearts. Someone like Stephen Robinson who has done a great job at
Motherwell, for example. Whoever takes over will at least have the backing of
the thoroughly depressed Hearts support – something Craig Levein ultimately didn’t
have. It’s arguable if, given he was appointed in the aftermath of the Ian
Cathro sacking two years ago, he ever did.

Just over a
year after suffering a heart attack, Craig Levein deserves a break. The
Edinburgh Reporter wishes him well and the best of health. The revitalisation
of Heart of Midlothian begins now.