Souttar on Levein

[Alex Kintner]

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/sport/football/john-souttar-says-craig-leveins-16339376

 

“It’s easy to criticise the gaffer. He’s the man who gets it but there is a lot of work that goes unseen.

 

It won’t be seen until a few years down the line. People will look back and realise that is what was building, because it’s not just on the pitch – it’s day to day stuff behind the scenes. As I say, the gaffer has been massive for me and my development.

 

There is also this conception about the gaffer that he likes long balls. He is the opposite. He likes footballers, people playing. I think you saw that.

 

The youth boys coming through are all comfortable on the ball. Next year you will see more of that coming through.”

Edited May 28, 2019 by To Be Frank

[karipidis]

Heard it all before 

[fabienleclerq]

Good to hear this sort of thing. 

[OmiyaHearts]

How does 'Gaffer doesn't like long balls' result in 90% of our matches being long balls for the majority of our attacking play?

 

Maybe it should read 'Players don't carry out the gaffers instructions in most games'?

[Jambof3tornado]

Usual player supporting gaffer article.

 

I always thought levein had set the arabs up for years to come too, but look at them now?

 

Continually hearing we'll be great in 5 years is a nonsense.

[Bauld]

Anyone who takes an actual interest in our club instead of just ranting shite knows this already.

[innerjambo]

The 5 year rolling plan just keeps on rolling and rolling. 

[chuck berrys hairline]

Yawn same old boring schit! Five years was five years ago and nothing from academy to show for it ? so is that it a ten year rolling plan now ?. 

[Beast Boy]

11 minutes ago, Bauld said:

Anyone who takes an actual interest in our club instead of just ranting shite knows this already.

 

Nailed it. On a positive note, it's a brilliant way of identifying who the slavers are. Brings a lot of perspective to potential debates in the future.

[Phil Dunphy]

I like Soapy, but he’s talking shite here. 

 

He likes people playing? That’ll be why we have Christophe shelling long balls every time he gets the ball to his feet then. 

[JamboAl]

15 minutes ago, Bauld said:

Anyone who takes an actual interest in our club instead of just ranting shite knows this already.

Exactly.

[Thought Police]

17 minutes ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Usual player supporting gaffer article.

 

I always thought levein had set the arabs up for years to come too, but look at them now?

 

Continually hearing we'll be great in 5 years is a nonsense.

Tbf, how many players came through in the five years after he left? They were then sold on for big money and woefully re-invested, if re-invested at all. That’s not Levein’s fault.

[Haringshairband]

17 minutes ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Usual player supporting gaffer article.

 

I always thought levein had set the arabs up for years to come too, but look at them now?

 

Continually hearing we'll be great in 5 years is a nonsense.

Utd were a good team up until the sold all their good players to Celtic. I have faith that we will be in the same position in a couple of years.

[Jambo83]

1 minute ago, Phil Dunphy said:

I like Soapy, but he’s talking shite here. 

 

He likes people playing? That’ll be why we have Christophe shelling long balls every time he gets the ball to his feet then. 

I think you'll find he actually played the ball back to the keeper about 95% of the time on Saturday... 

[Peebo]

We don’t need a manager who’s best work is unseen, and won’t be seen for (another) few years. We need a manager who is delivering high levels of performance from the first team right now. Levein is not doing that. 

[Morph]

If his skills lie in developing academies then that's where he should be working for us.  Would have no issue with him focusing on that area as we are getting good players coming out of it.

[doctor jambo]

11 minutes ago, innerjambo said:

The 5 year rolling plan just keeps on rolling and rolling. 

It has to.

We came brutally close to a cup win.

I believe we were Naismith injury away from the LC as well.

The league?

5 years? No- we are being utterly outspent and it takes longer than 5 years to build a team from callow youths to league challenge (if its ever possible now)

[Hercules]

33 minutes ago, To Be Frank said:

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/sport/football/john-souttar-says-craig-leveins-16339376

 

“It’s easy to criticise the gaffer. He’s the man who gets it but there is a lot of work that goes unseen.

 

It won’t be seen until a few years down the line. People will look back and realise that is what was building, because it’s not just on the pitch – it’s day to day stuff behind the scenes. As I say, the gaffer has been massive for me and my development.

 

There is also this conception about the gaffer that he likes long balls. He is the opposite. He likes footballers, people playing. I think you saw that.

 

The youth boys coming through are all comfortable on the ball. Next year you will see more of that coming through.”

Yawn. 

[Phil Dunphy]

2 minutes ago, Jambo83 said:

I think you'll find he actually played the ball back to the keeper about 95% of the time on Saturday... 

 

And the other games he plays in?

 

There’s no chance anyone can say we favour a short playing style. Unless they’re at the wind up. 

[graygo]

8 minutes ago, chuck berrys hairline said:

Yawn same old boring schit! Five years was five years ago and nothing from academy to show for it ? so is that it a ten year rolling plan now ?. 

 

Seriously?

[Morph]

4 minutes ago, Jambo83 said:

I think you'll find he actually played the ball back to the keeper about 95% of the time on Saturday... 

Who then launched it up the park...

[old school tie]

A player comes out and backs his under-fire manager

[Gizmo]

8 minutes ago, chuck berrys hairline said:

Yawn same old boring schit! Five years was five years ago and nothing from academy to show for it ? so is that it a ten year rolling plan now ?. 

We restarted from basically nothing.

I see Utd are being used as a benchmark. They were financially profligate, sold all their best players and paid the price. Not something you can pin on Levein who had them miles above where they now lie.

Infact, Utd are a good parallel in some ways, because that could have been us languishing in the Championship for years but instead we put together a spectacular campaign to extricate ourselves from arguably the strongest ever championship at the first time of asking.

We do have stuff to show from the academy which Levein stated all along would take time to pay dividends. Have you missed Cochrane, MacDonald, Godhino, Brandon, Morrison, Smith and young Hickey deliberately? 

So no, not boring and infact its very encouraging just how far this club has come in a relatively short period of time. From the brink, as they say. 
  

[Pants Shaton]

If there’s one guy who doesn’t NEED to suck up to the boss (first name on team-sheet, Scottish international, heading for big move to England) - it’s Souttar.

 

The fact he is defending him in the strongest possible terms should tell everyone what they need to know.

[tcjambo]

9 minutes ago, Hercules said:

Yawn. 

Yawn

[oi oi]

Breaking news - employee publicly supports his boss........

[Homme]

33 minutes ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Usual player supporting gaffer article.

 

I always thought levein had set the arabs up for years to come too, but look at them now?

 

Continually hearing we'll be great in 5 years is a nonsense.

 

You can blame Thomson for Utd. 

 

Levein helped made them millions.

[Agentjambo]

1 minute ago, oi oi said:

Breaking news - employee publicly supports his boss........

I wouldn't publicly support my boss...hes a prick!

[Horatio Caine]

We've heard a lot about how CL has never won anything as a player or as a manager - but bear in mind it was his United team that won the cup. Yes, it was Houston who was manager by that time, but it was Levein's team and the only reason he wasn't in charge was because he'd taken the national team's Head Coach job.  Bet he wishes now he had stayed at United.

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

Cool story. Meantime, I judge on results.

[Beast Boy]

2 minutes ago, Homme said:

 

You can blame Thomson for Utd. 

 

Levein helped made them millions.

 

Indeed. Stephen Thompson is the man you want there. Also wee Jackie McNamara and his personal % of transfer fees. Jackie selling everything that wasn't nailed down for a cut in the transfer fee, and Thompson recouping his inheritance, after his United-loving Dad preferred to give it to United instead of him.

[Lovecraft]

21 minutes ago, Haringshairband said:

Utd were a good team up until the sold all their good players to Celtic. I have faith that we will be in the same position in a couple of years.

Indeed.  Didn't Macnamara sell them all on as he was getting a %?

 

Or was that before?

[Debut 4]

CL came out with this himself at the weekend in defence of months of criticism.  

 

‘People just look at the first team’...was more or less one comment.  Well, yes, ultimately that’s why we support Hearts and where results are judged. 

 

If CL loves doing the groundwork then let him become solely concentrated on that but bring in a manager who focuses on bringing it together at first team level. 

 

We’ve pretty much always done well at bringing through youth in phases over the decades. Let’s not use it as some flag waving achievement to mask poor first team performance.

[Jambof3tornado]

2 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

CL came out with this himself at the weekend in defence of months of criticism.  

 

‘People just look at the first team’...was more or less one comment.  Well, yes, ultimately that’s why we support Hearts and where results are judged. 

 

If CL loves doing the groundwork then let him become solely concentrated on that but bring in a manager who focuses on bringing it together at first team level. 

 

We’ve pretty much always done well at bringing through youth in phases over the decades. Let’s not use it as some flag waving achievement to mask poor first team performance.

This.

[Nookie Bear]

5 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

CL came out with this himself at the weekend in defence of months of criticism.  

 

‘People just look at the first team’...was more or less one comment.  Well, yes, ultimately that’s why we support Hearts and where results are judged. 

 

If CL loves doing the groundwork then let him become solely concentrated on that but bring in a manager who focuses on bringing it together at first team level. 

 

We’ve pretty much always done well at bringing through youth in phases over the decades. Let’s not use it as some flag waving achievement to mask poor first team performance.

 

Or pretend we are doing anything different from every other club in Scotland. 

[It should have been ten]

55 minutes ago, Jambof3tornado said:

Usual player supporting gaffer article.

 

I always thought levein had set the arabs up for years to come too, but look at them now?

 

Continually hearing we'll be great in 5 years is a nonsense.

 

Blaming Levein for Dundee Utd’s downfall ffs, heard it all now 

 

[It should have been ten]

53 minutes ago, innerjambo said:

The 5 year rolling plan just keeps on rolling and rolling. 

 

If Neilson wasn't hounded out by the plane hiring cretins and the pishy bed sheet stained waverly brigade we'd be well on target. 

 

Hope they’re happy. Two years of fabulous progress halted in it's tracks. 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2019 by It should have been ten

[Baxfee]

God there’s a bunch of arse holes on this thread. Never seen so much tosh and people with no idea as to where we were and where we’re going. Seriously 

[It should have been ten]

1 hour ago, Bauld said:

Anyone who takes an actual interest in our club instead of just ranting shite knows this already.

 

This 

[Nookie Bear]

6 minutes ago, It should have been ten said:

 

If Neilson wasn't hounded out by the plane hiring cretins and the pishy bed sheet stained waverly brigade we'd be well on target. 

 

Hope they’re happy. Two years of fabulous progress halted in it's tracks. 

 

 

 

Neilson walked because he thought MK Dons would be a stepping stone to bigger things in England. A managerial money spinna, if you like. 

 

He was not hounded out. 

 

And watching Dundee Utd recently, he may well be seeing another plane soon. 

[jr ewing]

Slow progress 

[Randy Marsh]

11 minutes ago, It should have been ten said:

 

If Neilson wasn't hounded out by the plane hiring cretins and the pishy bed sheet stained waverly brigade we'd be well on target. 

 

Hope they’re happy. Two years of fabulous progress halted in it's tracks. 

 

 

He wasn't hounded out. It's a myth. He never left till a full 8 months after that embarrassing plane episode. He was clearly offered more money and a had a good opportunityto test himself down south.

[It should have been ten]

11 minutes ago, Nookie Bear said:

 

Neilson walked because he thought MK Dons would be a stepping stone to bigger things in England. A managerial money spinna, if you like. 

 

He was not hounded out. 

 

And watching Dundee Utd recently, he may well be seeing another plane soon. 

 

Will just have to disagree on that. 

[innerjambo]

34 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

CL came out with this himself at the weekend in defence of months of criticism.  

 

‘People just look at the first team’...was more or less one comment.  Well, yes, ultimately that’s why we support Hearts and where results are judged. 

 

If CL loves doing the groundwork then let him become solely concentrated on that but bring in a manager who focuses on bringing it together at first team level. 

 

We’ve pretty much always done well at bringing through youth in phases over the decades. Let’s not use it as some flag waving achievement to mask poor first team performance.

 

This all day long................ Craig Levein, master salesman to the deluded and gullible!!

 

[Geoff Kilpatrick]

25 minutes ago, It should have been ten said:

 

If Neilson wasn't hounded out by the plane hiring cretins and the pishy bed sheet stained waverly brigade we'd be well on target. 

 

Hope they’re happy. Two years of fabulous progress halted in it's tracks. 

 

 

Feck me! Why does this Neilson hounded out pish persist? He chose to leave of his own volition for something he viewed as an opportunity with more potential. More fool him.

[Bull's-eye]

Doesn't matter what the Moon Howlers bash away about on their keyboards.

 

The people that really matter are doing what's best for the club. 

 

Just as it should be....

 

 

[Bazzas right boot]

The players are happy. 

The players are happy with the style of play. 

The players can see the foundations taking shape. 

 

The stats on the EN article stated we played the 4th least long balls in the league. 

 

No, the jkb crayon munchers are correct, not the professional players or the statisticians. 

The jkb massive has spoken. 

 

The Fitba is shite, negative football. Clarke, Liverpool, Cup run lucky, etc etc. 

 

 

 

 

[Finlay James]

Good article, Souttar talks a lot of sense in there.  The players have huge respect for Levein and can see what is building.  

 

Hearts had a choice 5-6 years ago; build from the roots up whilst knowing that it would take time but ultimately we would produce players who could take us to a level we've not been at for over half a century.  We do this by having a long term strategic vision and by sticking to it and it is also highly cost effective.

 

or

 

We don't invest so much in the academy and go out and buy ready made players who can bring us success now.  In other words, hope for the best but no real building blocks to sustain things.  Hibs, as an example, have done this for years.  They bought in McGinn, Allan, Mcgeough who gave them relative success but once they were gone, they had no one of similar quality to replace them with.

 

We chose the first option.  It means we have a few years of pain but we're seeing light at the end of the tunnel and the future is certainly looking very bright.  Levein is pivotal to all if this and is what Souttar is referring to.

[avhudtheteeshirt]

1 hour ago, Phil Dunphy said:

I like Soapy, but he’s talking shite here. 

 

He likes people playing? That’ll be why we have Christophe shelling long balls every time he gets the ball to his feet then. 

Which is exactly what the treble treble winners were doing on Saturday, and how much moaning are their fans doing?????

It only hurts when it does not work out to suit your agenda?

I thought we played some stunning football on Saturday for a team of supposed hoof ballers!

As for Soapy talking s***e, he's there every day, how often are you there?????

[Bazzas right boot]

1 hour ago, oi oi said:

Breaking news - employee publicly supports his boss........

 

Could also try 

 

Fans support team.