Levein’s time is up...

[tolcross lad]

27 minutes ago, Anderson5 said:

If he leaves the club completely, do we even need to replace his position of DoF?

 

Celtic have the biggest turnover in Scotland and have won the last 9 available trophies domestically. Do they have a DoF?

 

People on here use Aberdeen as the barometer for our own club. They have a higher turnover than us and have finished above us for the last 7 years. Do they have a DoF?

 

i feel we just need an excellent and success hungry manager who is prepared to be involved in every footballing aspect of the club. Rather than a DoF and Head Coach. 

 

I am really unsure about a DOF for a club the size of Hearts.A CEO with good football knowledge working with a decent manager should be able to do the job aided by proper communication structures.A DoF is an additional cost

I believe that if you look after the pennies the pounds look after themselves.The pennies have certainly not been looked after during Leveins tenure with players collecting wages for f all over long periods,poor value signings,oversized playing and coaching staff.We now even have a loans manager a job which could be adequately filled by coaching staff.I was astounded that we have spent over £4m on the academy in Budges time.Our whole set up has been too cushy.It should be lean and mean organisationally.

[Enzo Chiefo]

10 minutes ago, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

This is the big issue.

Budge won’t sack him and she will come out with some crap that he is now moving upstairs as one of our fantastic young coaches is ready to step up.

Nothing will change as long as Levein remains at the Club with his negative hand on the tiller!

If he stays at the club, perhaps in an Academy or Youth Development role then fair enougb. However, he can't have any involvement in first team affairs. Which youngsters are introduced and when, how they are coached and their development at first team level....all of that has to come under the remit of the new manager and his coaches. If the new manager wants to keep any of the existing coaches then that is his decision to make.

[martoon]

Ann has to act. Even the pro Levein posters on here, who are/were his last line of defence, seem to be crumbling. Many posts have suggested as much.

 

There are no winners, though. Those of us who have been critical of Craig, and expressed our desire for his departure, support the same club as those who have defended him. 

 

This malaise can be easily solved. We have a fanatically loyal support, financially and otherwise, a superb stadium, benefactors, training facilities, good footballers, a shitty local rival ...everything that's required as a base for a great future but, sadly, not with Mr. Levein and his coaches at the helm. Change that and we can all unite and get on with what we were born to do: supporting Heart of Midlothian. Together.

[Turkishcap]

44 minutes ago, jambonian said:

 

 

And "The Hurting" will continue unless Ann takes Levein aside and gives him the "Mother's Talk" because we won't be "Head over Heels" or indeed, "Sowing the seeds of Love" with the club anytime soon unless she does. "I Believe" the only way to improve our fortunes is, as the above poster said, "Change". If Ann was to read this i'd say to her that she's not a "Woman in Chains" and, as a business woman, it's not "The way you Are" to let things carry on like this. If you let it continue our league position will be "Laid so Low & (Tears roll(ing) down)" is inevitable. All everyone at the club wants is to be proud of the team and to "Shout" and encourage the players on the pitch. My "Advice to the young at Heart(s)" is that whoever a new manager would be, stick in, develop and improve. If the younger players are as good as we're told, they'll get their chance with a potential new style of coaching once Craig leaves. Aye it's a very, very "Mad World" being a supporter of the club right now.

Brill mate.

[Getintaethem]

17 minutes ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

If he stays at the club, perhaps in an Academy or Youth Development role then fair enougb. However, he can't have any involvement in first team affairs. Which youngsters are introduced and when, how they are coached and their development at first team level....all of that has to come under the remit of the new manager and his coaches. If the new manager wants to keep any of the existing coaches then that is his decision to make.

 

  Is the academy really any better under Levien?  In my opinion, the youngsters coming through pre-Levien era were better quality than the ones who are trying to break through now.

 

  The youngsters now seem to appear for a couple of weeks cameo, then disappear for months at a time.  Take yesterday, Henderson appears from nowhere.  Didn't feature in any preseason or league cup games.  All of a sudden he's thrown in when we're struggling.  McDonald played preseason then disappears.  Irving played well at pittodrie, we won't see him again for months.  Cochrane has vanished.  Keena was on the bench yesterday, but when we took Uche off, instead of giving the young striker a run out, we stuck on a winger who hadn't played any first team football for months.  All very strange.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Getintaethem

[PapaShango]

Has to go. Sorry any win over Hamilton in a few weeks papers over the cracks, he's hopeless and needs replaced for his sake and ours. Slow pedestrian, crap football will see the crowds plummet. I don't want him signing anyone else, I want him gone before Motherwell so we have a chance of progressing. Him in charge will be a cup exit with eye bleeding football followed by Celtic taking 5 or 6 goals off of us the week after. Crowd for the next home game could be the lowest league crowd in a long time.

[SMJ_1874]

3 hours ago, David Sharp said:

Hope we lose 8-0. That is what is needed to get rid of CL.

You obviously didn’t feel the pain when we lost 7-0 to them at home in the SC. I never want my team to lose to force any kind of change.

 

Levein should be our football manager but not our head coach or tactician. Get someone in that knows how to set up a team properly not these charlatans. I’d move levein from the dugout now, try Macphee  on an interim basis and get Daly and Fox away to the U20’s. Our boot room is not good enough for a team with aspirations of 3rd place, two good cup runs and Europe every year. We are underachieving on the park and haemorrhaging money for fun given our wage bill. 

[Jambof3tornado]

2 hours ago, EH17Hertz said:

It's funny that the levein in brigade aren't showing face today. Wonder what thr excuses will be.

Correct.

 

You do wonder if they genuinely put our club before all else.

 

Levein should have been sacked after the Livvy debacle.

[Enzo Chiefo]

1 minute ago, Getintaethem said:

 

  Is the academy really any better under Levien?  In my opinion, the youngsters coming through pre-Levien era were better quality than the ones who are trying to break through now.

 

  The youngsters now seem to appear for a couple of weeks cameo, then disappear for months at a time.  Take yesterday, Henderson appears from nowhere.  Didn't feature in any preseason or league cup games.  All of a sudden he's thrown in when we're struggling.  McDonald played preseason then disappears.  Irving played well at pittodrie, we won't see him again for months.  Cochrane has vanished.  Keenan was on the bench yesterday, but when we took Uche off, instead of giving the young striker a run out, we stuck on a winger who hadn't played any first team football for months.  All very strange.

Yes, fair points there. I don't know, to be honest. We read a lot about the quality of player coming through although I don't believe the exceptionalism that is regularly spouted. We are no better or worse than any other club that develop youngsters through their academy. You are spot on about the strange selections. Cochrane,  Brandon, MacDonald, Moore, Zanatta, Morrison etc...they come and go, disappear, go out on loan, come back. It is bizarre, as was the situation with Edwards, ignored for nearly the entire season and then featuring in the games against Celtic, being one of our best players, scoring at Hampden and then being deemed surplus to requirements at the start of the season. Throw in Vanacek-gate and the fee paid for Wighton and it all seems very disjointed. With the exception of Hickey, who has only played  handful of games, how many of the youngsters listed above will make the grade?? I agree, the previous group that came through like Nicholson, Walker and Patterson, Adam King, all progressed enough to get moves down South, or to the States.  

[allyby]

8 minutes ago, PapaShango said:

Has to go. Sorry any win over Hamilton in a few weeks papers over the cracks, he's hopeless and needs replaced for his sake and ours. Slow pedestrian, crap football will see the crowds plummet. I don't want him signing anyone else, I want him gone before Motherwell so we have a chance of progressing. Him in charge will be a cup exit with eye bleeding football followed by Celtic taking 5 or 6 goals off of us the week after. Crowd for the next home game could be the lowest league crowd in a long time.

Well said, 100% agree with this, no matter the result against Motherwell and Celtic he has to go or we'll be back arguing this all over again in months time.

 

Leave now Craig!

Edited August 11, 2019 by allyby

[Section Q]

Serious question.....how much longer has he got....?

[Agentjambo]

1 minute ago, Section Q said:

Serious question.....how much longer has he got....?

Till Friday 

[Leveins Battalion]

3 minutes ago, Section Q said:

Serious question.....how much longer has he got....?

As long as the fans let him there is not a chance that Budge will take any action.

[jambopilms]

Football clubs change managers when they aren't performing well. What are we waiting for? When we have no chance of top 6? When we are out of the cup ? Why wait.

[Thomaso]

54 minutes ago, Haringshairband said:

 

Well I'll just leave you both to your childish revenge posts. The "happy clappers" were wrong just leave it at that. It's not exactly a crime to support your club.

 

Your happy clapping credentials are showing through! 😉

[Jean Louis Valois]

54 minutes ago, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

This is the big issue.

Budge won’t sack him and she will come out with some crap that he is now moving upstairs as one of our fantastic young coaches is ready to step up.

Nothing will change as long as Levein remains at the Club with his negative hand on the tiller!

Jon Daly or Liam Fox as our manager, what a thought.

[Haringshairband]

1 minute ago, Cruickshank for Scotland said:

 

Your happy clapping credentials are showing through! 😉

  I just want us all to get along (and Levein oot)

[Gambo]

Berra's defending of Craig Levein the manager in today's press is about as good as his defending in games recently.

 

His defence of Levein the manager was That Levein spent a whole day watching an u13 tournament at Oriam, how the fk did that help the 1st team yesterday?

[Pasquale for King]

1 hour ago, Agentjambo said:

53 people in the gorgie suite. Would have packed in approx 400 this time last season. Financially we are going to suffer if product on the park is as bad.

15.6k crowd as well at the first home game of the season.

[jambonian]

11 minutes ago, Getintaethem said:

 

  Is the academy really any better under Levien?  In my opinion, the youngsters coming through pre-Levien era were better quality than the ones who are trying to break through now.

 

  The youngsters now seem to appear for a couple of weeks cameo, then disappear for months at a time.  Take yesterday, Henderson appears from nowhere.  Didn't feature in any preseason or league cup games.  All of a sudden he's thrown in when we're struggling.  McDonald played preseason then disappears.  Irving played well at pittodrie, we won't see him again for months.  Cochrane has vanished.  Keena was on the bench yesterday, but when we took Uche off, instead of giving the young striker a run out, we stuck on a winger who hadn't played any first team football for months.  All very strange.

 

I agree. I've had issues with this in previous posts. When Ann & Craig came in, we had the nucleus of good young players, players that were already here and some that Lockie used during the -15 season. In that Championship team we had the likes of McHattie, Holt, Walker, Mackay, Liam Smith, McGhee, Nicholson, King and others in and around the squad. Most of them, to me anyway, got to a certain point in their development and didn't seem to get any further. Walker failed down south, most of the rest were Championship level and weren't going to make it at the top level and have proved that. The only ones that did anything was Nicholson going to America and Calum Paterson going to Cardiff. The whole idea of a youth set-up is for the club to make good money via transfers down the years but not many have actually made us any. Moving on to the current crop, yes, there is some potential around the place. Hickey reminds me very much of a young Gary Naysmith, Irving looks like he could be a decent player. As for the likes of Cochrane, we've been talking about his potential for two years now and i'm starting to think (hope I am wrong) that he and a few others at the club, even McDonald, are on the same slippery slope as those before them, playing lower league football throughout their careers. I'm not a great fan of Calum Morrison and I think McDonald has more potential than him. Henderson and the others still have time of course but i do wonder why we keep giving contracts to Zanatta, who's not even a youngster anymore and had more clubs than Jack Nicholas. If he's not going to make it by now he never will. Sometimes you just have to throw the young boys in there, let them fend for themselves and learn the hard way. Too many wrapped in cotton wool these days, they'll never get any better. Who knows, you might get a surprise or two if the management take the reigns off them. If not, we'll be here in another two or three years saying the same about the next batch of promising talent coming out of the youth set-up that can't or won't make the grade. I for one am still to be convinced about our youth policy. I know the club needs it and we will occasionally get a gem (like Paterson) but generally most of them will end up playing lower league football if their development continues to stall.

[portobellojambo1]

1 hour ago, Haringshairband said:

I'm not a happy clapped or pro Levein but posters on here really need to stop this one-upmanship. It's pretty boring. Are you happy to be proved correct that Levein is not the man for the job? As that means you're happy that we are shite.

 

This is a message board, and everyone is entitled to an opinion, but to think that some fans are coming on here because they are happy we are shite and as such it creates an opportunity for some one upmanship is just so wrong it is unbelievable. People are posting their opinion because we have been crap for a long time, and they want something to happen which will hopefully help change that. They aren't happy we are shite, in fact it is 100% the opposite, we should all be unhappy that we are shite but a few posters who appear to have disappeared this weekend have continued to defend something which I genuinely believe has now become indefensible. Craig Levein's style of football, how he wants the team to line up became redundant when he left us in 2004. The game has moved on quite dramatically since 2004 but unfortunately the manager has not, he is still using the same style of play he was back then and it don't work these days.

 

I loved Craig Levein as a player, I even enjoyed many parts of what he brought to the team during his original spell with us as manager. But I cannot allow that to cloud my judgement with regards to what is on offer now. And I don't believe that we have a team full of poor footballers, I do believe we have a team full of footballers who in terms of how the game is played these days are being mismanaged and miscoached and that has to change.

 

The football manager should be with the players every working day of the week, not popping along one day of the week. It is a job that requires 100% input, to start preparing on a Monday morning for the next game. Craig has had his time in the game as a manager but the game has now passed him by and we need fresh thought being put into the 1st team, the life and blood of the club. What is happening off the park is good to see and should be commended but we are a football club and football, the 1st team, should always be the top priority. With football being played that people want to go along and watch then everything else will fall into place. We need change and unfortunately we need it sooner rather than later.

 

For fans to be so pissed off so early in the season it spells out something that needs addressed and quickly. Erse all to do with one upmanship, all about getting away from even having to talk about being shite.

[Jodami]

1 hour ago, Haringshairband said:

 

Well I'll just leave you both to your childish revenge posts. The "happy clappers" were wrong just leave it at that. It's not exactly a crime to support your club.

Don't think things are as polarised as that mate. Nothing wrong with loyalty and the fact he is who he is makes it difficult for many of us. I wanted him to go at the back end of the season but when it was clear he was staying I hoped that there would be a fresh approach in the summer and we would try and learn lessons from the second half of the season. While lessons do seem to have been learned to an extent on recruitment the early signs are no progress has been made on set up, tactics and coaching attacking transition. It looks inevitable that at some point he will go now but it's not something to be celebrated, the whole thing has been painful. Bottom line is whatever happens and whatever views have been held we are all Hearts fans and things will go on.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Jodami

[Thomaso]

31 minutes ago, Haringshairband said:

  I just want us all to get along (and Levein oot)

 

👍

[Hook]

52 minutes ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

If he stays at the club, perhaps in an Academy or Youth Development role then fair enougb. However, he can't have any involvement in first team affairs. Which youngsters are introduced and when, how they are coached and their development at first team level....all of that has to come under the remit of the new manager and his coaches. If the new manager wants to keep any of the existing coaches then that is his decision to make.

 

I would cut all ties with him - he’s wielded too much control for too long. It’s been apparent by many of us, including I think yourself Enzo, that since the tail end of the Championship season the style of football and the lack of quality all over the park, but particularly in attacking midfield and wide areas has been severely lacking. 

 

Responsibility lies with CL and he has had more than enough time and resources to sort it. His 5 year plan is a joke and, through shere arrogance, he continues to try and hoodwink the Board and the fans with his excuses. It is turning into a lack of respect by CL to the fans and backers of the Club and the time for action by Ann should have been before now, but she must act very soon because otherwise I think we could be facing a bottom 6 dog fight and apart from Naismith I don’t think we’ve got the individuals or the team spirit to deal with it.

 

 

[Thomaso]

1 hour ago, Agentjambo said:

53 people in the gorgie suite. Would have packed in approx 400 this time last season. Financially we are going to suffer if product on the park is as bad.

 

And that tells a story in its own right!

You better take note Ann!!!

[Thomaso]

3 minutes ago, Hook said:

 

I would cut all ties with him - he’s wielded too much control for too long. It’s been apparent by many of us, including I think yourself Enzo, that since the tail end of the Championship season the style of football and the lack of quality all over the park, but particularly in attacking midfield and wide areas has been severely lacking. 

 

Responsibility lies with CL and he has had more than enough time and resources to sort it. His 5 year plan is a joke and, through shere arrogance, he continues to try and hoodwink the Board and the fans with his excuses. It is turning into a lack of respect by CL to the fans and backers of the Club and the time for action by Ann should have been before now, but she must act very soon because otherwise I think we could be facing a bottom 6 dog fight and apart from Naismith I don’t think we’ve got the individuals or the team spirit to deal with it.

 

 

 

Spot on 👍

[luckydug]

56 minutes ago, martoon said:

Ann has to act. Even the pro Levein posters on here, who are/were his last line of defence, seem to be crumbling. Many posts have suggested as much.

 

There are no winners, though. Those of us who have been critical of Craig, and expressed our desire for his departure, support the same club as those who have defended him. 

 

This malaise can be easily solved. We have a fanatically loyal support, financially and otherwise, a superb stadium, benefactors, training facilities, good footballers, a shitty local rival ...everything that's required as a base for a great future but, sadly, not with Mr. Levein and his coaches at the helm. Change that and we can all unite and get on with what we were born to do: supporting Heart of Midlothian. Together.

Good post .

Ann really needs to put this to bed now. I hope there is a statement this week thanking Craig for his services in the nicest possible way. He really should have stepped down after the cup final after a spirited performance which could easily have ended in glory.

The fans could then get back to supporting the team on the park which is actually quite decent with the correct management.

There is also lessons to be learned for Ann and her board though and that is to stop taking the fans for granted. As well as her football review she should be reviewing the pricing structure as well .

Quite frankly the ticket prices are scandalous both for match tickets and hospitality as yesterdays take up showed.

 

[The Real Maroonblood]

6 minutes ago, Hook said:

 

I would cut all ties with him - he’s wielded too much control for too long. It’s been apparent by many of us, including I think yourself Enzo, that since the tail end of the Championship season the style of football and the lack of quality all over the park, but particularly in attacking midfield and wide areas has been severely lacking. 

 

Responsibility lies with CL and he has had more than enough time and resources to sort it. His 5 year plan is a joke and, through shere arrogance, he continues to try and hoodwink the Board and the fans with his excuses. It is turning into a lack of respect by CL to the fans and backers of the Club and the time for action by Ann should have been before now, but she must act very soon because otherwise I think we could be facing a bottom 6 dog fight and apart from Naismith I don’t think we’ve got the individuals or the team spirit to deal with it.

 

 

[Enzo Chiefo]

38 minutes ago, Hook said:

 

I would cut all ties with him - he’s wielded too much control for too long. It’s been apparent by many of us, including I think yourself Enzo, that since the tail end of the Championship season the style of football and the lack of quality all over the park, but particularly in attacking midfield and wide areas has been severely lacking. 

 

Responsibility lies with CL and he has had more than enough time and resources to sort it. His 5 year plan is a joke and, through shere arrogance, he continues to try and hoodwink the Board and the fans with his excuses. It is turning into a lack of respect by CL to the fans and backers of the Club and the time for action by Ann should have been before now, but she must act very soon because otherwise I think we could be facing a bottom 6 dog fight and apart from Naismith I don’t think we’ve got the individuals or the team spirit to deal with it.

 

 

Yes, excellent post Hook.

[martoon]

21 minutes ago, luckydug said:

Good post .

Ann really needs to put this to bed now. I hope there is a statement this week thanking Craig for his services in the nicest possible way. He really should have stepped down after the cup final after a spirited performance which could easily have ended in glory.

The fans could then get back to supporting the team on the park which is actually quite decent with the correct management.

There is also lessons to be learned for Ann and her board though and that is to stop taking the fans for granted. As well as her football review she should be reviewing the pricing structure as well .

Quite frankly the ticket prices are scandalous both for match tickets and hospitality as yesterdays take up showed.

 

 

I think you're right, particularly about a statement. She has to do something. I like Craig, great admiration for him as a player, HC (00-04) and the first couple of years as DOF, but it has to stop. There's no more time for patience and wait and sees; we've wasted enough time and patience already. 

 

 

[Chuck Berry]

Has he gone yet?

[Coco]

Lots of comments that Levein should retain some sort of academy position as if he's been doing well there.

 

What he did was instal a guy with zero experience in producing footballers for the first team or sale as Academy Director.  And in the 6th season the academy has produced no first choice first team players or transfer revenue.  At a cost of £4m!  

 

When has the club's youth system failed to produce a first team player in 5 seasons before?

[Shooter McGavin]

We’re accepting a bottom 6 finish if he makes it through today

[Tynecastle Valhalla]

Levein will always have a place in my heart from his playing days and he was good as manager last time too 

 

he should be told to go back upstairs and focus on his strengths which is behind the scenes, infrastructure, persuading players to come to hearts etc rather than manager as he just doesn’t have the tactical knowledge or ability to motivate 

[The Real Maroonblood]

18 minutes ago, Chuck Berry said:

Has he gone yet?

He's having Sunday lunch with Ann discussing an extension to his contract. 

😫😰

[Forever Hearts]

2 minutes ago, The Real Maroonblood said:

He's having Sunday lunch with Ann discussing an extension to his contract. 

😫😰

After giving Colin Doyle a new deal NOTHING would surprise me with that lot. 

[Gambo]

14 minutes ago, wallace_mercer said:

Levein will always have a place in my heart from his playing days and he was good as manager last time too 

 

he should be told to go back upstairs and focus on his strengths which is behind the scenes, infrastructure, persuading players to come to hearts etc rather than manager as he just doesn’t have the tactical knowledge or ability to motivate 

For the good of the club going forward he should leave the club completely.

 

We cannot and must not make the mistake of sending him back upstairs, it was a mistake to appoint him as manager in the first place, don't make mistakes with him again.

 

Let us have an open application for a new manager who can bring his own ideas and team in.

[Newton51]

If he is going soon then I can imagine would def be after sportscene so Stewart doesn’t get the opportunity to stick the knife in! Only a theory tho 

[Fire_At_The_Disco]

1 minute ago, Gambo said:

For the good of the club going forward he should leave the club completely.

 

We cannot and must not make the mistake of sending him back upstairs, it was a mistake to appoint him as manager in the first place, don't make mistakes with him again.

 

Let us have an open application for a new manager who can bring his own ideas and team in.

100% this, get him tf & open up applications. 👍

[dazinho88]

1 hour ago, Hook said:

 

I would cut all ties with him - he’s wielded too much control for too long. It’s been apparent by many of us, including I think yourself Enzo, that since the tail end of the Championship season the style of football and the lack of quality all over the park, but particularly in attacking midfield and wide areas has been severely lacking. 

 

Responsibility lies with CL and he has had more than enough time and resources to sort it. His 5 year plan is a joke and, through shere arrogance, he continues to try and hoodwink the Board and the fans with his excuses. It is turning into a lack of respect by CL to the fans and backers of the Club and the time for action by Ann should have been before now, but she must act very soon because otherwise I think we could be facing a bottom 6 dog fight and apart from Naismith I don’t think we’ve got the individuals or the team spirit to deal with it.

 

 

 

Excellent post.

 

We need him completely gone from the club, otherwise he will still try to interfere in matters. 

 

This is also not a time for the likes of Daly or McPhee to give it a go, we need to make sure we get the right person in to get the best out of what is undoubtedly a very good group of players. A manager to encourage attacking play and let the likes of Clare have freedom in attacking areas to show us the talent most believe he has.

[Boab]

4 minutes ago, dazinho88 said:

 

Excellent post.

 

We need him completely gone from the club, otherwise he will still try to interfere in matters. 

 

This is also not a time for the likes of Daly or McPhee to give it a go, we need to make sure we get the right person in to get the best out of what is undoubtedly a very good group of players. A manager to encourage attacking play and let the likes of Clare have freedom in attacking areas to show us the talent most believe he has.

 

Yip. A move upstairs and a bump up for someone like MacPhee would have the support in a lather !

Surely they wouldn’t consider such a thing ?

 

[TyphoonJambo]

Interestingly he, nor any of the coaching staff, gave the post match interview for HW. Michael Smith instead, who looked gutted. Maybe all stood, heads bowed, in front of Anne for a roasting? 

[Thomaso]

2 hours ago, Gambo said:

Berra's defending of Craig Levein the manager in today's press is about as good as his defending in games recently.

 

His defence of Levein the manager was That Levein spent a whole day watching an u13 tournament at Oriam, how the fk did that help the 1st team yesterday?

 

They are grasping at straws now!!!!

[merseyjambo]

Craig Levein in his playing career and in his time at the club has done a lot of good things. He was so unlucky in his career that the injury he had probably robbed him

of a move to the top level. His partnership with my favourite all time Jambo, Sandy Jardine, was without doubt the classiest central defensive pairing we have had in my lifetime. 

 

His tenure in the football department should have ended several times before now. He was responsible for the Cathro debacle and he should have taken responsibility for it. 5-0 at Livi would have got rid of most, the poor run last season should have done it. The easiest cup run ever and half decent performance against what was an unusually poor Celtic kept him in a job. 

 

This season has started  how the last one ended except people can’t use the excuses of injuries to key players. The simple truth is that he is a poor manager. We have a team with really good attacking talent that are never allowed off the leash. We’ve been pursuing 2 more defensively minded midfielders. We’ve got one, why does he continue to say that he is hopeful Whelan is coming. Do we need him or should we be looking for someone who we can get that would offer us something different. 

 

Modern football has passed his tactics and ideas by. We can’t turn back the clock but as a club we need to move forward and adapt, something our manager can’t do. What he’s doing now is not only damaging the way that people who remember him as a player consider him but is now pulling the owner into it. He has blinded her in her tenure with his ‘ideas’ that he is some sort of footballing messiah. Unless she takes her blinkers off, her stewardship will have her failure to act on this as her legacy. Arsene Wenger should have left Arsenal before the fans turned on him and what they thought of him. CL needs to do the same if he cares for the club.

 

I would keep CL at the club in a figurehead role when trying to attract young players to the club, selling them on us giving youth a chance and what it means to play for this great club, but that’s it. His footballing ideas are done and his army of coaches are not up to the task

[1874robbo]

He has one of the safest jobs in football!! He’s going nowhere soon.

[SectionN]

How do we get rid of him? He has to go before things get worse.

[The Real Maroonblood]

5 minutes ago, 1874robbo said:

He has one of the safest jobs in football!! He’s going nowhere soon.

Shite at his job and seemingly untouchable.

Bizarre.

[ZanderMIM]

I remember when people were saying give Craig the benefit of the doubt when we had the delay with the stand and had to play at murrayfield.. this was TWO full seasons ago? Not much has changed. Then we had the injuries last season so he got another chance. It’s like he’s untouchable because of his relationship with Ann, worrying IMO.

[luckydug]

6 hours ago, afanderson33 said:

Michael Stewart is a total knob but his criticism

of Levein’s Hearts is entirely accurate 

 

Allan Preston is a highly successful football agent now, he is a wealthy man in his own right yet his passion is still Hearts and he speaks as an honest football supporter does. 
 

No real Hearts fan can watch us right now

and not think there are extremely serious issues. Watch Michael Smith’s Post match interview on Hearts tv and you’ll see his body language and his tone and very telling. There is a big problem. He says the players didn’t even try their best yesterday 

Your last paragraph ?

Are you saying that Michael Smith actually said the players didn't try their best yesterday  ?

[7628mm]

23 minutes ago, 1874robbo said:

He has one of the safest jobs in football!! He’s going nowhere soon.

 

17 minutes ago, SectionN said:

How do we get rid of him? He has to go before things get worse.

 

I am going to predict that in the next few weeks Craig will announce that he is going to take a back seat from managing the team for health reasons and leave it in the hands of one or other of his "hand picked" coaches.

He will go back up stairs to DoF and relinquish all control of the 1st team.

If the form improves he will take credit for it.

If the form continues to be poor he will blame it on others and anything that comes to mind but it will absolutely not be his fault.

 

He will of course still run the 1st team football as he has done from the start (well at least since we skooshed the Championship with games to spare) and started to prepare for the rigours of the Premiership and play not to lose.