I'm In Charge

With Craig Levein reinstalled as manager of Hearts after a gap of 13 years and accusations of interference in team matters and selection during the reign of Ian Cathro, will much change at Tynecastle?  Many pundits pointed out the folly of appointing Cathro on the advice of Levein, saying the ex-international had his eyes on the prize of returning to the dugout as manager.  It will be hard to dismiss these suggestion unless Hearts have a turnaround in fortune when they next play a 'home' game at Murrayfield on 9 September.  Tynecastle is out of commission for three months due to redevelopment so Levein will have time to improve the away form before he faces the harshest critics; the Gorgie faithful.  They more than most fans have the right to be vocal about team performances as they have been digging deep into their pockets to save the club along with Ann Budge. 

Levein and Budge have been working closely since the latter brought the former into the club again, as director of football, in May 2014.  Budge obviously admires Levein and has not made many mistakes since she took over control of the Gorgie club.  She could have been swayed in terms of management choice by Levein's influence and it times of trouble has turned in house to put an experienced hand on the tiller to steady the ship, as temporary manager Jon Daly has already claimed to have done.  How things will go; only time will tell and Hearts fans will hope that Levein has the answers. In the meantime; see Budge's statement on the new appointment.

"I am very pleased to be able to announce that, at the request of the board, Craig Levein has agreed to take on the role of First Team Manager at the club. He will continue to hold a seat on the board and, as such, will retain the overall responsibilities associated with the wider role of Director of Football.  However, his focus and priorities will change. To enable Craig to focus fully on the Football Manager remit, some minor changes to roles, responsibilities and reporting lines will be implemented within the current coaching team setup and within the youth academy structure.

The youth academy has developed significantly over the last 3 years, under Craig’s leadership, but is now entering a period of stability. Various development programmes have seen the club invest substantial sums, in terms of new staff, new processes, new facilities and new systems. We are now reaping the benefits of that investment. Our Head of Academy, Roger Arnott, has full responsibility for running this operation on a day-to-day basis and he will continue to do so.

On the coaching front, Craig will be implementing some changes to the roles/responsibilities of some of our coaching staff, such that each member of the team will be given the opportunity to continue with his personal development. He will be assisted on the training ground by 4 first team coaches, namely Jon Daly, Liam Fox, Austin MacPhee and Paul Gallacher. Each coach will have clearly defined areas of responsibility, both on and off the training ground. Jon’s first team responsibilities mean that Andy Kirk will now take charge of the U20s on a permanent basis.

In deciding how best to move forward, the board took into account the fact that we are facing a unique set of circumstances this year, with the first match on our home ground not coming until three months into the season. Given this situation, we believed it was essential to call on experience.

Against this backdrop, we drew up our selection criteria and invited a number of experienced managers/head coaches for interview. The candidates we interviewed were, without exception, first-class. However, as the interview process progressed, it became clear to the board that the ideal candidate was already with us. Not only does Craig satisfy all of our requirements, in terms of experience and personal attributes, he also offers continuity and stability. During a time of great change at the club, it is of paramount importance that we consolidate progress already made and learn from our experiences.

Having presented our plan to all members of the coaching staff and to our captain, I can confirm that everyone is fully behind it. We are, therefore, delighted that Craig has agreed to take on this challenge and for the avoidance of doubt…yes…he will be taking his place in the dugout…and yes, for the first time in the last three years…he will indeed be picking the team!"