harry94 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 15 hours ago, Ludo*1 said: Just read this blog post, it isn't the most coherent but makes some really good points: https://mickeylawson.wordpress.com/ I've always been secretly envious of Craig Levein teams. They never get bullied, they dominate in the air and they carry a certain arrogance about themselves. Yesterday though Levein, I felt took it to new levels with his insistence on just sitting back and seeing out the game against one of the worst sides in the league. It was certainly effective, and it is our prerogative to break the opposition down, which we simply could not do, but the game had absolutely zero entertainment value. And I assume this has been a regular thing under Levein and Hearts this season hence the criticism of him? Would I have Levein at Dens? 100% but only due to the position we are in. The budget Hearts have, there's absolutely no reason they can't be where they are in the league right now and not be a free flowing attacking team? I expect pelters from Hearts fans, but thought it was an interesting line of thought! I think the thing is though, setting up with a defensively rigid team gives you a far higher degree of certainty than trying to get a team that are exciting going forward. Hibs, by far, have seemed a much much better side than Hearts when we've played them this season; plenty of attacking football and technically gifted players - they sit 5 points below Hearts. There's always that thinking of Hearts/Hibs being a good bit bigger than the bottom six so they have the freedom to be a bit more ambitious but it wasn't so long ago that Hibs were relegated (and struggling badly for a few seasons) and although Hearts found themselves in financial difficulty, they have had quite a few seasons of struggle. Aberdeen were also around that bottom half until they found someone competent in McInness. They can well do better but I think Levein-ball© gives Hearts a >95% chance of accumulating more than 50 points and a decent chance of European Football every season. If you are in the boardroom, I think it'd be pretty tough to give up on that and try something else. Cathro isn't the only alternative but it does show how you can make a wrong decision and put yourself in real trouble. Overnight, they went from being one of the best teams in the league to being pretty much identical to us in form (and we were a mess!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elixir Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Wee Kenny Miller still absolutely frothing on Sportscene last night after being sworded by the Gorgie. Still salty about the result and thinks 'his mate Gazza' will beat us on Tuesday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludo*1 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 2 hours ago, harry94 said: I think the thing is though, setting up with a defensively rigid team gives you a far higher degree of certainty than trying to get a team that are exciting going forward. Hibs, by far, have seemed a much much better side than Hearts when we've played them this season; plenty of attacking football and technically gifted players - they sit 5 points below Hearts. There's always that thinking of Hearts/Hibs being a good bit bigger than the bottom six so they have the freedom to be a bit more ambitious but it wasn't so long ago that Hibs were relegated (and struggling badly for a few seasons) and although Hearts found themselves in financial difficulty, they have had quite a few seasons of struggle. Aberdeen were also around that bottom half until they found someone competent in McInness. They can well do better but I think Levein-ball© gives Hearts a >95% chance of accumulating more than 50 points and a decent chance of European Football every season. If you are in the boardroom, I think it'd be pretty tough to give up on that and try something else. Cathro isn't the only alternative but it does show how you can make a wrong decision and put yourself in real trouble. Overnight, they went from being one of the best teams in the league to being pretty much identical to us in form (and we were a mess!). I can't agree with that. Would I rather watch Levein's style of percentage football for an extra 5 points over the course of the season? I can't say that I would. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry94 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 1 minute ago, Ludo*1 said: I can't agree with that. Would I rather watch Levein's style of percentage football for an extra 5 points over the course of the season? I can't say that I would. If you are looking up the figures as a member of the board and doing a risk analysis, I think you'd have to be very brave to do that though. It's a different equation entirely for someone making the decisions and as footballing decisions go, it's a pretty easy one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 12 hours ago, harry94 said: ... and although Hearts found themselves in financial difficulty, they have had quite a few seasons of struggle. Hearts have finished in the top six every season after walking the Championship... Have I missed something? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry94 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Hearts have finished in the top six every season after walking the Championship... Have I missed something?I was referencing in general for the last decade or so, and pointing out that Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibs have had two or three years each near the relegation zone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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