Forget grass and play home-grown Bhoys
2 BOOT IN THE BOSS
CRAIG LEVEIN last night launched a withering attack on Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers. The Hearts gaffer BY ALAN MARSHALL claimed Rodgers’ refusal to blood teenage talent
is more damaging to Scottish football’s development than the length of the grass at Tynecastle could ever be.
Rodgers was outspoken about the state of the Gorgie surface after his side’s 3-1 win on Sunday, describing it as “embarrassing”.
Levein has no qualms about admitting he made a conscious decision not to have the turf cut short ahead of the visit of the champions, emphasising no rules were broken.
But he was left seething by Rodgers suggesting player development could be hampered by pitches like Hearts’.
Rodgers said: “It’s gamesmanship but that’s 30 years ago, Christ. If that’s what you want to do, fine – but it’s not football. Scotland haven’t qualified for a major finals for 20-odd years and we’re trying to develop players and a product here to move the game on.”
But former Scotland manager Levein bit back and said: “I never knew it was as simple as that. So if we cut all the grass short then we’ll go to the finals? Brilliant. Why did nobody think of that? That’s just unbelievable.”
Levein has handed senior debuts to Anthony McDonald and Harry Cochrane this season – both 16 at the time of their first appearances – and this week completed the signing of Glenavon midfielder Bobby Burns.
He tacitly compared that to Celtic’s loan captures of Odsonne Edouard, Charly Musonda and Patrick Roberts.
Levein said: “The development of players is about giving them the opportunity to play – much more than the length of the grass.
“Bobby, for example, is 18. Some clubs in this country have fantastic players at 18, 19, 20 and never play. They go and get loan players from elsewhere who are the same age – and don’t play their own.
“That’s what hampers Scotland’s development.
“I make no excuses for trying to win the game. It’s just a nonsense. They actually won the game as well. God forbid … what would have happened if they had lost?”
Levein’s incredulity at Rodgers’s comments was only increased by the fact the Northern Irishman did not once mention his disappointment with the surface when they met for a chat after the game.
And he insists if Rodgers truly wants a level playing field then he should arrive in Gorgie with a squad assembled on Hearts’ budget.
Levein said: “I spoke to Brendan for 20 minutes after the game and he never mentioned it. There were no complaints about the grass.
“If you want to talk about evening up the playing field then maybe if he brought a team that earned the same money as our players that would be fair.
“The pitch was all right. There was plenty of grass. I wish that’s the only thing I had to worry about.”