LEAST WE GAVE IT A GOOD TRY
Levein gets put through wringer on comeback
By the time it was over Craig Levein wore the unsteady look of a man who had just tumbled out of a washing machine.
Just five weeks short of exactly five years out of the dug- out, it must have been a shock to the system to feel the senses battered once again by that potent mix of adrenalin and pressure.
Like a junkie without his fix in a long time, like a man having his first drink in years, Levein’s return to the frontline of football management had clearly hit him like a ton of bricks.
And after the exhaustion of coping with that maelstrom of thoughts and feelings he had long forgotten, the 52-year- old sat wearily in his seat in front of the assembled media.
“I’m too old for this,” he muttered, probably only half joking before he reflected on an impressive start to his second spell back in charge of Hearts.
He had every right to enjoy it much more than he was showing.
Levein said: “I’m not as clearheaded as I wanted to be but that’s just because of ... because of everything. After two or three more games with more training I’ll be feeling more like it. It’s a little bit like a player coming back after a long time out. You’ve got to get the match sharpness.
“Once I get over the upset of not winning the game there will be lots of positive things to build on next week. But at the moment I’m feeling robbed.
“I’ve got to give an enormous amount of credit to Aberdeen, particularly their keeper who was outstanding.
“I couldn’t blame our strikers for not hitting the target because they did that a lot. It’s just their keeper was outstanding.
“Sometimes the Aberdeen players who get the credit are the ones in the forward areas – but at times it felt like Joe Lewis single handedly kept us at bay.”
And he did. Dons No.1 Lewis put in the kind of heroic display rarely seen at Murrayfield since the days of David Sole, Gavin Hastings and Finlay Calder.
So what if it’s a rugby stadium? Yesterday it provided a fitting theatre for football and fears that the 24,000 strong crowd would get lost in its hulking 67,000 capacity proved unfounded.
Fair play to both sets of the fans – the 7000-strong travelling support and the huge swathes of maroon taking up a good part of the other three stands.
“Away up in Gorgie at Tynecastle Park,” they sang defiantly – close enough, I guess to the building site half a mile along the road.
In the moments before kick-off Levein didn’t look a man struggling to adapt to his surroundings. Hands in pockets he casually strolled the massive Murrayfield technical area, removing them only to greet opposite number Derek McInnes with a hug.
The big screens behind both goals showed highlights from his first spell as manager, perhaps to remind the disgrunt led element of the support of the days when he was worshipped.
The years since have not been kind. The scars of his time in charge of Scotland still sting.
But it would have been a shame if that night in Brussels – when a 2- 0 defeat by Belgium in October 2012 – had been Levein’s last time in a dug-out.
Now he’s back and the team he put out yesterday bore many of his classic hallmarks.
Set out in a back three, in practice it was more of a back f ive with a midf ield diamond and Esmael Goncalves leading the line up front.
All week he had preached the importance of keeping it simple to give his players back some confidence – and after a nervy opening half hour gradually they took control of the game.
That’s where Dons keeper Lewis came to the fore as a frantic two-minute spell saw him pull off three vital saves.
Jamie Walker – thriving on the faith Levein has put in him since his mooted move to Rangers collapsed – saw a powerful low crack palmed away by the keeper.
Seconds later, even better, as Lewis got down brilliantly to claw away a Goncalves drive.
Then from the corner that followed came a crucial take at the feet of Christophe Berra.
Later came a fine one-handed stop just when Walker thought his classy vision had clipped a neat chip into the far top corner.
All this before the half-time whistle but he picked up where he left off to produce another block f r om close range to deny R o s s Callachan the dream debut for the club he has supported since he was a kid.
Aberdeen had their moments and wi ll r ue the penalty snub that could have seen Berra punished for tugging Adam Rooney’s shirt on the goal-line just two minutes into the game.
But on the whole they’ll be glad just to have got out with a point.
Maybe today, after a glass of wine and a good night’s sleep Levein will look back and see plenty to be grateful for too.
He added: “When I look back at the game I know there will be loads to feel really good about.
“When I get a chance to look at it and sort through everything that’s going on in my head I’m sure I’ l l be not qui te as disappointed as I am just now.”