BIG INTERVIEW ExclusIVE
AS a flying full-back for Hearts, Robbie Neilson never lacked commitment when it came to keeping the opposition at bay.
Where others exercised caution, he would hurl himself into challenges with a lack of thought for self-preservation usually associated with men who get shot out of cannons.
The MK Dons manager is equally resolute in the defence of his old Tynecastle boss, Craig Levein.
He has come in for sustained criticism in the wake of Ian Cathro’s sacking, standing accused of various instances of interfering in first-team affairs.
The Hearts director of football was accused – falsely, he insisted – of passing notes down from his seat in the stand to the dug-out, and entering the dressing-room at halftime during Cathro’s time as manager.
The perceived relationship between Cathro and Levein drew some candid comments from Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers.
That sparked a furious reaction from the Jambos interim manager, Jon Daly, who labelled Rodgers’ views “disgusting”, “disgraceful” and “unacceptable”. carried out by the chief executive officer, Andy Cullen, but in practice it is the same thing.
“We had a big overhaul of players over the summer (eight came in and 11 went out) because we needed to bring a bit more youth and energy to the group.
“Put them all together, and you are talking about a whole lot of financial details to sort out. Andy did all that.
“As I say, having someone do that for you allows you to concentrate on what happens on the pitch, which is what you need.
“And, I would argue, it works because managers who get the best support tend to be the ones who get the best results.
The 37-year-old Scots’ experience at Hearts back his case. The stats are impressive.
In his two-and-a half-seasons as head coach at Tynecastle, he posted an enviable win ratio of 58.49%.
He led the club to the Championship title in 2014-15 and a third-place finish the following season in the Premiership.
When Neilson left, Hearts were sitting in second place.
Small wonder, then, that eyebrows were raised when he jumped from one of Scotland’s healthiest and most high-profile clubs to join a team in the third tier of the English game.
“I got why people were surprised by my decision,” Neilson admitted.
“Craig and I had a fantastic couple of years at Hearts, and I am proud of what we achieved together in the time.
“Getting the club back to the top of the Scottish game after administration took a huge effort from everyone concerned – directors, players, coaches, fans, everyone.
“Hearts are an institution, one of the UK’s most-famous names. MK Dons, on the other hand, are a young club (founded in 2004 after Wimbledon relocated from south London to Milton Keynes) making our way in the game. “So folk asked: ‘Why go there?’ “Well, they weren’t party to my conversations with Pete Winkelman, the MK Dons owner.
“I knew that this was a guy who was determined to get his club not just up into the Championship, but into the Premier League itself.
“Someone who was committed to doing what would be needed to make the leap and would ensure it got done. Who viewed it is a longterm project.
“The key thing for me, probably, was the fact the guy I was replacing, Karl Robinson, had been in place for over six years.
“That’s a lifetime in football management terms, and for me it pointed to great stability at the club.
“And stability was so important, because when you are a Scot coming down to England to manage, you only really get one crack at it.
“Fail, and you are looking at having to come back up the road to try to rebuild your career, which can be a long process – if it is possible at all.
“So it was a huge decision for me to have to make.
“In the end, I weighed up all the factors – the ambition at MK Dons,