MY HEART’S STILL IN IT
Craig doesn’t think his time’s up unlike at Foxes
CRAIG LEVEIN knew he was doomed at Leicester because he felt he could no longer take the team forward but he insists it’s the Hearts players’ reaction that will determine his future now. Owner Ann Budge tried to appease the irate Jambos faithful ahead of tomorrow’s crunch derby clash at Hibs by handing the 54-year-old a vote of confidence – only for one prominent fans’ group to claim it went down like a “lead balloon”. The stats also make for painful reading. Hearts have the lowest points tally of any remaining top-flight club since losing the Betfred Cup semi-final to Celtic on October 28. They have failed to win any of their previous 12 league games – including five at the start of this season – and have only recorded four Premiership victories in the whole of 2019. Levein knew his time was up with the Foxes before he was axed in 2006 but he’s refusing to buckle under the growing level of discontent at Tynecastle now – insisting the day he realises he is fighting a losing battle will be the day he quits.
He said: “It’s quite simple. If I don’t think I can have an influence on these players that helps them win matches I’m wasting my time and everyone else’s time.
“I felt that at Leicester at the moment I left. I felt the window had closed and I felt I couldn’t do any more with the players. I didn’t believe there was a connection or I could influence the way they played.
“That’s not what I’m feeling here. I have good connections with the players and my job right now is to help them get over this little minihurdle. There’s personal pride – I’m
in charge of the team and we’re sitting at the bottom of the league.
“That’s the biggest worry I have, trying to improve our situation to climb the table. My view is that this group of players are more than capable of doing that.
“The first thing we need to do is cut out silly mistakes. I think five goals this season we’ve wrapped up and handed to the opposition. Eventually, results determine everything. You know that. That’s the way it works.”
Asked about Hearts being bottom of a league from results collected since last October, Levein added: “So we’re introducing hypothetical tables?
“Last season and this season are two different things. We have changed players and started again. We have a better squad than last year.
“The table doesn’t tell you that now and I accept that. If we hadn’t given away five goals we’d be sitting third. That’s a hypothetical table as well so that doesn’t really mean anything.”
The majority of Hearts fans appear to be keen for a change in the dugout but Levein insists he still has some supporters in his corner.
And despite the closeness of his working relationship with Budge being questioned, he is adamant the majority shareholder is capable of making up her own mind.
He added: “People voice their pleasure in different ways. While out in Edinburgh and at academy games, I can honestly say I’ve not had a negative comment. All I’ve had is people telling me to keep digging in.
“Ann does her own thing and, contrary to what people think, I don’t have any influence on that. I don’t think there is once in the past five years I have known her when she has had a knee-jerk reaction to anything.
“My big thing now is to show that her faith in me, the players and backroom staff was justified.”
All I’ve had is people telling me to keep digging in while out in Edinburgh CRAIG LEVEIN