UNDOUBTEDLY the biggest football game of the weekend is the one taking place, ironically, in a rugby stadium. Craig Levein’s first match in charge of Hearts second time around was always going to be a big deal anyway, but throw in the fact that it will take place at Murrayfield and it just adds an extra layer of intrigue to the whole thing.
All eyes will be on Levein after he stuck his head above the parapet last week and decided to return to the dug-out to replace Ian Cathro. He’s kept a deliberately low profile in the last few years since becoming director of football but tomorrow afternoon he will be front and centre once more. By agreeing to become manager he has agreed to put himself back in the firing line and you have to give him credit for doing so.
Personally, I think it’s a good appointment. I felt that Hearts needed an experienced head after the Cathro shambles and there’s no doubt Levein fits the bill. He knows the club and its workings inside-out. For many different reasons it’s a good choice. The club itself is in a good place.
It is 13 years now since Levein was last Hearts manager and a lot has changed in that period. Now he’s working as part of a really solid infrastructure with owner Ann Budge right at the top of that. There’s also the development of the stadium that’s ongoing, plus their burgeoning youth academy which seems to be doing well. So there’s a lot to be positive about around Hearts right now.
I read Levein’s comments following his unveiling as manager and he’s said he’ll make no apologies for Hearts playing a certain type of football before they return to Tynecastle. Even under Jon Daly and Austin MacPhee, in the games that I’ve seen Hearts have been very direct in their style of football. They’ve been going long, missing out the midfield, and generally not trying to build the game. That’s been the strategy.
When they’ve been forced into playing away from home for so many games, they’ve obviously decided to do nothing fancy; playing 4-4-2, basic football and be hard to beat. I expect they’ll continue to go down the road until they return to Tynecastle. At that point I would expect them to bring a more exciting brand of football for their fans to enjoy.
Budge has already set him the target of qualifying for European football and when you look at their squad that is something that they ought to be capable of. They should be challenging for fourth place in the league. Guys like Don Cowie, Arnaud Djoum, Christophe Berra – who was terrific for Scotland in both games last week – and John Souttar will all be big players in that regard.
The one I’m hoping will really push on now this season is Jamie Walker. Hearts didn’t score enough goals last year. It’s been an ongoing problem for them. And so far this season they’ve only managed three goals in four league games. Walker last year scored 12 league goals and ended up as top scorer. Next after him was Callum Paterson on eight. So it just shows you that last season they didn’t have a striker who went on a prolific run. They need to score more goals as a team. The style of playing makes that hard, although they will be hoping signing Manuel Milinkovic can make a difference.
But the one they really need to be firing on all cylinders is Walker. If he can get back to the levels he was at last year he can make a substantial contribution. There’s no doubt that the interest from Rangers in him was a distraction but with the window now closed for a few months it’s important he focuses on what’s important and that’s playing well for Hearts. And he’s such a big player for them.
Playing at Murrayfield will make it hard for Hearts over these next three games. Aberdeen have sold around 7000 tickets for tomorrow’s game which will be one of the biggest away attendances for a Scottish league match for quite some time. So Derek McInnes’ side are going to be backed by a noisy travelling support. The fact that the game is in Edinburgh, then, won’t really give Hearts much of a home advantage in these games.
Aberdeen are of course buoyant given their perfect start to the league season. I’ve written before about how impressed I’ve been with their summer recruitment and I think bringing in Dom Ball on deadline day is another excellent pick-up. I played against him for St Mirren when he was at Rangers and he’s an extremely tough competitor who is decent on the ball. It’s another good signing and maybe a sign that Kari Arnason still isn’t at the level that Derek would have wanted.
Levein could hardly have been given a harder start, then, on his return to management but it ought to be a cracking game for all neutrals.
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