Hearts: Managerial changes were required, says Craig Levein

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Hearts' new director of football Craig Levein and head coach Robbie Neilson

Hearts' new director of football Craig Levein has defended the club's managerial shake-up.

Levein, addressing a media conference on Tuesday, said difficult decisions had to be taken at the Edinburgh club.

Neilson stressed that he would pick the team in the Championship next season but would discuss his selection with the director of football.

Locke and assistant Billy Brown are leaving their positions at Tynecastle, with goalkeeper coach Alan Combe and senior players Jamie Hamill, Jamie MacDonald and Ryan Stevenson also departing.

Budge, through her Bidco 1874 consortium, struck a deal this month to buy the club from their former Lithuanian owners and is going through the legal process of taking the club out of administration.

And she has vowed to mend the "broken" club as is seeks to make an immediate return to the top flight.

Levein conceded that delivering news of the changes had proved difficult.

"Trust me, yesterday was a hugely difficult day," he said. "I have got a lot of respect for Gary Locke and a lot of time for him as a person.

"The last thing I wanted to do was tell Gary Locke there wasn't a role for him in this new structure. But ultimately that is the fact."

Neilson said he had sought and received assurances over his role in the new management structure.

"I will pick the team," said the new head coach. "When Craig spoke to me on Sunday night that was one of the questions I asked him and he assured me I would pick the team. That's the reason I'm sitting here."

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91 comments

  • Comment posted by Terry, at 12:59 13 May 2014

    You just know this will end in tears. Levein is not the sort of person to cede control - Neilson will be sacked By Christmas and Levein installed as manager. Always happens - why don't clubs learn from others mistakes?

  • Comment posted by themightyshed, at 13:39 13 May 2014

    Levein did a good job at DUFC when United were in pretty poor shape. So it's not a bad appointment...

    But the whole 'director of football' thing with a different 'first team coach picking the team'...? Absolute recipe for disaster.

  • Comment posted by Reiver, at 13:38 13 May 2014

    Yesterday's announcements now seem even stranger. Neilson IS the manager, an unproven one. The worst you could have said about Gary Locke was that he too was unproven after managing last year in irregular circumstances. At best you could say he did well with his hands tied behind his back. Surely the opportunity should have been given to him to show what he could do under normal circumstances

  • Comment posted by U14676400, at 13:35 13 May 2014

    well duh!

    of course he defended it, it got him a job and someone else the sack...

  • Comment posted by U15359931, at 13:07 13 May 2014

    Time will tell if it was necessary. I don't recall Levein agreeing it was necessary that he lost his Scotland job even when everyone else and their dug thought it was not only necessary, but long, long overdue. He doesn't have a stellar record so it is surprising the future of Hearts is in his hands.

  • Comment posted by MrJaffa, at 17:02 14 May 2014

    Bib,
    Get a life. Petty digs at grammatical and spelling mistakes, on an online forum, is really scraping the barrel.
    Hearts are where they are. It will take 3 or more years to find out whether or not these decisions are the right ones. The positive out of this for me is that Hearts are putting in place plans to ensure there survival (and hopefully success) of the club for years!

  • Comment posted by awa_wi_ye, at 13:15 13 May 2014

    Have even less respect for Levein now as he won't have accepted this job without a hefty salary and for stabbing his fellow pros in the back.
    Also never understand why a club with its finances in a mess incur more expense by appointing a director of football with a less than stellar track record. If I was a Hearts fan I would be thinking about cancelling that direct debit.

  • Comment posted by U14275590, at 17:02 14 May 2014

    Oh dear. And I thought the Better Together campaigners were negative.

    Sad to read such negativity stirred up by what seems to be a bold and decisive move to restore Hearts fortunes.

    I'm not a Jambo but I won't grudge Budge and Levein every success.

    Scottish football needs it.

  • Comment posted by Yeats, at 21:28 13 May 2014

    Is this the same RN that was kicking lumps (badly) out of any winger @ Tannadice not so long ago???? Makes no sense. If CL liked GL so much , why not just keep him in place and give him a better chance with no restrictions and a wee bit cash? instead of forgetting the pretty good job he did and employ a"team picker" ???? hmmmm, its looking dodgy already :(

  • Comment posted by thewhitewizard, at 14:55 13 May 2014

    At best, at very best, Robbie Neilson has turned out to be a wee sneak. A back stabbing wee git. Lost a lot of respect i had for him. Levein is an imbecile and a dreadful appointment. My direct debit to the foun.of.hearts has been cancelled and i will not be buying a season ticket. I will continue to attend games but that will be the extent of my commitment to the new regime. An appalling start.

  • Comment posted by newgolddream82, at 14:45 13 May 2014

    cant wait for the championsship next season, rangers, hearts, maybe dunfermline, QOS, maybe hibs
    it will put the SPL to shame
    So much for the vision from Doncaster and Co
    16 team league was always what the fans wanted, but we are just fans

  • Comment posted by U15566370, at 15:18 13 May 2014

    #22

    Aye right.

    Don't you know ALL Hearts fans have cancelled their DD and nobody is buying a ST. We all much prefer going into liquidation.

    For the record, as confirmed by a FOH contact, NOBODY has cancelled their DD after yesterday.

  • Comment posted by DMC49, at 17:27 14 May 2014

    Geez, Are some Hearts fans forgetting where they were not so long ago. Locke did a job, kept the players fans happy- well done. Levin there to do job and I am sure RB will do well as players responded to him. Feel more sorry for DL, now that is a slap in fce, not a new regime but the old one minus him. Mind u who is say it wont work, i mean look at Butcher!!!!!

  • Comment posted by U16073896, at 16:14 14 May 2014

    i'm just glad i still have a team to support! i'm not happy about it all but i understand it all too

  • Comment posted by U15566370, at 15:01 14 May 2014

    #73

    Interesting name - Bib.

    Do you still wear one? You dribble enough.

  • Comment posted by soapy, at 12:28 14 May 2014

    its such a shame............just when you think Hearts are getting their house in order...they go and sign Levein. :-(

  • Comment posted by U15566370, at 10:25 14 May 2014

    #45

    You do not have a clue.

    Heavily involved with FOH actually and was NOT a Vlad lover I can assure you.

    Don't lecture me about HMFC thank you very much.

  • Comment posted by Football_understand, at 16:17 13 May 2014

    dont worry hearts you can look forward to playing a 4-6-0 formation next season!

  • Comment posted by U15566370, at 16:03 13 May 2014

    #31

    Why no colours???? If you support the team, wear the team colours.

    Nobody is asking you to wear a Levein scarf.

  • Comment posted by U16073295, at 15:49 13 May 2014

    Same Hearts different century. I remember talking to Willie Bauld about why he didn't go to Tynie and it was because the club charged him £11 for the ball in his testimonial game. I thought that was bad. Levein's mercurial attitude beats the club of old. Standing on the shoulders of giants only gets you revered by fans that will vote with their feet. Player of the year dispensed with, CG back?

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