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Hearts: Craig Levein slide is not a flash in pan, says Michael Stewart

Last updated on .From the section Heartscomments180

Hearts: Form under Craig Levein 'not good enough' - BBC Sportscene pundits

Hearts' results under Craig Levein over the last 33 games is "relegation form", ex-Tynecastle midfielder Michael Stewart has warned.

The Scottish Premiership club has the lowest points tally of remaining top-flight sides since losing a League Cup semi-final to Celtic on 28 October.

While top of the table on that date, Hearts now sit bottom with no league wins in 12 games.

"This is not just a flash in the pan, it's a long-term decline," he said.

Fans protested outside Tynecastle following the 3-2 home defeat to Motherwell, with supporters' anger aimed at Levein and Hearts owner Ann Budge.

The Gorgie club now face the prospect of an Edinburgh derby at Easter Road on Sunday against fellow top-flight strugglers Hibernian.

"Questions marks have been raised about Hearts because they've got a good squad but they don't look anywhere near the levels they should be," said Stewart, who spent a total of four years at Hearts over two spells.

"And it's poor decision making from the coaching staff as well.

"In the last minutes of the game, you're losing 3-2, you're at home, the crowd are angry, the manager is under real pressure, you've got a back four effectively in place.

"Tynecastle can be a very intimidating place to go for away players, but for home players there's real pressure. Some people have got to step up to the plate. The players are not doing well enough, but the manager has got to take a lot of the burden here."

Stats
Hearts have the lowest points tally of the remaining 11 teams in the Scottish Premiership

'Levein should go, he has to be very close now' - analysis

BBC Scotland's chief sports Writer Tom English

This time last year Hibs were fifth and Hearts were top, and now we're talking about ninth versus bottom. Two crisis managers. Craig Levein has been in that position for quite a while now and that atmosphere on Saturday at Tynecastle - it was toxic, but it's been toxic for quite a while.

Paul Heckingbottom has not endeared himself to the Hibs fans at all. He's on a lousy run himself. I think something has got to give at both clubs pretty soon.

The Hearts situation is pretty grave when you see that sort of protest. I think Craig Levein should go. I think he should make the decision himself. I don't think you recover from that kind of atmosphere. But he is stubborn, I think Ann Budge is also stubborn.

I don't think any manager in the world - no matter who he is - can continue to lose games and stay in his position. I think Craig Levein is very close now, has to be very close now.

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180 comments

  • Comment posted by Lochwinnoch, at 13:55 16 Sep 2019

    35. Yorkishtroll

    ‘Scottish Football is rubbish’

    Aye mate - and we love every bit of it and that’s what nonentities like you just can’t stand. It’s our game, our culture and ours to enjoy.

    What you think of it is a total irrelevance.

  • Comment posted by D1710559428934, at 12:22 16 Sep 2019

    Levein has power over everything at Tynecastle you wonder if Budge asks him advice on buying a pint of milk for the tea room before committing to buy one. Levein will not walk he is a narcissist who cant tolerate any opinion other than his own, ask Jack Ross who was shown the door for daring to question his merthods. Budge must act for the greater good of the Club.

  • Comment posted by Russell Fife, at 13:38 16 Sep 2019

    Being diabolically bad at your job doesn't always lead to losing said job. Take sports journalism for example ...............

  • Comment posted by barryffc, at 12:55 16 Sep 2019

    Think the Levein criticism is well deserved, should be nowhere near a dugout that man, just like Stewart should be nowhere near being paid to be a "pundit".

  • Comment posted by alfurian, at 12:30 16 Sep 2019

    I gave up on Levein when he was Scotland manager....the (in)famous 4-6-0 formation....

  • Comment posted by Bob, at 12:52 16 Sep 2019

    It would be more surprising if Stewart was defending Levein. Would anyone be surprised if any manager with Levein’s record was sacked?

  • Comment posted by Lochwinnoch, at 12:48 16 Sep 2019

    What are these BBC pundits actually for ? They offer no insight, context or intelligent ideas for change. It’s just hours and hours of pointing out the bleedin’ obvious as filler.

    Repeated childish, immature attempts to create minor controversy and become the story.

    If they really want to make a difference then take a proper job in football and do the work.

  • Comment posted by FNL, at 14:51 16 Sep 2019

    When Budge took over with CL as Dir of Football, the aim was a conveyor belt of home grown talent and young coaches and was lauded. Then Cathro bombed, CL made manager and policy ditched. Experienced players brought in haven't done the business and, despite a couple of successful seasons in a long career, we all know CL isn't a great manager.
    Hearts need to take stock quickly or they will go down

  • Comment posted by CookJonesRottenVicious, at 22:21 16 Sep 2019

    Best wishes and thoughts for Jim Jeffries surely from every football fan 🙏🤞

  • Comment posted by Scott, at 14:42 16 Sep 2019

    As a Killie fan having watched what can be achieved with a good manager with
    average players and budget over the last two years there's no doubt CL is failing
    spectacularly at Hearts. Hearts are one of our big 5 and in a bad season should finish
    no lower than 5th. 28pts from 33 games is astonishingly bad. It's not as though he's
    not been given resources. Conclusion: poor manager.

  • Comment posted by jimbo, at 13:38 16 Sep 2019

    I think Tom English should go! He is very close now, has to be very close now!

  • Comment posted by D1710559428934, at 13:15 16 Sep 2019

    And the silence from Mrs Budge is deafening!!

  • Comment posted by Vox Populi, at 13:57 16 Sep 2019

    I understand the need for honest incisive analysis, but I don't like pundits and journalists actively trying to get people out of a job.

  • Comment posted by Weegie Jambo, at 13:14 16 Sep 2019

    Everyone knows Michael Stewart has a long term problem with Levein but he is bang on here, Levein must go and take his coaches with him. Maybe leave Austin as I'd like to see him with a decent manage. Demote Levein to youth coach if we must have him at the club but he should have no say whatsoever with the 1st 11. He is a egotist dinosaur who will never admit he's wrong even if we're relegated!

  • Comment posted by bmthjambo, at 13:23 16 Sep 2019

    Despite what some might think CL was a great player for us and if he hadn't had that horrific injury would have taken over the Hansen role for Scotland ....HOWEVER he is not cut out to be a manager of any SPL team and for the sake of the JAMS and indeed his own health should quit A S A P .

  • Comment posted by moe, at 22:36 16 Sep 2019

    As a Celtic fan whose been where Jim Jeffries is .i hope he recoveres and gets well .

  • Comment posted by MD03, at 12:45 16 Sep 2019

    When we seeing Stewart v Levein over 3 rounds for charity.....???

  • Comment posted by the govan lie machine, at 15:55 16 Sep 2019

    Have to laugh at those slagging off Stewart, love him or loathe him, he's bang on the mark on this occasion!!

  • Comment posted by DoncasterOut, at 12:36 16 Sep 2019

    Motherwell 1-0, Robinson on the touchline frantically shouting instructions to his team...... Levein sitting down on the bench doing nothing...... Says it all really..... please just go Craig

  • Comment posted by dsf, at 18:34 16 Sep 2019

    Heckingbottom always struck me as your typical arrogant Englishman who was going to come up here and show us how it's done. No surprise he's taken one of the countries biggest clubs and made them one of the easiest to beat. Levein is a serial fiasco who could only have made a career in Scotland where failure is de riguer. A tactical dinosaur that needs cleared out of the game.