A Woman Being Devious Is Difficult To Budge

IT IS a fact of life, which, unfortunately we men do not discover until we marry, but, the female of the species is indeed deadlier than the male. Women are more-devious, more-cruel, and far, far-nastier than we poor males.

Which is why I applaud Anne Budge for her decision this week to put Director of Rugby Craig Levein in-charge of the Hearts' first team. This might just be a wonderful example of those feminine qualities outlined in my opening paragraph.

Ann Budge

Budge and Levein may be, in some quarters, seen as a double act, or job lot in the Hearts renaissance project. But, never forget – Ann Budge is the one with the greater financial input – she is the boss.

She backed Levein when he backed Ian Cathro. I still believe Project Cathro could have worked, given time. That time was not given – another example of the short-termism which has so-bedevilled Scottish football. But, I also believe, Cathro would be a better number two, or Head of Development than he will ever be as a Number One, or Head Coach.

Project Cathro had been dumped. Is there another Cathro out there? I don't think so. Hearts must therefore move-on, which may, in the short-term, reverting to the traditional Scottish management format of the all-powerful Manager. However, Ms Budge seems set on the Director of Football overseeing a Head Coach role. I believe, by the way, she is right in this – it works elsewhere, why not in Scotland?

But, those potential Head Coaches Hearts have apparently spoken to – Davies, Hartley, Pressley – having been brought-up the old way, were not keen to work under a Director of Football (or was it just Levein?), so, with time of the essence, Ms Budge has taken perhaps the only, certainly the easiest option – and asked Levein to do the job.

If it works – great, Levein steadies the ship, Hearts get back to challenging Aberdeen, Rangers and maybe Hibs and St Johnstone for the right to finish second to Celtic. He then has time to further refine his preferred management format, and school Jon Daly and Austin McPhee in what he wants.

Craig Levein - Come-backs are always a risk

If it doesn't work – Levein's head is on the block, he walks and a manager who will be The Manager, can be appointed.

It is only the fact I was married to a thrawn red-head for nigh-on 40-years, before she died and left me in the tender care of our four daughters, which allows me to understand, far less work-out the Machiavellian thought processes of the fairer sex.

THIS being an international week, and Craig Levein being in the news, I had a wee dig through the records. Levein, as Scotland boss, was in-charge for 24 games, of which we won 10, drew 5 and lost 9 – giving him a 41.6% win ratio.

His long-term replacement, Gordon Strachan, has now been in-charge for 35 games, of which we have won 15, drawn 8 and lost 12 – giving him a 42.85% win ratio.

Neither Levein no Strachan has got us to the finals of either the European Championships, or the World Cup. Levein is now seen as a “failure” as Scotland boss, his escutcheon forever tarnished with the words 4-6-0.

 WGS - the Fans With Lap-Tops love him, the ordinary fans are less sure

To be fair, the foot soldiers of the Tartan Army do not, on the whole rate WGS as a distinct improvement, but, crucially, he remains popular with the Scottish football writers to an extent his predecessors, Levein and George Burley never were.

But, a one per cent improvement – is that something to shout from the roof tops about - particularly when the outcome is the same, a failure to qualify for tournament finals.

Maybe it's the system which is wrong and it would not matter a jot who was in-charge, we would still be shite – we are Scottish after all.

Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again in the hope of things turning-out differently. 

You have to try new systems and strategies, and, if at first they don't succeed, then try something else that's new. Don't go back to the system that failed before.