Levein's Man Management

[Lemon Harpic]

HIBERNIAN midfielder Michael Stewart has claimed that his time spent across the city, with Hearts, was doomed from the beginning because of his relationship with Craig Levein, branding his then-manager a 'dictator'.

The former Manchester United player spent last season on loan at Tynecastle after an unsuccessful trial period with Rangers but a combination of injury and a breakdown in communications with Levein ensured his time with Hearts - the club he supported as a boy - was an unhappy one.

Stewart's star would appear to be on the rise again, having signed a one-year deal with Hibs and started each of the Easter Road club's five opening SPL matches but he made little effort to disguise the bitter taste left in his mouth by his wasted months under Levein.

"He [Levein] spoke about my reputation when I went in. He was very sceptical. He'd heard things about me and spoke about how he ran a tight ship. He was very much a dictator type and I was starting to get a frosty feeling from the guy," Stewart told a Sunday newspaper. "I don't want to be too derogatory about what went on from there, but he is the first person I thought looked down on me because of where I had been. It was almost like, 'Right, I'll show you that you're not good enough for me'.

"He was more interested in players who could run around for 90 minutes than anything else. I was in a catch 22. He wasn't willing to give me any games until he felt I could do the running around, but I wasn't going to be able to do that running around until I had some games. So then I get tagged as being lazy."

Stewart has found a new lease of life at Easter Road under Tony Mowbray, a manager who, he says, has finally ignored his reputation off the park to concentrate on what he can do for the club on it. The player is keen to repay Mowbray for showing faith in him, but is also driven by a burning desire to prove to his doubters that he has what it takes to play at the highest level. He added: "This is the first time I've got a manager who will properly back me. He isn't bothered about what anyone else says, he's made his mind up. I instantly got that from him: I could trust him.

"I want to prove wrong the people up here who've got doubts about me, not just as a person, but as a football player. That's a major driving factor. If I fail now, I'll hold my hands up and say I'm not good enough, but I know that's not the case."

This is an article from the Scotsman from September. Perhaps we should get Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus in to replace Craig Levein?

[The Reverend]

HIBERNIAN midfielder Michael Stewart has claimed that his time spent across the city, with Hearts, was doomed from the beginning because of his relationship with Craig Levein, branding his then-manager a 'dictator'.

The former Manchester United player spent last season on loan at Tynecastle after an unsuccessful trial period with Rangers but a combination of injury and a breakdown in communications with Levein ensured his time with Hearts - the club he supported as a boy - was an unhappy one.

Stewart's star would appear to be on the rise again, having signed a one-year deal with Hibs and started each of the Easter Road club's five opening SPL matches but he made little effort to disguise the bitter taste left in his mouth by his wasted months under Levein.

"He [Levein] spoke about my reputation when I went in. He was very sceptical. He'd heard things about me and spoke about how he ran a tight ship. He was very much a dictator type and I was starting to get a frosty feeling from the guy," Stewart told a Sunday newspaper. "I don't want to be too derogatory about what went on from there, but he is the first person I thought looked down on me because of where I had been. It was almost like, 'Right, I'll show you that you're not good enough for me'.

"He was more interested in players who could run around for 90 minutes than anything else. I was in a catch 22. He wasn't willing to give me any games until he felt I could do the running around, but I wasn't going to be able to do that running around until I had some games. So then I get tagged as being lazy."

Stewart has found a new lease of life at Easter Road under Tony Mowbray, a manager who, he says, has finally ignored his reputation off the park to concentrate on what he can do for the club on it. The player is keen to repay Mowbray for showing faith in him, but is also driven by a burning desire to prove to his doubters that he has what it takes to play at the highest level. He added: "This is the first time I've got a manager who will properly back me. He isn't bothered about what anyone else says, he's made his mind up. I instantly got that from him: I could trust him.

"I want to prove wrong the people up here who've got doubts about me, not just as a person, but as a football player. That's a major driving factor. If I fail now, I'll hold my hands up and say I'm not good enough, but I know that's not the case."

This is an article from the Scotsman from September. Perhaps we should get Tony Mowbray and Mark Venus in to replace Craig Levein?

This is interesting as if he is a dictator type manager, surely he would be able t motivate the players?!

[Lemon Harpic]

This is interesting as if he is a dictator type manager, surely he would be able t motivate the players?!

That's what I expected when he first moved, someone who would crack down on the players where Micky Adams had clearly been too soft.

Martin O'Neill OBE was a dictator too, the difference between he and Levein seems to be that Levein seems to fall out with too many players whereas the players respected O'Neill OBE and worked hard for him.

But look at how poorly Man U have been doing in the Premiership with Alex Ferguson -the ultimate dictator- as manager. Perhaps football management is changing and more sophisticated techniques and understanding of psychology is required. At the top level, the screaming, petty, tantruming authoritarian bullies (like Fergie) are being replaced with a different type of manager: Mourinho, Benitez, Wenger and Sven Goran Erikkson.

Even in Scotland, which is several years behind us in football terms, Martin O'Neill OBE was unable to win the league in his last season.

[Thracian]

This is interesting as if he is a dictator type manager, surely he would be able t motivate the players?!

Have you heard him speak?

He'd need to have a personality transplant between the Press room and the changing rooms to be inspiring.

If he does, it isn't reflected on the pitch.

They sometimes graft aimlessly enough. But inspired they're not and all this talk about bust ups with people wouldn't help the mood if it's true.

[Rich_Sheffield]

This is interesting as if he is a dictator type manager, surely he would be able t motivate the players?!

I agree, I think Motivation is the issue, on saturday we looked like we didn't wan't to play football. Our general motivation and moral is bad, its going to be hard to lift the players now that we are in the bottom 3. I hope saturdays preformance was a one off, else we will be joining Forest!

Maybe get some coaching staff?

[Dr The Singh]

The odd thing is that he has been booed for quite a while and none of the players have come out in his defence and backed the manager. None that I know anyway!!!

[Sly]

I agree, I think Motivation is the issue, on saturday we looked like we didn't wan't to play football. Our general motivation and moral is bad, its going to be hard to lift the players now that we are in the bottom 3. I hope saturdays preformance was a one off, else we will be joining Forest!

Maybe get some coaching staff?

I've been saying that for 12 months