With Hearts sitting at the top of the Premiership it seems that Craig Levein is getting a little forgetful about his views on ‘tough and robust’ play.
Hearts have always been known as a hard and physical team with Levein playing alongside folk like Alex MacDonald, Sandy Clarke, Kenny Black, Jimmy Sandison and Walter Kidd who all knew how to make an impact.
Steven Naismith doesn’t deserve to be mentioned alongside the players above but he certainly knows how to arrive a split second too late to make a challenge and how to kick out at grounded opponents.
The two faces of Craig Levein. Here he is remeniscing about the physical side of the game.
Here he is claiming players need protection from Scott Brown. pic.twitter.com/kYGsGOXhJ1— JT (@1888JT) September 26, 2018
Earlier this week Levein was getting misty eyed for the good old days claiming: “I’m kind of a little bit sad that that part of the game, players being tough and robust, they’re not even allowed to be tough any more.
“Anyway that’s just the way that it is and there’s nothing that I can do.”
If tough and robust challenges are delivered by Scott Brown Levein has a problem with the Hearts boss a regular critic of his former international midfielder.
In February Levein told the BBC: “I think everybody should get a bit more protection from Scott Brown really but we will see.
“I think Scott had decided after the game at Tynecastle, when Harry bossed him, he wasn’t going to let that happen.
“I’ve known Scott for a long time and he is aggressive in the way he plays.”
Celtic and Hearts will meet twice within a week at the end of October and start of November with the Betfred Cup semi-final followed by a Premiership clash at Celtic Park on November 4.