Craig Levein: Dinosaur or sensible choice for St Johnstone - fans split over new manager
- Published
Craig Levein has been appointed St Johnstone manager and the choice of the former Scotland, Heart of Midlothian and Leicester City boss has already split the Scottish Premiership strugglers' fans down the middle.
"A dinosaur" or "strategically perfect", a "negative appointment" or a "sensible choice", likely to ensure relegation or qualification for Europe?
We asked you what you thought of the appointment, the responses have been coming in thick and fast - and here's the pick of them:
Positive: Sensible, experienced, Europe-bound
Ruari: It's a strange one with the club never having hired a manager with so much experience before (certainly in my lifetime), but experience is what the club needs at present. From an uninspiring shortlist, Levein and Livingston's David Martindale were the only two I viewed as being a relatively shrewd appointment.
Graham: Craig Levein is a sensible choice and has a lot of experience. That's what St Johnstone need right now. The experiment of going with a younger manager with limited experience didn't work.
George: St Johnstone are all about being solid at the back and that is what Craig Levein gives you. He is a manager with a point to prove and it's about time we saw the Craig Levein suit make its return. Delighted, tremendous.
Oliver: We need someone with his level of experience - someone who can really implement a clear strategy for the team to claw itself out of this sorry mess, as well as an overhaul of the recruitment strategy which has been woeful for the past two years.
Bill: He has lots of experience which is needed at this stage. His assistant has also had some success. A good combination for Saints I think.
Stuart: We have been calling for an experienced manager and Levein fits the bill. He'll shake the players up, no favourites, no excuses and that's exactly what we need.
Mike: There's obviously a good manager in Levein. He had a really good spell at Dundee United and one at Hearts too. Fans are always very quick to remember the negative things and forget the positives. I'm happy to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven wrong.
Lachlan: A lot of fans will disagree with me, but I think he's the right man for the job. He's experienced in the league, has managed at international level and has managed outstanding players. And he can always give the 4-6-0 formation another go against Celtic and Rangers.
Janek: Solid appointment. Wealth of experience, can restore confidence in the players and build a good collective spirit. Also extremely knowledgeable from a director of football point of view and has plenty contacts, so the recruitment should be good. Results are the priority, no matter how we get them.
Alisdair: Lifelong fans in this house. Seen Saints relegated couple of times myself. Seems a very decent signing for us. Ex-Scotland manager too. I'm excited by this one.
James: Craig Levein is one of the most tactically astute managers around. Very happy with him.
Iain: Experienced, knowledge of the Scottish game and contacts were all a requirement for me. Defence is our main weakness and I feel that he can remedy that quickly, allowing midfield and attack to flourish.
Lee: I'm thrilled at our club appointing Levein. Strategically perfect, exceptionally committed, knowledgeable and youth-focused. Magnificent opportunity.
Bill: Brilliant manager that will get us in top six and possibly Europe. Time too dust down the passport.
Neil: I think Levein is a good appointment. He's a good man manager and we have an opportunity over the next few games to realistically pick up points and then step on from there. He can motivate players. We always have good managers and he's no different.
Sean: Craig will steady the ship and will certainly provide that bounce we need to climb the table. We may not win all our games, but I bet we will become really hard to beat once Craig makes his mark.
Ally: Many fans seem worried that Levein is "past it", but we desperately need his experience to keep us in the league this season. If he's able to add to the squad in January, I think we will stay up.
On the fence: Bit of a gamble
Stuart: I think there will be many fans, like myself, sitting on the fence here. While he has been out of the management business for some time, he does know the league and players very well. I think the important piece is his assistant, Andy Kirk. Together they have been successful at Brechin and so it could be a wise choice. The club's a mess, it needs leadership.
Jackie: Better choice than Martindale. Give him a chance. With Saints' budget, you were never going to get a great choice.
Steven: Bit of a gamble but has experience that should help the squad we have.
Alan: He will make us more solid at the back as some of the goals we are losing is criminal. His style of football could be brutal to watch at times, but survival by any means possible is the number one aim.
Tommy: Wouldn't have been my choice, but once he takes charge, everyone should get behind him. God help him, though, if he ever plays that 4-6-0 formation.
Negative: Fans ready to turn their back
Gordon: No better than defensively-minded Callum Davidson. Levein played 10 defenders against a very weak Czech XI in Prague some years ago and Scotland lost 1-0. Don't fancy him at all and we certainly wont be pretty to watch with him at the helm.
Joe: I can see the sense of having a managerial figurehead like Levein supported by a specialist coach as assistant, but I'm not overly sold on Kirk. We need somebody who has both top-level coaching experience and first-hand knowledge of Scottish football.
Realistic Saintee: No doubting his experience and expertise in football, but he's not managed a side in four years, which is the major concern.
George: I think there are better choices available than a manager who is almost 60 and been out of dugout for so long.
Robin: Very disappointed with Levein as new manager. We've generally done well appointing managers by going for younger ones who need a chance. Much rather have seen someone like Scott Brown - and Dave Martindale would've been a tremendous coup for the club.
Andy: Unimaginative from the board. All they seem to want to achieve is retaining Premiership status pending the sale of the club with the least amount of effort possible. I'm a season ticket holder that will not be back while Levein is at the club.
Dave: Backward step for the club. Even the mood music and words from Craig Levin are uninspiring. Very little energy coming from his comments and he comes across as dour and very few of the players he has previously worked with wax lyrical about him.
SPB: He organises the most boring brand of football imaginable. The only national manager to ever play without a striker. No thanks!
Les: I for one will not go to any game if that man is in charge, because of him I haven't been to Scotland game since he was in charge. He is not the right man for Saints.
Glensheesaint: Steven MacLean has assembled a youthful squad with energy and pace but not much punch and a frail defence. It seems doubtful that Craig Levein's defensive tactics will fit this squad - will he be able to find a successful compromise?
Peter: What a disaster waiting go happen. Mismanaged Scotland and his refusal to play a forward in a Scotland game will never be forgiven. Total negative appointment.
Duncan: Terrible choice. It will be a continuation of the same drab, defensive football we've been suffering now for a couple of years.
Nigel: This is the least exciting and unambitious appointment the club could make. Pretty sure it will turn even more fans away. I hope I'm wrong and this works out, but I feel it's a sure fire way to see boring football and seal our fate of dropping to the Championship.
Chris: There's a reason he's been out of work for so long.
Paul: He's a dinosaur. We are doomed. 4-6-0.
A Morrison: Nice guy but should stick to the podcast as he could be the next one to be sacked in the morning.
What do the fans think?
St Johnstone fans, are you be happy with Levein? Or do you think he's the wrong man for the job? Let us know...
If the form doesn't load properly, go straight here., external
Our coverage of St Johnstone is bigger and better than ever before - here's everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
Everything St Johnstone - go straight to all the best content