Hearts boss Craig Levein admits the footballing juices are now flowing again

FOOTBALL was a school of hard knocks when Craig Levein served his apprenticeship.

These days it is more Open University than open warfare.

Thankfully for the Hearts boss, who is gradually settling back into life in the dugout after five years in the boardroom, the game’s shift in emphasis has matched his own.

“I’m getting older and my energy levels are coming down,” concedes the 52-year-old, as thoughtfully as his reputation would suggest.

“It’s fitting in quite nicely with not getting too uptight.

“I wouldn’t say relaxed because you get really uptight going into match day.

“It took a little bit of time for the juices to get flowing again, but . . .”

The old juices are starting to simmer, right enough.

Anyone who heard the roughness around the edges of Levein’s voice post-match at Ross County last weekend was left in no doubt.

“I could hardly speak. But that’s because I haven’t been doing it (shouting) for so long, but it is coming back – slowly!” is his light-hearted assessment.

Yet with the first Edinburgh derby of the season looming, his players won’t be laughing.

Levein has so far played a part in 52 all-Auld Reekie clashes as a player and a manager.

He has only ever lost six.

The Jam Tarts gaffer built up his formidable record over three decades – the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s.

Each was less physical than the last.

However, compared to the current era, they were all brutal

Today’s players – his players – prize gathering information over sending opponents to the infirmary.

Even so, Levein insists that in the white-hot heat of Easter Road on Tuesday, there is only one way to play.

“We haven’t had the better of the derbies in recent years. So, for me, it’s all guns blazing to turn that round,” says the Hearts boss.

“At this moment in time that’s what’s required to win this match. We need to play with our foot to the floor.”

The Jam Tarts gaffer knows that’s an approach many of his younger players, raised on a diet of sport science and video analysis, won’t be used to.

But he knows qualities such as aggression and physical toughness have their place – even if their importance has diminished since he was last in the dugout.

“Things are different. I’m probably a bit different as well,” he says.

“Players are not as tough as they used to be, but that’s been gradually taken out of the game going away back to Michel Platini’s influence on football.

“I just mean the physicality of the game has changed enormously and, because of that, the mental side is going to follow.

“When I played in these matches, whoever got the first three or four low blows in usually won the game.

“Now it’s kind of sterile, believe it or not. You can’t do anything off the ball.

“You used to be able to get away with loads of stuff. Now you have to play by the rules because the cameras can spot you.

“Players have more information than they’ve ever had. A lot of the players want that information, which is good.

“There have been times in the past that I’ve had information but not given it to the players for different reasons, sometimes I felt we didn’t need it at that time.

“Now it’s more open and shared, they want to know what their GPS says, their heart-rate monitors and they want to watch the video analysis.

“Back when I was player, watching anything . . . you couldn’t be bothered with it.

“It’s all changed – and the game has changed.”

It hasn’t become any less emotional, of course.

Even so, Levein has been in the game long enough to steer clear of attacking Hibs in the run up to derby day.

Neil Lennon’s side are evidently dangerous, so what’s the point?

The Jam Tarts’ low-key approach has been deliberate during their construction-imposed exile from Tynecastle.

However, with their return on the horizon, even Levein can’t prevent a hint of excitement creeping through.

“Underneath the radar is fine for now,” he says.

“The important thing is getting back to Tynecastle with our challenge intact and still in touch.

“But if we can gain some forward momentum by winning some matches before we come back then that will put us in a really good spot.

“People maybe don’t understand the psychology of the away games, but if you look back, the majority of our points come here at Tynecastle.

“This is where we make our points and we have not had that sense of being at home and feeling that we will be dominant and win the game.

“We have been scrapping and fighting for everything that we have had and I have been really pleased with that.

“Generally, it has been good, considering the circumstances.

“We have two more supposedly at home – but in reality at Murrayfield – which will be good, and we are down at Easter Road, so it is a big week.”