Steven Fletcher questions Craig Levein...

[3pm]

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/footbal...6908-22657037/

Steven Fletcher is on a collision course with Scotland boss Craig Levein.

The ex-Hibs striker, who joined Wolves for s7million in summer, has blasted Levein's 4-6-0 tactics in the 1-0 flop against the Czech Republic this month.

Fletcher believes he is being frozen out by the manager.

The 23-year-old said: "I don't think we have done as well as we should have.

"The boys have to trust in the gaffer, in what he wants to do and go and do it but it didn't pay off.

"He said we played well. Maybe in his mind we did but I felt we should have gone out and attacked.

"The team was good enough to win the game but he tried to go defensively and it didn't work out."

Fletcher didn't play in any of the four qualifiers that saw Scotland win once, lose twice and draw.

He said: "It's frustrating, especially when you don't know what's going on.

"I went into the last set of games thinking I had a chance and I was in the stand so I was p****d off. Charlie Adam was with me in the stand in Prague and I think he was disappointed too.

"He is captain of Blackpool, an English Premier League side doing well, and you would expect him at least to be on the bench.

"When he came on against Spain he changed the game."

Fletcher, who has eight caps, has been ditched with Levein preferring Rangers' Kenny Miller.

The ex-Burnley star added: "I'm playing well for my club but still not getting a chance.

"What disappointed me most is that he didn't say a word to me."

Go on your self Fletch.

[Hibs Class]

Agree with what Fletcher says. It is an unusually well-measured article by the Daily Record - that's probably because it is pretty much a cut and paste from yesterday's Sunday Times.

[Westie1875]

Well said Fletch, at last one of the players has had the bottle to open their mouths.

[H18sry]

It's all to do with his Hibs connections I tell you

[Sir David Gray]

Completely agree with him but that will be the last we will see of him for the remainder of Levein's reign.

When all is said and done, I don't suppose you can really have players coming out and publicly criticising the manager like that.

Levein makes the decisions, rightly or wrongly, and he has to live with them.

[Dinkydoo]

I agree with everything Fletcher has said - even the bit about Charlie Adam .

Perhaps not the brightest thing to do (be publically critical of tactics used by your manager) when your wanting a place in the team.

Tin hat firmly on here, I actually kind of liked CL before he got the Scotland job, I always thought he was a decent Manager and did very well with Dundee United.

Now that I've watched a few interviews on him it's become apparent that he's an arrogantly stubborn (to the point of being delusional) git who clearly favours Rangers players and people with the slightest connection to being Scottish over (and in most cases better IMO) options that haven't just got a Scottish great grandad.

IMO the following players should be playing regularly for Scotland and at the very least have a place on the bench: Maloney, Adam, Fletcher, Deeks.

Although there are others.

[Green Mikey]

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Well said Fletch, at last one of the players has had the bottle to open their mouths.

Levein has being trying to dodge any questions or criticism of his tactics against the Czechs, it's a about time someone has come out and said that it was a complete farce of a game.

It is pretty obvious to most people that Fletcher and Adam have been performing at a high level over the last few months but they are getting very limited chances in the national team for some inexplicable reason.

[David@EasterRoad]

Feel sorry for Fletch, he seems to have fallen behind Mackie in the pecking order even though he plays at a higher level every week?

[Calvin]

I think he's said what we're all thinking. Christophe Berra captains Wolves quite regularly, Charlie Adam is Blackpool captain and plays well for them and Fletch is a £7m Premiership goalscorer, yet apparently none of them are good enough to be in the Scotland side that is playing oh so well at them moment?

[Hibee Daz]

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Completely agree with him but that will be the last we will see of him for the remainder of Levein's reign.

When all is said and done, I don't suppose you can really have players coming out and publicly criticising the manager like that.

Levein makes the decisions, rightly or wrongly, and he has to live with them.

I think your right, he probably has just talked himself out of being selected now.
For Fletcher to no longer be considered though, could be one of the nails in Leveins coffin, as to not consider a player who is doing reasonably well for a premiership side is ludicrous, as we simply don't have enough strikers of that calibre to choose from!
I think Leveins pigheadedness will lead to his downfall in the not so distant future IMO.

[Tricla]

Levien is a scrote

[Ryan69]

Well said Steven Fletcher!

About time somebody stood up and telt Harry Potter what everybody is thinking!

for Potter!

[hibbytam]

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I think your right, he probably has just talked himself out of being selected now.
For Fletcher to no longer be considered though, could be one of the nails in Leveins coffin, as to not consider a player who is doing reasonably well for a premiership side is ludicrous, as we simply don't have enough strikers of that calibre to choose from!
I think Leveins pigheadedness will lead to his downfall in the not so distant future IMO.

Don't think he was in line to be picked anyway. Not while there's Miller, and some lad who's dad was born in Scotland while his parents were on holiday. Evidently a premiership striker would have no hope against competition like that.

[MrSmith]

I find these articles full of it! The amount of ambiguity and quote marks are astounding!!!

The Daily Record has a veiled pop at Craig Levien for his negative tactics against The Czech Republic yet suck Walters welt the previous week for playing exactly the same tactics?? Actually Walters welt playe a 1 10 formation against Man United!

Rediculous article and I'll bet, infact I'll guarantee that Steven will come out and deny he said any of that.

[Dashing Bob S]

Any of the very few Scottish players with a modicum of international class should be trying to talk themselves out of being associated with the ongoing dreary festival of mediocrity and failure that is our international set up.

Sound thinking Fletch, focus on football and you won't be tainted with nonsense like the Czech fiasco or the next toe curler that is in the post as we speak.

[Jim44]

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It's all to do with his Hibs connections I tell you

I take it you're not jesting. It is a fact that Levein has an innate and undesguisable hatred of all things Hibernian. I've already said on here before that he was heard to say (sorry no source, for my own reputation) that Riordan will never kick a ball for Scotland while he is manager. I'm really quite surprised that Fletcher was included in his squad.

[ScottB]

Considering he welcomed McGreggor and was chasing after Barry the Crab with open arms, it would be hugely hypocritical to cut Steven for this.

Though as others say, he probably doesn't have much chance anyway!

[.Sean.]

On yersel' Stevie boy!!



Levein is an ignorant, biased, specky Jambo fud of the highest order.



Billy Hunt.

[GreenPJ]

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Completely agree with him but that will be the last we will see of him for the remainder of Levein's reign.

When all is said and done, I don't suppose you can really have players coming out and publicly criticising the manager like that.

Levein makes the decisions, rightly or wrongly, and he has to live with them.

Spot on. No matter how much we might all think this and can say this as fans you can't have players criticising the manager in public and expect to play. I think Steven is done with Scotland until HP is magic'd off to the land of negative football.

[Hibs Class]

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Spot on. No matter how much we might all think this and can say this as fans you can't have players criticising the manager in public and expect to play. I think Steven is done with Scotland until HP is magic'd off to the land of negative football.

I have my doubts that Vlad would take him back, but you may be right.

[Greenblood70]

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Levien is a scrote

Say no more...despised the man since his playing days.

[Phil D. Rolls]

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Now that I've watched a few interviews on him it's become apparent that he's an arrogantly stubborn (to the point of being delusional) git who clearly favours Rangers players and people with the slightest connection to being Scottish over (and in most cases better IMO) options that haven't just got a Scottish great grandad.

What do you expect - he's a Fifer.

[Bostonhibby]

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Well said Fletch, at last one of the players has had the bottle to open their mouths.

Just a huge pity there is no ex OF connection, otherwise the SFA might sit up and listen if he went further and said he wasn't available for selection any more, they could then reinstate him when the next manager comes in.

If I was him, I would wait until the next time he is fortunate enough to be selected, get absolutely bladdered before the game, make sure the press pick up on it, generally embarass the nation, then at the game itself stick the V's up to everyone. That should ensure automatic selection and the manager grovelling to wipe the slate clean.

[Arch Stanton]

Even if he thinks that.

Even if he thinks he is right. (Which he most definitely isn't IMO).

By expressing these views he is incontrovertibly stupid. Does he reckon his role in life is to be a football player or a pundit?

Did he really think this one through?

Does he really have the capability of thinking this one through?

Does he see his future playing football or does he see his future giving football hacks the benefit of his insight?

Has he ever heard of the phrase 'knuckling down'?

[Iggy Pope]

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I find these articles full of it! The amount of ambiguity and quote marks are astounding!!!

The Daily Record has a veiled pop at Craig Levien for his negative tactics against The Czech Republic yet suck Walters welt the previous week for playing exactly the same tactics?? Actually Walters welt playe a 1 10 formation against Man United!

Rediculous article and I'll bet, infact I'll guarantee that Steven will come out and deny he said any of that.

He said most of it in the Times the day before so he might have a job denying it.

He also worryingly went on a bit about his move further South making it 'harder to get home' and how he gets homesick - sure the Ugly Sisters will fasten on to this.

[Iggy Pope]

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I take it you're not jesting. It is a fact that Levein has an innate and undesguisable hatred of all things Hibernian. I've already said on here before that he was heard to say (sorry no source, for my own reputation) that Riordan will never kick a ball for Scotland while he is manager. I'm really quite surprised that Fletcher was included in his squad.

While none of this would surprise me and I don't need to look far for reasons to dislike Craig Levein, (and I'm ambivalent about the National side), Fletch is an ex-Hibby like Caldwell, Whittaker, Brown and Miller are and he doesn't seem to have trouble picking them....and he signed Paul Hartley for Hertz......

[Bostonhibby]

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While none of this would surprise me and I don't need to look far for reasons to dislike Craig Levein, (and I'm ambivalent about the National side), Fletch is an ex-Hibby like Caldwell, Whittaker, Brown and Miller are and he doesn't seem to have trouble picking them....and he signed Paul Hartley for Hertz......

Then again maybe its just about the absolute delight on Deek's face when he scores against Harry's old team that makes him stand out above all the rest?

[clerriehibs]

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Even if he thinks that.

Even if he thinks he is right. (Which he most definitely isn't IMO).

By expressing these views he is incontrovertibly stupid. Does he reckon his role in life is to be a football player or a pundit?

Did he really think this one through?

Does he really have the capability of thinking this one through?

Does he see his future playing football or does he see his future giving football hacks the benefit of his insight?

Has he ever heard of the phrase 'knuckling down'?

He's right. He also knows Harry Potter is on a very sticky wicket. He knows that he, despite being a regularly playing premierleague striker, is behind championship players Mackie AND Iwelumo (his replacement at burnley, ffs). Why shouldn't he tell it how it is? He knows HP isn't going to be around much longer. Deeks is playing well ... he isn 't telling HP how it is ... do you think he's in any different a situation from Fletch? The thug levein doesn't rate them ... doesn't like them ... doesn't like their Hibs background.

And I think you'll find that if Fletch wasn't the type to knuckle down, he wouldn't have been signed by either Coyle or McCarthy.

[Arch Stanton]

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He's right. He also knows Harry Potter is on a very sticky wicket. He knows that he, despite being a regularly playing premierleague striker, is behind championship players Mackie AND Iwelumo (his replacement at burnley, ffs). Why shouldn't he tell it how it is? He knows HP isn't going to be around much longer. Deeks is playing well ... he isn 't telling HP how it is ... do you think he's in any different a situation from Fletch? The thug levein doesn't rate them ... doesn't like them ... doesn't like their Hibs background.

And I think you'll find that if Fletch wasn't the type to knuckle down, he wouldn't have been signed by either Coyle or McCarthy.

Sorry but while you might think that playing for Scotland is down to some kind of pecking order then you and me have pretty different ideas on what sporting contests are all about.

Deeks isn't playing for Scotland because he has too many limitations to be an international player for a country with the slightest aspirations to reaching the finals of major tournaments.

Coyle and McCarthy would have dropped Fletch in a heartbeat if he had gone to the press with his ideas on how they couldn't manage!!

This antipathy to Levein is silliness - juvenile silliness at that.

[clerriehibs]

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Sorry but while you might think that playing for Scotland is down to some kind of pecking order then you and me have pretty different ideas on what sporting contests are all about.

Deeks isn't playing for Scotland because he has too many limitations to be an international player for a country with the slightest aspirations to reaching the finals of major tournaments.

Coyle and McCarthy would have dropped Fletch in a heartbeat if he had gone to the press with his ideas on how they couldn't manage!!

This antipathy to Levein is silliness - juvenile silliness at that.

Claptrap. Levein's an arrogant clown. To set out a team to play 4-6-0 is an indicator of Levein's aspirations, but then, his only aspiration when he was at hertz was to beat, or not get beaten by, Hibs. You want juvenile? Look at levein's behaviour in the post-match interviews. You want juvenile? Look at how levein shouted his gob off at the sfa when he was at hertz. You want juvenile? look at levein breaking his team mate's jaw during a friendly, ffs! Levein's an idiot. Always has been, always will be.