The absolutely wonderful thing about them having Craig L as manager is that he isn't absolutely terrible. With Cathro, it was always going to end in him being sacked, particularly because of their record at home. However Levein is quite capable of winning half their home games, drawing another quarter of them and only losing to Celtic, Aberdeen and ourselves. That will keep him in a job almost indefinately. They will be 5th, 6th or 7th for as long as they retain him as manager and they will regularly get beaten by us.

Budge has no clue about football and relies on him, she won't sack him unless they end a season in the bottom 4. I can't see that happening. They play terrible, boring, eye bleeding hoofball, but he knows enough about setting up defensive sides to ensure they never come below 7th place in the league, if they make some decent signings they could even come 5th, but I just can't see how they will come above Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen or ourselves.

In many ways that is a bit like Hibs in the Alex Miller era..safe-ish from relegation, but no chance of real consistency, flowing football or a top three place. Personally I would take Miller as manager over CL every day of the week and I would take Keith, Mickey Weir, Crunchie, Kevin Harper, Micheal O'Neil and Pat McGinley over the rubbish they have at Tinpotcastle at the moment...but I do understand the comparison.

Cathro was hilarious and really set Hearts backwards, but levein is in many ways more dangerous as their decline will be slow and boring, rather than hugely amusing and catastrophic. Their season ticket sales will go down by between 5-10% every season that he is there. Their Direct debt scheme will also be effected. It will take 3-4 more years for this to finally tip Budge over the edge..that is the beauty of it.