Craig Levein may have “mellowed” since the days when Andy Kirk played for the St Johnstone manager with Hearts.
But the standards the Perth boss demanded 20 years ago at Tynecastle are just as high as they remain at McDiarmid Park today.
And Kirk is convinced he couldn’t ask for a better “mentor” to work alongside as the pair seek to keep Saints in the Premiership and build a bright future for their new club.
“Craig has mellowed quite a lot,” said Levein’s assistant.
“As a manager when I was a player he was very demanding and rightly so.
“At Hearts we were very well organised. Everybody gave 100% every day and every game.
“He wouldn’t let those standards drop.
“He’s still the same now – just a bit more mellow in terms of his approach and thought process.
“He’s got so much experience in the game and for somebody like myself to not tap into that would be pretty stupid.
“He knows every situation that can come up and how to deal with it. He’s seen them all.
“Craig’s been at my stage – a young coach with loads of enthusiasm and energy.
“And he’s been a mentor for me for a number of years now.”
Shared responsibilities
When Levein was appointed as Steven MacLean’s successor in early November, he made it clear from the outset that Kirk’s role would be a senior one in terms of training ground and tactics.
And the partnership dynamics have bedded in nicely.
“I had a lot of experience coaching with Hearts at first team level,” said Kirk.
“The chance to become a manager came up with Brechin, which was something I always wanted to do.
“But this opportunity was too good to turn down.
“Being able to keep working with Craig was an added bonus.
“It’s been fantastic.
“I’m getting to work on the training pitch every day, which I love.
“And I’m part of all the decision-making processes.
“It’s been a very positive start.”
Kirk added: “We’ve had a working relationship for a lot of years.
“Craig was the director of football at Hearts when he brought me back as a coach.
“I did the under-20s, the reserve team and even the first team at times.
“Then when I went to Brechin he was there as an advisor to the board, which was one of the reasons I took the job there if I’m being honest.
“There’s a lot of trust there.
“He knows how I want a team to play and he’s got faith in that.
“We’re constantly talking and looking at things and he allows me to go and get on with my work.
“It works really well.
“Sometimes you get on with people – that’s human nature and football.
“Having played for Craig, I think he always liked the hard work aspect that I had.
“Things like attitude are very important to Craig.
“There’s a huge level of respect and trust. When you’ve got that it’s easy to work with someone.”
Changing the routine
Since Levein and Kirk took over a couple of months ago, Saints have played four midweek games.
To a large extent the nature of their work has been hand to mouth.
The break – and, more importantly, the return from it – provides an opportunity to alter that routine.
“The schedule has been very busy since we’ve come in,” said Kirk.
“Getting two days in a row when you can train has been great but most of the time it’s either been a case of recovering from the last game or preparing for the next one.
“It’s been tough for the players.
“Once things settle down a wee bit, we’ll get more time on the training pitch and have a better opportunity to bed things in.
“Adding two or three new faces and adding more energy to the group will hopefully help things take off even more when we come back from the break.”
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