Robbo was going to be my No. 2 - now he's top dog

PAUL KIDDIE

JOHN ROBERTSON used to joke about his dream of returning to Tynecastle - as No.2 to Gary Mackay!

The pair became good friends during 15 years as team-mates in Gorgie and often indulged in light-hearted banter about pursuing managerial careers at the club where they earned legendary status among the supporters.

Now, with the imminent arrival of fans favourite Robertson as Craig Levein’s successor, the former strike star is set to land the role he has coveted since playing his last game in a maroon jersey at home to Dunfermline in May 1998.

Mackay will be delighted to see his pal shoulder the responsibility of the job he believes is tailor-made for the club’s all-time record goalscorer.

"Ever since the move to Leicester was being mooted for Craig Levein there was never any doubt in my mind that there was only the one man for the job and that was wee Robbo," he said.

"During my time at Hearts his reputation as a player in the eyes of the fans was unsurpassed and I doubt if anyone will ever achieve such status again.

"I knew it would be only a matter of time before he became Hearts manager as it is a role which is just made for him.

"Okay, some legends at other clubs like Rangers’ John Greig, for example, didn’t find the transition from player to manager easy but what Robbo has to his advantage is the fact that he has already cut his teeth in coaching and management at Livingston and Inverness and that will hold him in good stead."

Recalling the days when they used to laugh about forming the managerial team at Tynecastle, former Airdrie boss Mackay said: "The funny thing is we used to laugh about going back to Hearts after we had stopped playing. Robbo used to say he could see the day he’d be back there as my assistant manager!

"I am sure now, though, that he will feel a lot more comfortable with himself as the manager and Donald Park as his No.2, if that is what he wants. Robbo may have got the headlines as the person who stuck the ball in the back of the net but he always appreciated the donkey work done by others in the side.

"And I’m sure it’s the same now he’s a manager - he will be the first to acknowledge the role played in his success by Donald as his assistant."

While the appointment of Robertson may be seen by some observers as something of a gamble in a similar way the untested Levein’s arrival in Gorgie was viewed, the new man has significantly more experience to fall back on than his predecessor.

After a number of years learning the ropes at Livingston under initially Ray Stewart and then Davie Hay, Robertson adapted well to management life in the Highlands.

Like Levein, he has already demonstrated the vital attribute for any boss of squeezing the most out of his players and Mackay said: "I think there are definite parallels between Craig and John.

"Craig left Cowdenbeath on the brink of promotion when he came to Hearts and hopefully Robbo has left Inverness on the way to survival in the SPL.

"They both coached at Livingston but Robbo had a longer spell at Almondvale and anyone who has been in the game under Davie Hay has had to cope with a steep learning curve due to the respect he commands in football.

"What he has achieved at Inverness is testimony to Robbo’s ability as a manager. He has had to work with limited resources but thanks to the win over Livingston on Saturday, he has now taken Caley Thistle off the bottom of the table on points as opposed to just goal difference which was the case the previous match."

Thanks to the efforts of Levein and his assistant Peter Houston over the past few years, Robertson will have the benefit of a settled and successful squad at his disposal at Tynecastle.

And that is something which Mackay believes will help the new manager find his feet relatively quickly in his home from home.

"Craig and Peter have left a solid base for the new man to work with and everything is there for the team to be taken to the next level - and Robbo’s more than capable of doing that," he said.

A fierce critic of the current Tynecastle regime, Mackay insists this appointment is one the board just couldn’t afford to get wrong.

And he is anticipating a huge lift to the feel-good factor around the club in coming days with a significant knock-on effect to the tickets sales for Thursday’s UEFA Cup Group A clash with Schalke.

"I am sure the arrival of John Robertson in time for the game on Thursday will have a major impact on the sales of tickets for the game," he said.

"The demand to see him in his last game for Hearts at Tynecastle was frightening and I am sure there will be a real clamour from people to see him in his first match as manager. That should ensure a few extra thousand at the game at Murrayfield."

Mackay is desperately hoping to see Robertson launch his new Tynecastle career in the best of fashions but knows his rapport with the fans will buy him any time should it be required.

He said: "He commands the total respect of the supporters but will be coming in during a period of real change for the club.

"Craig Levein did a very good job in his four years at Tynecastle and hopefully Hearts can continue to progress under Robbo and he can help take them on to another level.

"In any circumstance when there is change, you always have different ideas coming to the fore. But because of his background people will have a natural degree of patience. He will take the job on at a difficult time in the sense that there isn’t the biggest of squads at his disposal.

"Due to the involvement in Europe, it is going to be difficult to maintain a level of results in the domestic campaign. But the profile of Hearts has risen with the success which Craig achieved and that will continue to be the case with massive games against Schalke on Thursday, Aberdeen this weekend and then Dunfermline in the CIS Cup quarter-finals next week.

"It is a tough challenge having to juggle the squad in order to get the best out of the players in every game but there is no doubt in my mind that they have the right man for the job in John Robertson."

Taken from the Scotsman