Steven Pressley: Cathro needs time at Hearts – but they’ll give him that

Like many new ventures, I think that it will take time for things to come together for Ian Cathro and Hearts.

We live in a football world now where you’re judged immediately. But implementing change doesn’t happen overnight, especially if your methods and your ways of coaching can be different from those of the previous manager.

Likewise It takes time if you want to influence the culture of the football club, if you want to bring in players that can deliver the way you want to play – all of these things take a period of time.

I think with regards to Ian, it will take him until the summer and to get a pre-season under his belt with the players to see who he wants then. So patience is required there and people need to be understanding of that.

The problem we have in football when we look at clubs like Manchester City or Manchester United, teams that can spend astronomical amounts of money, and the expectation on them to deliver instant success. You can understand that because they’ve given all the resources to do that.

But now we’re judging every manager in the same way and most don’t have that resource.

And for those without the mega riches you have to let them adopt a culture and develop a team. That’s what is needed at Hearts, he’ll have to be given time and the resource to bring in players and the way he wants to play.

Cathro will be supported at Hearts

It’s been an indifferent start for Ian. There was so much intensity and focus on the appointment, but it’s been indifferent – but that’s natural. It’s a change.

The club need to take a big deep breath and give their chosen appointment the due time to grasp the opportunity and make an impact. And the good thing is I think he’s gone into the right club in order to do that.

He’s got an excellent chairwoman, and he’s got great support from Craig Levein. So if there’s one outfit where you would hope he could succeed in, Hearts are certainly that club.

That’s the important thing and I don’t think we should judge any manager too quickly either positively or negatively. The honest truth is managers should be judged over a longer period of time than they are right now.

It’s not beyond Hearts to finish second. Obviously the situation at Rangers and the uncertainty there over their next managerial appointment could have good implications for Hearts.

But there’s a long way to go and it’s important not to put too much pressure on Ian at this stage.

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