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Craig Levein admits that has every sympathy for Neil Lennon but he insists there are lines that just cannot be crossed.

However Levein revealed that he was all in favour of allowing referees to come out and explain their decisions.

Lennon lambasted official Kevin Clancy as ‘amateurish’ and reckoned that referees also deserved red cards after he awarded a contentious penalty kick that led to Kilmarnock equaliser during Saturday’s 2-2 Premiership draw at Rugby Park.

Lennon screamed in Clancy’s face and sarcastically applauded the whistler as he was banished to the stands.

(Image: Jamie Williamson)

The Hearts boss has been cast in the same movie as Lennon before and said: “I get Neil’s situation.

“There has to be a line – or it becomes chaos.

“I think the scrutiny has changed.

“I think the ability to look at referees’ decisions in more detail has become a difficult thing to control.

‘Everybody gets the opportunity to slow it down and have a look, pick holes in a decision.

“I’ve always liked the idea of referees being able to explain their decisions after a game.

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“I think this whole furore is interesting.

“It’s good that it’s not me at the centre of it!

“I think the scrutiny is greater.

“How do you measure whether the refereeing standard has gone up or down?

“If you ask me after three games when we’ve had three bad decisions, I would tell you it’s terrible.

“Listen, I’ve been over the line loads of times.

‘The point I’m making is I understand Neil’s frustration because I’ve been there.

“It compounds the frustration when you get sent off but you know it’s coming.

“Before the fourth officials were there, as long as you kept the technical areas a good 20 metres apart, all you did was go round and round like a Tasmanian Devil – until you’d calmed down!

“Now the fourth official is the one who gives you somebody to vent your angry at.

“I actually feel sorry for them.

“Half the things I say, I think to myself afterwards: “What a f***ing p***k I am …”

‘When there is somebody there and you are frustrated, you are automatically going to go to him, because you can’t get to the referee.

(Image: SNS)

“It is pure frustration.

“Having prepared your team properly and seen them do everything you wanted them to do, then something else outside that affects the match, that’s the most frustrating thing in the world.

“We all make mistakes.

“Managers make mistakes, players make mistakes, referees make mistakes.

‘There has to be rules or it just becomes crazy.

“I myself haven’t been able to stay on the right side of the line, on occasions when I feel that there is an injustice.

“As I say, I’m just glad it wasn’t me but it might be in the Kilmarnock game!”

Levein also urged young starlet Harry Cochrane to ignore speculation linking the midfielder with a move to English Premier League side Brighton.

(Image: SNS Group)

Levein admits that Cochrane would be best served clocking up 100 games for Hearts and that any potential English suitors are just trying to land top Scottish talent om the cheap

Levein said: “Harry is still just a bairn. He’s only 16.

“He has a long way to go before he becomes the finished article.

“The people who are looking at him just now are not looking at him as the finished article.

“They are looking for an opportunity to steal him for a smaller price and put him in their under-20 team.

“The success rate of the ones who leave after playing two or three first team games is pretty poor.

“The success rate of the ones that played 100 games is the one that’s hugely significant.

“Any kid who goes down to England to play in an academy is not being bought by a first-team manager.”

Hearts take on Killie tonight in the Premiership knowing that a win for the Ayrshire men would see Steve Clarke’s side leapfrog over the Jambos into fifth spot.

After Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox, Levein revealed that he is happy to be returnng to fortress Tynecastle where Hearts have yet to lose since they opened their new £12 million main stand.

Levein said: “We were stung by the performance on Saturday so it’s good to get back to Tynecastle.

“If you look back over the years, this has been the place where we pick up most of our points.

“Steve Clarke’s done a brilliant job. He’s a good manager, isn’t he?

“He’s made a good few signings which helps, and his players are starting to believe in themselves.

“Look where Kilmarnock were when he came in and look where they are now.”