It is often said that, in sport, it is better to be lucky than good. If that is the case, then poor Peter Leven is on the wrong end of the equation.
Leven, obviously, would never claim himself to be among those most significantly affected by Vladimir Putin’s grisly invasion of Ukraine. But it is with more than the standard measure of Scottish self-deprecation that he laments the fact that his coaching CV is likely to make most interesting reading in the two countries least conducive to employment opportunities for British citizens.
There are not many coaches whose professional trajectory has passed through Orenburg, Dynamo Brest and Jarrow Roofing, and with seemingly few takers upon his return to the UK, Leven openly wondered whether a ceiling had been placed above him. His unexpected inability to personally savour the fulfilment of his short-term target at Aberdeen is wistfully in keeping with the ill-starred nature of his career journey.
But his absence from Pittodrie on the day relegation was officially seen off does not detract from Leven’s huge contribution to its attainment.
It is less than two months since the reins were dropped by a manager who foresaw no further wins being registered by a heartless team incapable of keeping the ball out of its net. Yet Leven has picked them up and ridden those same players on a six-game unbeaten league run, with five clean sheets, surrounding the gutsy effort in the epic Scottish Cup semi.
It has been a fortuitous confluence of club and coach, each being what the other needed at the right time. Whether Leven reverts to his previous role or chooses to explore the options he may well have, it will be with the deep gratitude of this Red Army, and best wishes for his lasting health.
