Wallace: Kenny and I chilled out in USA by watching Tynecastle FC

LEE WALLACE and Kenny Miller perched on the ends of their beds, glued to the action unfolding in front of them.

As the screen flickered, so the debate between them raged on.

They weren’t watching the European Championships, a glamour pre-season game or a re-run of a top match.

Instead it was footage of Tynecastle FC’s latest game.

’ pre-season camp in South Carolina was all about Mark Warburton putting his men through their paces ahead of their return to the top flight.

The temperatures in Charleston were unbearable, the humidity energy-sapping.

But during their downtime, room-mates Wallace and Miller were showing their obsession with the game.

Wallace is on the backroom staff at the East of Scotland League side and helps out all he can.

Miller, seven years older at 36, is throwing himself into coaching as he nears the end of his playing days.

So there was a meeting of minds whenever Gers skipper Wallace received the latest video from Edinburgh.

He said: “We get the games filmed and sent out. Kenny and I would dissect how Tynecastle had played.

“For me, I know the boys inside out and everything we’re trying to achieve.

“It was fantastic to have Kenny getting up to speed with the guys and how we want to play.

“It’s great to lean on that experience and knowledge and that Kenny is taking such a keen interest in trying to help us.

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“Another bonus is I’m going back to the boys, whether it’s between drills or at key times in the week, and telling them a guy like Kenny Miller is taking an interest in them and giving us feedback.

“It’s been hugely positive. It’s all the salt and pepper pots, the tactics boards, bits of paper and diagrams. We actually got a bit of stick last season because of it, but it’s all done so we can hopefully improve.”

Spend time in Wallace’s company and his drive and determination to succeed in everything he does is crystal clear. Touch on the subject of coaching and his passion and willingness to learn that side of the game shines through.

Watching Warburton work has been an education he’s soaked up. But as Gers are criticised for only having one style, Wallace insists he and the other staff at Tynecastle have to get their side playing for the level they’re at.

It doesn’t mean he will turn his back on a deep desire to play the game the right way though.

Wallace said: “My coaching was definitely influenced by the manager here to start with. It would be wrong for me to receive the level of knowledge and in-depth material we get and not go to Tynecastle with it.

“A mistake we possibly made as coaches last season was setting standards so high. We’ve learned from our failings and part of that might have been taking too much back from Rangers, or from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, too much from Pep Guardiola.

“We needed to get back to basics and look at the level we’re at and the level of player we’ve got.

“We had to look at how we can be the best we can be at East of Scotland part-time level. There are two nights training a week and the game, so you’ve got a limited time to get your ideas across.

“The lads have been hugely receptive to the style we’ve tried to get at that level.

“We’re hopefully going to be in for a better season after learning from what we did wrong last year. As far as Guardiola, Bayern and Barcelona go, it will be my style if I go on and coach at the highest level.

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“But, in relation to East of Scotland level, we had to come up with a formula that’s going to make us harder to beat.

“We beat last year’s Treble winners Leith Athletic in the qualifying cup last weekend, which was a massive positive.

“We’ll try and follow that performance up, but I think we’re in a better place now than we were last year.”

Yet Wallace sees no reason for Gers to tweak what they are doing, despite the flak it sometimes brings.

Speaking as he helped Ladbrokes promote their season-ticket competition in SunSport, he added: “You’re definitely aware of that criticism. Guys from outside are always going to have different opinions.

“We know how we’re going to get to where we want to be and how we’re going to do it. If we’re the best we can be as individuals, the consequences are we’ll win more than we’ll lose.

“We’ve not just got one way. We’ve got rotations in our system. Everyone knows we’re 4-3-3, the same you could say for Barcelona.

“In our midfield three triangles, the point can face forwards, the point can face down. We’ve got good fluency in our front three, which works well.”