The last time Craig Levein sat in front of the assembled media for a press conference, he was introducing Robbie Neilson as the first head coach of his reign as Heart of Midlothian's director of football.

On Friday morning, two years and seven months on from so-called Budgement Day, when old faces in the squad were released and Levein's fresh approach was ushered in with whirlwind speed, the 52-year-old was back facing the cameras just hours after agreeing to let Neilson and assistant Stevie Crawford go to MK Dons.

Expectations were not that Levein was going to talk at length about the machinations of the deal, nor to openly state the identity of his preferred candidate - and in that respect the waiting media were correct.

The former Dundee United, Leicester City and Scotland manager did surprise with his relaxed attitude and determination to answer most questions as fully as he felt able to.

It is fair to say that, ever since the relationship breakdown between Levein and the media during the terminal decline of his Scotland tenure, the former defender has never looked like relishing a chance to sit down with the fourth estate.

At the Oriam performance centre, where Hearts base their team's preparations, he noticeably hit every note the supporters would have hoped to hear.

What precipitated Neilson's desire to quit a team doing well in the top tier of Scottish football for one struggling in the third tier in England?

"Logic," declared Levein, led the 36-year-old to believe it would increase his chances of managing at the top level - the English Premier League.

Did he try to persuade him to stay?

In a fascinatingly-worded answer Levein said it would have been futile once Neilson's mind was made up but the inference was that he had his doubts over the move.

It showed the fans - a minority of whom have noisily criticised the head coach - that their dissatisfaction with aspects of Neilson's style were not being projected into the Tynecastle boardroom.

Of immediate concern was the identity of Saturday's interim management team - and specifically whether or not Levein would make a step back into the dugout.

With an adept, self-deprecating line - "Have you seen these skinny tracksuits they wear? What do you think?"- he defused the question mark which has long hung over his role at Hearts.

How much influence does he bring to bear on the first team? Not enough to want to enter the frontline, even for one match.

Jon Daly and Andy Kirk, the development squad coaching team, take charge in Dingwall.

In May 2014, Levein spoke at length of the plan to promote coaches from within the Hearts structure and many had thought this pair could be in line for the job full time.

"Too soon," said Levein. Also name checking Liam Fox, currently cutting his teeth at Cowdenbeath, the director of football revealed none of his trio of young coaches is deemed up to the task yet.

Circumstances outwith his control decided that the promote-from-within strategy was not the one for Hearts at this time. Losing Neilson at this point is just one of the moving pieces.

Significantly, again returning to that May afternoon in the Bobby Walker suite of the soon-to-be-gone Tynecastle main stand, Levein then had one name in mind as the coach to be next in line. Ian Cathro.

Within weeks of taking up his role at Hearts, Levein had approached his former head of youth at Dundee United to sound him out for the development squad job.

Cathro was on the cusp of following Portuguese boss Nuno from Rio Ave to Valencia, however, and the lure of coaching in La Liga was too strong to turn down in favour of a return to Scotland just two years after quitting his role in the SFA's performance school strategy.

Levein was not going to openly discuss "his friend" Cathro during the media conference but identifying a "young, intelligent, energetic and enthusiastic" ideal candidate was as good as an acknowledgement the 30-year-old sits squarely within his template for the job.

No official approach has been made, and the assistant to Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United was preparing his side to face Nottingham Forest on Friday night.

Hearts will likely wait until after playing Ross County before making their move. When they do it will set in motion the wheels of a plan that Levein once had but perhaps feared had passed him by.

It is no wonder he appeared relaxed while speaking during a period which, from the outside, looks to be uncertain and unsettling.

Sometimes, even when you least expect it, the pieces still fall into place.