Robertson keen to keep continuity

STUART BATHGATE

JOHN Robertson was naturally disappointed that his first match as the Hearts head coach ended in defeat, but yesterday he insisted he was pleased with the way his team played in the 1-0 UEFA Cup loss to Schalke given the distractions of the preceding week. The former Inverness Caledonian Thistle manager, who was unveiled as Craig Levein’s successor just the day before the Murrayfield match, also made it plain he had no desire to make radical changes at the club.

"Yet again Hearts didn’t get a fair shout from the referee," was Robertson’s considered verdict on the Group A game. "Inconsistency is what frustrates players most. In the first half we competed very well, but obviously when Patrick Kisnorbo got sent off we were on the back foot.

"I praise the players for being able to focus like they did last night after the upheaval of the last ten days. That shows their professionalism and what they’re like as men as well as footballers."

Such qualities have already convinced the new coach that tinkering with the squad would be counter-productive. "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it," he said. "Hearts are a very, very good side. Craig has taken this club to two third places in the past two years, and we won’t make changes for changes’ sake.

"I don’t want the players to forget Craig Levein - what he’s asked them to do is the same as I ask them. We want them to go out, work hard, compete when we’ve not got the ball, and, when we do get the ball, show how good a team we are."

Robertson may, however, have radical change forced upon him with the arrival of Vladimir Romanov and Anatoly Byshovets. The budget could be increased massively by the Lithuanian, Byshovets as director of football may have changes in mind, and the question of where Hearts will play in future remains unresolved.

Such issues must have been at the back of Levein’s mind during the last few weeks before his move to Leicester City, but, like his predecessor, Robertson has decided to deal with what is in front of him now rather than what might turn up in future. "I haven’t had a meeting with Mr Romanov yet.

"All I’m concentrating on is the football. It’s a big, big week for the players with the Aberdeen game, then the CIS Cup match midweek then the league game against Kilmarnock."

The defeat by Schalke left Hearts with little hope of reaching the last 32, but one encouraging sign was the size of the crowd at Murrayfield - at 27,000, well in excess of the capacity at Tynecastle. The Schalke coach, Ralf Rangnick, said his team would have had a harder fight if Hearts had been able to play at their home ground, but on this topic too, Robertson sees no reason to rail against reality.

"You saw the Braga game and last night - for one-off European ties Murrayfield’s got a place. It would be fantastic if we had a 25,000 capacity at Tynecastle, but we don’t."

Nor would he be drawn when asked if he would suggest to Romanov that an expanded Tynecastle had to be the future venue for the club. "I’m sure a man like Mr Romanov will have his own ideas," he said.

While the changes brought about by Romanov should be positive ones, Robinson knows that, with a dozen squad members out of contract in the summer, Levein could return to prey on his old club. An enhanced budget will clearly help Robertson guard against such losses, but he is realistic enough to acknowledge that some players will want to move on and test themselves in England.

Given his consistency over the past couple of years, Alan Maybury is the most likely to receive offers to move south of the Border, perhaps from Leicester City. The Ireland international said that, while he had not been musing over the matter, he remained ambitious.

"I haven’t thought about it, to be honest," the full-back said. "I’m thankful for everything Craig Levein did for me, and I think I’ve progressed as a player since I’ve been here. Twelve of us are out of contract in the summer, and people have just decided he [Levein] wants me or Mark [de Vries] or Paddy [Kisnorbo], but I’m not sure it works like that. I want to play at the highest level I can. If Hearts is the highest level then I’ll be happy, if I can go higher again then brilliant.

"It’s hard to say exactly whether the Championship is a higher standard than the SPL, because I’ve only played six games in it on loan for Crewe. We played Millwall in the summer and drew 1-1, but I thought we were the better team."

Maybury added that there had been no recriminations against Kisnorbo for being sent off two minutes into the second half on Thursday. "Patrick feels he was hard done by, but he also feels he let the lads down. He’s a strong character and I’m sure he’ll be right for the next game. I don’t think anyone is attaching blame or falling out with him over it."

De Vries and Phil Stamp, meanwhile, are Hearts’ only injury doubts for tomorrow’s match in Aberdeen. Both will receive late fitness tests.

While determined not to make wholesale changes, Robertson knows that, with such a heavy load of fixtures, he will be forced to rest some players from time to time. Both De Vries and Stamp, however, need regular games to get close to match fitness in time for the tie against Basel on 25 November.

Taken from the Scotsman