Partick Thistle 0 - 0 Hearts

JAMES PORTEOUS January 10 2005

The future of Hearts Football Club was supposed to finally be sorted out today; instead, there is further evidence that the off-field uncertainty is affecting the players and manager.

Patrick Kisnorbo's agent confirmed yesterday that his client would be joining Mark de Vries and Alan Maybury at Leicester City at the end of the season as Craig Levein took further advantage of his former club's penury. Ramón Pereira also seems set to leave, with Nottingham Forest the most likely destination; his adviser flew in from Spain today for talks with the club.

John Robertson's dream job is turning sourer by the day. With 12 players out of contract, his budget dependent on various unresolved factors, a fleet of Eastern European immigrants wandering about the club's training ground and his team unable to kill off a Partick Thistle side that just two weeks ago were an utter shambles, the look of disillusionment on his face after this game was understandable.

Vladimir Romanov's takeover was supposed to be sealed at an extraordinary general meeting tonight, with the future of Tynecastle secured. Romanov, Robertson, the players and supporters, now have to wait until January 27 to see if the deal will take place. That would leave Robertson with four days of the transfer window remaining to strengthen or – more likely at the rate players are leaving – rebuild his squad.

The absence of de Vries was keenly felt at Firhill as Robertson's side largely dominated without creating a clear opening. Half-chances that did arise fell to the likes of Kevin McKenna, a centre-half pressed into service up front, and Robbie Nielson, a full-back with one career goal to his name.

Nothing is guaranteed to get a footballer on the phone to his agent faster than talk of pay-cuts, and Robertson's admission on Friday that his budget was likely to be slashed seems to have gone down as well in the dressing room as could be expected.

"If I don't play, I have to think of my future," said Pereira, who gave Hearts more of an attacking threat when Robertson finally put him on in the second half. "I'm still very happy at Hearts and would like to stay, but if it's not possible my contract finishes in the summer.

"[The Nottingham Forest speculation] is true. My agent comes back on Monday and maybe then we'll make a decision. My preference is to stay at Hearts, but not on the bench." Kisnorbo's agent, Dave McPherson, said Hearts' straits made a move for his client imperative. "We've been talking to Hearts for some time regarding Patrick's situation," he said, "but the success or otherwise of the takeover could change everything again. That's an impossible situation to do business in." Adding to the misery, Steven Pressley's agent, Gordon Smith, was keen to stress yesterday that it should not be taken for granted that the club captain will sign a new deal either.

No wonder Robertson appeared careworn after this game.

"The standard of our finishing and play in the last third has been poor," he admitted after seeing Thistle restrict his side, in terms of shots on target, to a 35-yard free-kick from Phil Stamp with minutes remaining.

Oh, speaking of Stamp, he says he'll probably be off in the summer as well.

"We're going to try and get players in but given the current financial climate it's going to be difficult," added Robertson.

Meanwhile, it was the debut of the new Thistle manager, Dick Campbell, who carried on where John Lambie's caretakership left off. The side was unchanged, a rare occurrence this season, and they delivered a display of commitment, hard work and occasional skill that was nothing like the clueless efforts under Gerry Britton and Derek Whyte.

Looking infinitely more organised than they have this season, Thistle even created the best chance of the game, when Juan Ramón Escalas clipped a post shortly before half-time.

They were lucky not to concede a penalty when Kenny Milne and Jamie Mitchell simultaneously tripped Graham Weir early in the first half, but deserved that luck.

Indeed, as a measure of the transformation under Lambie and now Campbell, the much-maligned (not least by this observer) French pair, Jean-Yves Anis and Armand Oné, were two of Thistle's best performers. Suddenly, relegation no longer looks a certainty.

"The base is there – we didn't lose a goal," said Campbell, who will look to strengthen this month. A Levein-style visit to former club Brechin for Charlie King and Stevie Hampshire is likely.

"Once I analyse the playing staff, there may well be one or two going out. I'm sure once I identify players that I think can do a job for Partick Thistle, then the board will back me up. They know what's at stake."

Taken from the Herald