Hearts hold on boss decision

HEARTS are edging closer to finding a successor to John Robertson - but won't be in a position to announce their new manager this week.

The Evening News understands that chief executive Phil Anderton has received in excess of 50 applications for the vacant post and, while the club is understood to be making headway in its bid to fill the hot seat, there is nothing imminent.

Fans are growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of information coming out of Tynecastle with the start of pre-season training less than a month away.

However, the exhaustive nature of the search undertaken by Anderton in his attempt to unearth the right candidate has meant that progress has been slow but steady.

It is understood that initial discussions with a number of hopefuls have taken place this week but it may be a few days yet before those talks come to a positive conclusion.

"The club has sifted through a considerable number of applications trying to identify candidates who are serious in their ambitions for the job as manager of Heart of Midlothian Football Club," said a club spokesman today.

Once installed, the new manager will have to act swiftly to bolster the first-team squad in time for the new season.

Christophe Berra, Craig Sives and Graham Weir are among the current crop of players to agree new deals, while Joe Hamill and Mark Burchill are considering new one-year contracts.

There are only around a dozen signed top-team stars at present, with the demands of the SPL requiring the squad to have decent strength in depth.

With that in mind and in the absence of a manager, the club has thrashed out an agreement with FBK Kaunas over the trio of Lithuanians who made such an impression in the latter half of the season.

Saulius Mikoliunas, David Cesnauskis and Marius Kizys were all brought over from the club, which is owned by Tynecastle major shareholder Vladimir Romanov, during the January transfer window and became big favourites with the supporters after settling into the team.

Director Sergei Fedotovas has done a deal with the Lithuanian club to see the players' stays in Gorgie extended - if the new boss wants them.

He said: "We have consent from the Lithuanian club that all three will be made available for next season. But the new manager will need to define the situation with them once he is here.

"As it stands we can have all three for next season on a similar deal to the one we have at the moment but the new manager will obviously have a say in this."

Cesnauskis and Kizys saw the latter part of the season wrecked by injury, while Mikoliunas struggled to reach proper match fitness after serving a six-game ban for pushing assistant referee Andy Davis in a controversial league clash against Rangers at Tynecastle.

The threesome have all enjoyed their first taste of Scottish football, however, and Fedotovas has stressed they are all willing to continue their spell with the Jambos - albeit with the blessing of Robbo's successor.

He added: "I have spoken to all three players and they are pretty happy here and would like to stay on at the club, which is good news."

Taken from the Scotsman