Romanov hints Hearts legend may be back as boss

HEARTS owner Vladimir Romanov today insisted he would like to see former boss John Robertson return as manager.

The strike legend was sacked three months ago after failing to make Europe, the Lithuanian revealing he felt it would be "useless" to continue with him in charge.

Despite claiming that Robertson lacked the experience to front his Tynecastle revolution though, the Baltic banker holds no grudges and would welcome him back to Gorgie if the timing was right.

"I would be happy if John came back as manager of Hearts in the future.

"I don't know when that may happen, though - not now but some time in the future when he has gained more experience as a manager," said the businessman, who became the club's largest single shareholder when he bought out Chris Robinson in February.

With the news that Robinson is to work on Hearts' new stadium plans as a consultant for Romanov, a move which will enrage supporters, chief executive Phil Anderton has spoken out to assure fans the man they love to hate will not be back at Tynecastle as such. "He has no official association with the club," said Anderton. "He is not on the board and he doesn't hold a position here.

"If any shareholder of this club wants to take on the services of Chris Robinson it is entirely up to them."

Robertson was not out of football for long after his emotional exit from Hearts, Ross County handing him the opportunity of a rapid return to the dug-out after Alex Smith's departure. Tynecastle chief Romanov, who brought in former Derby County and Ipswich Town boss George Burley to fill the vacant hot seat, reckons that working at that lower level will be of enormous benefit to Robertson in the long run.

"I am pleased he got back into football so quickly," he said.

"His love of the game is a rare characteristic to have and he will gain good experience."

Speaking at length about Robertson's ill-fated reign for the first time, the Lithuanian admitted the pair could no longer work together.

"It is good when a manager is ambitious but he must also be clever and knowledgeable when selecting players," he said. "John began to make his own decisions. He would say one thing and then do another. Our opinions were similar but in reality our actions were different and in the end we lost contact."

He added: "He said he wasn't experienced enough so we offered to find him a manager who was experienced so they could work together. We gave him what he asked for but it didn't work out.

"We tried at the beginning with Anatoly Byshovets from Russia but there was a problem in that he didn't speak English and the language difficulty was a barrier. We tried to make things work but John kept saying new things. We have now brought George Burley to the club and we are confident that with a bit of luck, he will do well." Romanov has bankrolled deals for the Lithuanian trio of Salius Mikoliunas, David Cesnauskas and most recently Edgaras Jankauskas. But he insisted the influx of players from the east will stop as Burley sets about rebuilding.

"There are already three Lithuanian players in the team. That is enough otherwise it could cause a bit of friction. There should be more Scottish players," he said. It has been a week blessed with good news around Tynecastle so far, and that is certain to continue today when Czech striker Roman Bednar signs for the club.

However Hearts have had to contend with a £25,000 fine from the SPL for fielding striker Graham Weir against Celtic last season after his contract had expired. Chief executive Phil Anderton explained: "We hold our hands up and accept the fine because it was an administrative blunder."

Taken from the Scotsman