Applicants should not be deterred

By Ian Roache

HEARTS CHAIRMAN George Foulkes is confident the bizarre circumstances surrounding the departure of manager George Burley will not put people off applying for the job.

One of the strangest episodes in Scottish football history saw Burley, who signed a two-year contract in the summer, leave his Tynecastle post on Saturday just a few hours before their home game against Dunfermline.

He became the second man this season to part company with his club despite leading them to the top of their division—Dundee boss Jim Duffy was the first.

Hearts chose to hide behind a confidentiality clause when dealing with the media, saying only that the decision had been “mutually agreed” because of “irreconcilable differences.”

But it is understood a fall-out between Burley and Vladimir Romanov at dinner in Edinburgh on Friday night paved the way for the parting of the ways.

The Lithuanian banker has been accused of meddling in team matters—one rumour has Burley being told he picked the wrong team for the previous week’s trip to Celtic despite his players securing a 1-1 draw that saw them remain unbeaten in the SPL.

Indeed, Burley was reportedly frustrated when Romanov, it is claimed, signed midfielder Samuel Almeida Camazzola without the ex- Ipswich boss having seen the Brazilian play.

Also, there was Neil MacFarlane’s proposed move to Dundee United, which had the plug pulled on it as the player went through a medical at Tannadice, despite the manager giving the go-ahead hours beforehand.

But what made the announcement all the more surprising was the last supper argument came just hours after Romanov had lauded his move to boost his controlling interest in the club and boasted that Hearts could eventually win the Champions League.

Captain Steven Pressley said Saturday’s news came as a “bolt from the blue” and a “complete shock” to him and his colleagues, and Paul Hartley and Rudi Skacel both donned “For the gaffer” messages on T-shirts after the match.

Also, Romanov, who spectated from his usual seat in the main stand, was sworn at and gestured to by some fans at full-time despite Hearts winning 2-0.

It all added up to a trip into the twilight zone, but Foulkes brushed off suggestions that potential candidates will be wary about applying.

“Hearts is greater than any one person and it is important to the fans that we look to the future,” said the chairman.

“The board are currently looking for a new top-class manager who is worthy to be the manager of Heart of Midlothian FC and who will be able to achieve the Champions League place in the SPL.

“I believe that now that we are at the top of the league, with the team we have and the resources Vladimir Romanov has pledged, that we will have a queue of people at our door on Monday morning.

“This is a plum appointment in British football.

“When we appoint the manager it will be absolutely clear the circumstances under which he will (work).

“I am absolutely sure that the terms of reference will attract the highest calibre of manager from all parts of Europe and beyond.

“We will not rush it but there will be no undue delay (in making an appointment).

“The club is going to go from strength to strength.”

Among those being mentioned as possible successors are Lithuanian Valdas Ivanauskas, Italian Nevio Scala, former Russia coach Anatoly Byshovets, German duo Ottmar Hitzfeld and Lothar Matthaus, Serbian Bora Milutinovic, Newcastle’s Graeme Souness, Motherwell gaffer Terry Butcher and ex-England manager Sir Bobby Robson.

By coincidence Robson, who was right in the running along with Scala before Burley took charge, will be in Edinburgh this week to attend the funeral of Fulham legend Johnny Haynes.

Meanwhile, former Hearts chairman Leslie Deans, who shares an 18% stake in the club with business man Robert McGrail, gave his backing to Romanov as the shockwaves continued to reverberate around Tynescastle.

“I was astonished, like everyone else at the ground on Saturday,” he said. “We had the announcement of Vladimir Romanov taking a 55% share of the club on Friday, which was followed by the news on George Burley.

“The club are at the top of the SPL after a fantastic start to the season and are selling out Tynecastle every week.

“It was an almost surreal atmosphere against Dunfermline but there is a massive determination by Mr Romanov to drive Hearts forward.

“If you look at the way we were under the previous regime and chief executive Chris Robinson, we would be facing an altogether different scenario.

“The credit for that is down to one man—Vladimir Romanov.”

Taken from the Courier