ANDERTON: BOSS WILL PICK TEAM

Hearts chief executive Phil Anderton will assure Sir Bobby Robson and other prospective managerial candidates they alone will be responsible for team selection.

The Tynecastle chief has confirmed the Bank of Scotland Premier League leaders will be approaching the former England boss over the vacancy left by the departure of George Burley.

The former Scotland international is believed to have been involved in a row with majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov on Friday evening as their relationship disintegrated over team selection.

Robson has already expressed an interest in the post and Anderton is keen to speak to the 72-year-old.

Former Parma coach Nevio Scala is also expected to be in the frame after being interviewed for the position along with Burley during the summer.

Romanov has already ruled out the possibility of ex-Kaunas head coach Vladas Ivanauskas taking over.

But the Tynecastle chief executive insists the successful candidate will be in sole charge of team selection.

Anderton said: "The reassurances I will be giving are that Mr Romanov is a man who is absolutely committed to the club.

"He has done everything he said he would do, despite lots of doubters.

"He cancelled the sale of the stadium, bought the shareholding and said he wants to buy the rest of the shareholding and invested in players.

"I will be able to say with conviction that they are buying into someone who has a real commitment to the football club.

"In terms of so-called interference, if interfering is bringing players of the quality of Takis Fyssas - a Euro 2004 winner - to the club, then that is interference a lot of people would welcome.

"I will be able to tell them what I see as the position and try to convince them it is appropriate to come to the club.

"I am not trying to make out - in any shape or form - that people at the club don't have views on who should be playing in the team.

"But the bottom line is the team is selected by the manager and that is the way it should be."

But Anderton maintains the quality of the candidate will take precedence over speed in the appointment.

First-team coach John McGlynn will take charge of the team for the visit of Kilmarnock on Wednesday evening after claiming a 2-0 win over Dunfermline at the weekend.

Anderton said: "We are after the quality - that is the most important thing.

"If we can do it as quickly as we can, we will, but we will not prioritise swiftness over quality."

On Saturday, Hearts cited a "confidentiality" clause in negotiations over Burley's departure, which was caused by "irreconcilable differences".

But, despite the calls from Hearts fans to reveal the true reason for Burley's departure, the chief executive insists the club will honour the agreement.

Anderton said: "We certainly won't break the confidentiality agreement.

"The reason it is there is straightforward. We have reached an agreement - for the benefit of both parties - that we would not get involved in any form of trying to explain why this has happened because that just provides fuel for people to focus on this matter and we would rather move on.

"I know that is highly frustrating for the supporters, who pay their money and feel they have a right to understand these things.

"But there are legal agreements with moral and privacy points we want to respect.

"For example, a supporter may say they have the right to know what Paul Hartley's salary is, but Paul Hartley has a right to his salary being kept confidential.

"I wouldn't be in the business of breaking that confidence and I would do that to protect Paul Hartley and to protect the club.

"I know it is frustrating but that is the reality of it."

Taken from sportinglife.com