PRESSLEY: RACE TO PHIL THE HEARTS HOT-SEAT IN GOOD HANDS

THE SEARCH is on for a new manager of Hearts and we must be thankful that Phil Anderton is involved in the hunt with Vladimir Romanov. It has been a dramatic few days for everyone at the club after the disappointing parting of the ways with George Burley.

The players were sorry to see him go and the saddest thing of all is that we will never know what might have been achieved under his leadership.

There have been so many rumours and opinions as to why George left the club but it's unlikely we'll ever know the real reason because of the confidentiality deal signed by both parties.

As players, all we can do is get on with the job in hand and, as club captain, it's my job to try to keep the squad focused.

One thing that time and experience has taught me is the importance of having the right manager.

We need that man to be in place as soon as possible so that he can steer us in the right direction and build on what has been achieved so far.

I sympathise with chief executive Phil. He did an excellent job in bringing George to the club in the first place and must have been delighted with the quality of his work in his short time in charge.

After John Robertson left the club, time was on Phil's side because the season was drawing to a close but that isno longer a luxury he is afforded.

He must work with Mr Romanov to find the right man quickly but Phil is a skilled and diligent operator andwe can trust him to make the correct decision.

The same applies to John McGlynn, who has been handed control of team affairs in the interim period.

No one works harder for Hearts than John and time and again he has had to step forward to steer the ship through difficult waters.

John is a man and coach for whom the players have the utmost respect andhe can be proud of the way he has handled the situation.

I'm under the spotlight also but acting as squad spokesman is something I've become used to in the past 12 months following the departures of first Craig Levein and then Robbo.

It's a responsibility I'm more than happy to accept but I'm also indebted to my best pal Ian MacFarlane for his encouragement Ian is the chief executive of CR Smith andhe'll bemy guest at Tynecastle tonight, along with companyowner Gerard Eadie, as a thank-you for his support in what has been a challenging time.

I'll be sitting out the game against Kilmarnock due to suspension after being sent off against Dunfermline and that was something that left me so disappointed.

I can have no complaints about the referee's decision. I paid the price for a lapse in concentration in the 90th minute and this proved that no matter how experienced you are in football you never stop learning.

However, I hope to be back for the weekend derby against Hibs at Easter Road.

Hearts have received a lot of plaudits of late but we should not underestimate just how well Hibs have done.

I'm also very impressed with Tony Mowbray and have been since he arrived at the club. He has been doing a first class job with limited funds and has helped build an excellent side.

However, hopefully Hearts will be the team with the happy faces on Saturday night. It would be great to see our fans smiling again after the events of the last few days

Taken from the Daily Record