Romanov on lookout for a director of football

ANGUS WRIGHT

VLADIMIR Romanov has hinted that he wants to appoint a director of football at Hearts as well as a new manager.

The Tynecastle club's majority shareholder flirted before with the concept when he brought in former Russia manager Anatoly Byshovets to work alongside former Hearts head coach John Robertson last season. The partnership never flourished but Romanov is still keen on the idea.

"This is a big problem in Scottish football," he told BBC Scotland. "The fact is we have a gap between the organisation structure and manager, so we need a director of football role.

"The manager has so much responsibility with the team and spending money on players so there is an awful lot of work for an individual to cope with those demands."

Romanov also denied wanting more influence in the dressing room, despite suggestions his interference with former manager George Burley's work was one of the chief reasons for the latter's departure last week. "What is important is to have a relationship with the manager whereby he makes clear to me if he is buying a player, what his motivation for buying that player is," Romanov added.

He also refused to criticise Paul Hartley and Rudi Skacel after showing slogans on their T-shirts backing the manager following Saturday's 2-0 league win over Dunfermline.

"I don't judge the players for what they did," said Romanov. "They are still young guys, they are still subject to influences and there are people who will influence them to their own ends."

Romanov is convinced Hearts can still go on to win the title despite their recent turmoil. He said: "I think we can win the championship. We must strive for that, otherwise why would I bring players of the calibre of Edgaras Jankauskas who has won the Champions League or Takis Fyssas, who has won the European Championship with Greece? I'm not buying players for commercial reasons but for success."

Taken from the Scotsman