DARRYL BROADFOOT November 02 2005

THE Hearts board, according to George Foulkes, now resembles the Soviet Politburo. In his farewell speech, the former chairman likened Vladimir Romanov's omnipotence to that of a dictator.

Yesterday, the owner of 55% of the club's shares offered his son, Roman, centre stage to declare his suitability for the dual role of chairman and acting chief executive, and to simultaneously justify his apparent rule by iron fist.

At 30, his boyish features hardly indicated indulgence in the high-risk, high-stakes business which has proved so rewarding for his father. Possessing all the outward charm of a poker sharp, Romanov Jr delivered a serious message: nothing and no-one will be allowed to compromise the dynasty's ambition.

With Anderton sacrificed for failing to demonstrate the requisite business knowledge and George Burley consenting to his sacking while top of the league, the peril of questioning Romanov is perfectly clear.

Roman Romanov did not so much answer the battery of questions thrown, often contemptuously, at him as listen for relevant buzz words before delivering a prepared response.

Why Anderton was hired in the first place when clearly lacking an essential part of the job description went unanswered; so too the supplementary enquiry about the timing of the dismissal as Romanov prepares to remove the club from the stock exchange.

As Roman Romanov urged patience and trust, impatience and mistrust were fostered outside by a beleaguered support. They are in danger of being helpless outsiders as the Lithuanian revolution reaches a critical yet uncertain phase. Romanov Jr suggested they owe a debt of gratitude to his father for sparing them extinction.

"It certainly looked like it because they were about to move from Tynecastle and were in a very difficult financial situation," he said, even though the majority of the club's £19m debt has simply been transferred to a different account.

"Saving Hearts was the easiest part for Vladimir. We are still in a very difficult situation even after a year. Drastic decisions have to be made but we are not here for three months. We have made a five- to 10-year long-term investment. Some people will leave and some people will stay but he wants to make Hearts great and compete with all the major clubs in Europe."

Ambition comes at a price but, amid fears of asset stripping, Romanov Jr reaffirmed that money-making is not his father's motivation. He also pledged that in the worst-case scenario, Hearts would not be left homeless or penniless.

"Vladimir Romanov has never made a buck on football," he said [his father also has interests in FBK Kaunas, in Lithuania, and MTZ-Ripo, in Belarus]. "He wanted it to be a business where he would not lose money and not make money. Even if it goes badly in the short term, we will make sure it is okay."

Fears of identity and image crises were downplayed, with the appointment of a new manager the most pressing concern. Yet, with Stewart Fraser the only remaining Scot on the board, the odds on a British appointment have lengthened. The uncertainties over selection and signing independence also counterbalance the attractive salary package on offer.

Romanov Jr offered an insight into the levels of achievement expected of the third manager of his father's reign. "The way Hearts started the season and the way they are playing now is not progressing," he said, "but we can attract better people now than we could when we first came. Nobody knew about Hearts and we could not attract anybody."

The new chief executive will be a businessman whose attributes are aligned with the owner's. Philanthropists and those of a football-first philosophy need not apply.

In the meantime, Romanov Jr will do his father's bidding and, after presiding over a 1500-strong staff at one of his dad's companies in the former Yugoslavia, considers himself equipped for the chairmanship.

"I think I will bring to the role the same ideas as my father and push the ideas that are for the benefit of Hearts," he said. "We just felt it wasn't working. He [Anderton] was a good CEO when we hired him, we need somebody to push the club forward."

Ultimately, Romanov will continue to have the casting vote in all aspects of the club's day-to-day running. "I can understand why they [supporters] are astonished but we had to make these decisions to help Hearts improve," said Romanov Jr. "My father only asks what decisions are being made and why. When his name is on the cheque, he wants to make sure it is the right decision."

Taken from the Herald