MOWBRAY BACKS HEARTS

Hibernian manager Tony Mowbray insists his time at Celtic during the early 1990s leads him to believe Hearts players will not let their current off-field problems affect them.

Mowbray spent four years at Parkhead during the most financially-turbulent period in the Glasgow club's history which only ended in 1994 when Canada-based businessman Fergus McCann came in with a last-minute rescue package to prevent the Glasgow club going bankrupt.

Hearts are the latest Scottish club to experience behind-the-scenes problems.

Hibs' 2-0 victory over the Gorgie men in the Bank of Scotland last Saturday came a week after Jambos boss George Burley departed due to "irreconcilable differences" with majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov and only two days before chairman George Foulkes and chief executive Phil Anderton left after a disagreement with the Lithuanian businessman.

But Mowbray insists the Jambos players will be able to shrug off the politics to concentrate on their football.

He said: "We had some pretty strong personalities in that Celtic dressing room, we had Charlie Nicholas, Paul McStay and one or two others.

"Yes, players talk about what's going on off the field but when the whistle goes you are still aware that you have to go and win a football match.

"That's when the group of players have got to show solidarity because you still play for the club, the supporters, yourself and your family.

"That's what it's about and I am sure there is no-one at Hearts on the playing side who are sitting thinking 'we can afford to get beaten on Saturday because we can put it down to the trouble going on'. You don't think like that.

"I am still a big believer that football is about winning football matches and winning games takes a lot of problems away.

"If they win the match with Dundee United then things might start to turn around and if they continue to win matches then the problems won't seem so intense."

Most of the speculation surrounding the departure of Burley centred around allegations that Romanov was interfering in team selections but Mowbray is grateful that he is under no such pressure at Easter Road - for now.

He said: "I have not had any interference from my chairman but you don't know how you would react until you are in that situation.

"This is my first job and I am working with a chairman who lets me get on with the football side of things.

"We have discussions and debates about whether we can bring somebody in or give a player a new contract or whatever but he is quite relaxed about me picking the team and the tactics.

"But if I am losing too many games, I am pretty sure he will let me know what he thinks."

Taken from sportinglife.com