Robson put off managing Hearts by Romanov factor

ANDREW WARSHAW

BOBBY Robson turned down managing Hearts because it was not a big enough club and because he was concerned about reporting to Vladimir Romanov, Scotland on Sunday can reveal.

Until now, the 72-year-old former England manager, one of the game's most respected footballing ambassadors, has kept his counsel on the circumstances surrounding his decision not to accept an offer to replace George Burley at Tynecastle. At one time following Burley's shock departure, Robson was the bookies' favourite to take the post before Graham Rix was surprisingly installed as Burley's successor.

In an exclusive interview, Robson said he couldn't risk playing second fiddle to the club's Lithuanian tycoon owner. Interference from Romanov appears to have been a major reason behind the departures of both Burley and chief executive Phil Anderton and Robson, one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game, said he could not countenance going the same way.

"I'm not in a hurry to take the wrong job but I'm ready to take the right job," said Robson, who spoke to Scotland on Sunday at last week's Soccerex conference in Dubai. "I'm still in the market place for one last major coaching job and yes, I met the Hearts chairman twice and was offered the job. But I didn't want to be second to anyone at the football club. I'm not a yes man."

After a series of high-profile coaching roles in England, Spain, Holland and Portugal, Robson, who had already turned down the Hearts job earlier in the year before Burley was appointed, has now also ruled out the idea of taking on the role as director of football. Once again, he says, it would not be a senior enough position, rather a move upstairs with little or no say in the day-to-day running of team affairs.

"My forte is working with players on the pitch every day. I'm fit and enthusiastic and I like getting out with players. Unless it was a really, really big club who wanted some assistance, the director of football job would not interest me as much as being No.1 in the club. And the No.1 person in the club is the manager. He is the one who trains, coaches, selects, prepares and wins football matches."

Robson's decision to shun Romanov's advances appears to have a lot to with Anderton's departure. Two weeks ago, as he contemplated whether to move back into management 14 months after being sacked by Newcastle, Robson was quoted as calling Anderton a "top man who is intelligent, forthright and honest".

Then Anderton lost his job and Robson, who previously indicated he would want sole say in selecting the team, immediately had second thoughts. "The job wasn't for me," he said. "There is no job I couldn't take on because I still have my health and enthusiasm but I believe the chairman was always going to bring in his own players. The chairman has decided he wants Graham Rix and good luck to him."

Taken from the Scotsman