Ghostly calm

Despite the ‘break-up’, Hearts’ majority shareholder is still set to act on the signing recommendations of George Burley. Michael Grant reports

POTENTIAL transfer targets identified by George Burley could still be signed by Hearts during the January window. Names that the former manager submitted to Vladimir Romanov are still on the majority shareholder’s list of possible arrivals despite the pair’s personal relationship exploding five weeks ago, leading to Burley’s dramatic departure.

Targets that the Scot believed to be good enough for Hearts, along with others Romanov and his own network of international contacts have identified, will be considered to bolster their title challenge if new head coach Graham Rix can maintain their form until the January window.

Despite Romanov and Burley’s divergent views on the quality of some players – they had contrasting opinions on the quality of Saulius Mikoliunas and Julien Brellier, for example – the Hearts owner did retain enough respect for his former manager’s judgement to maintain an interest in his suggestions for January transfer activity. Supporters distressed by their club’s descent into off-field chaos since Burley’s departure will find some comfort in the notion of the popular former manager still having a benign effect on the remainder of Hearts’ season.

The Tynecastle club will also accelerate the formal appointment of their director of football if results deteriorate dramatically under Rix. A series of poor performances and scorelines under the new head coach is the only factor which will persuade Romanov to resolve the vacant position as a matter of urgency. At a meeting of the Hearts Shareholders’ Association on Thursday evening, Romanov’s son and fellow club director, Roman, claimed that the club already had someone working “incognito” in the role.

It had been erroneously reported Romanov was prepared to wait until the end of the season before finding someone to work in tandem with Rix. In fact he was eager to have someone in before then but is still prepared to let the next few weeks – and even the January transfer window – pass before formalising the appointment.

The individual who is working “incognito” is understood to be identifying and scouting players for Romanov but is not able to approach them as any sort of Hearts representative.

Equal emphasis had been given to the search for a new chief executive to replace Phil Anderton. That position had been held on a temporary basis by Romanov’s son, Roman, but that was regarded within Hearts as an unsatisfactory state of affairs because of the importance of the position. Hearts’ commercial activities and aspirations were compromised while the chief executive’s position remained unfilled on a permanent basis. Former Rangers general secretary Campbell Ogilvie was appointed on Friday in a new position of general secretary and operations director. Ogilvie effectively amounts to a new tier of Tynecastle management, and someone with commercial and marketing expertise could still be on his way to Hearts.

Although it may seem that there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the Romanovs do not regard themselves as being addicted to turbulence or permanent revolution. Vladimir Romanov has recognised that the departure of Burley, followed by the dismissal of Anderton and the simultaneous resignation of chairman George Foulkes, all of which were followed by the controversial appointment of Rix, collectively amounted to a backdrop of upheaval which was detrimental to the first team squad during its challenge for the league title.

Romanov’s preference now is for a period of stability which he would only disrupt by accelerating the appointment of the director of football – if results under Rix became alarming. His mysterious servant will probably continue to work “incognito” for a few more weeks.

The prospect of former Scotland manager Craig Brown being appointed as Hearts’ director of football split opinion among their supporters (he will not be joining the club) but few of Romanov’s previous decisions could have been mistaken for an attempt to win a popularity contest. An element of fans’ resistance will not prevent Romanov from sleeping at night. It is his single-mindedness to appoint whoever appeals to him, regardless of reputation, which could mean supporters are disappointed by the low profile of the eventual director of football when he emerges from his veil. Romanov will follow his instinct rather than the supporters’ enthusiasm for reported candidates such as Sir Bobby Robson, Terry Venables and Kevin Keegan.

In general a section of the Hearts support is breaking new ground as the first to become worried about how their club will manage without a director of football. For most clubs that role ranks alongside chaplain or aromatherapist when it comes to the list of priorities. This is a position of such questionable value that it provides employment for Sir Clive Woodward at Southampton.

Uniquely, the man in the Hearts dug-out would like to see the position properly occupied sooner rather than later. Where Rix differs from most managers is in his willingness to surrender responsibility to a senior figure and have his duties limited entirely to first team coaching. Rix had proposed names to Romanov for the director of football role and was conspicuously quick to welcome the possibility of Brown receiving the job. That can be explained by his belief that day-to-day coaching input to his players is his forte rather than the wider “managerial” responsibilities of dealing with agents, directors and the media.

Contrary to the widespread assumption Romanov would simply impose his chosen director of football on Rix without consultation, the head coach has had significant input. Although his contract runs only until the end of the season and he could be cheaply dispensed with, it would be pointless for Romanov to risk further turbulence by making an appointment which did not sit easily with Rix.

As ever with Romanov’s Hearts, though, there is the caveat that matters can change or erupt with bewildering speed. Given that he has occasionally seemed capable of starting a fight in an empty room, no-one should entirely discount Romanov from starting one in an empty director of football’s office.

Taken from the Sunday Herald