Rix enjoying heady mix of Tynie magic

WHEN Vladimir Romanov stopped the bulldozers in their tracks with his rescue plan for Tynecastle, Graham Rix hadn't given a second thought about pursuing a managerial career in the SPL.

It's debatable if the former Arsenal midfielder even knew in which part of the Capital the ground was situated.

However, having now savoured the unique atmosphere generated by the famous old stadium, the Jambos' new head coach is delighted the Lithuanian retained the club in its spiritual home.

Having had to wait almost four long weeks following his appointment as George Burley's successor to enjoy a home game, the former Chelsea coach was left to marvel at the atmosphere during Saturday's visit of Livingston.

For the eighth game in succession, the Hearts fans had sold out their allocation of tickets and the 16,000-plus crowd made a distinct impact on the 48-year-old, who gave the impression he wouldn't mind turning the clock back to sample the stadium with his boots on.

"I particularly like Tynecastle as it's what I regard as a football stadium, the fans are close to the pitch and the majority of the stands are full of Hearts fans," he said.

"They are very vociferous and I'd imagine it's a great arena for a player to perform in.

"The fans are close to the pitch at Highbury and also at Stamford Bridge, although there used to be a dog track around there.

"It makes a difference to the players and gives them that buzz of excitement and to see so many inside the ground every week is brilliant.

"When teams change stadiums and move away they sometimes lose a bit of their identity. Tynecastle is a famous old stadium. Certain parts of it need refurbishing that's for sure, but it is the heart and soul of the club where the supporters attach themselves to and they want to stay there.

"Mr Romanov has made it clear that is what he wants to do and that's great."

A superb double strike from midfielder Rudi Skacel, pictured below right, sent the hosts on the way to victory over the struggling Lions, although a second-half fightback from Paul Lambert's outfit made for an anxious few moments for Rix and his men. Despite making enough chances to win several games, the new boss had to settle for the narrowest of winning margins as he registered his first victory in the job.

"When the final whistle went against Livingston, the immediate feeling I felt was one of relief as the final 20 minutes were nerve-wracking for everyone - players, fans and the staff at the club.

"Having said that, I thought we played some great stuff and, if we had scored six goals with the chances we created, I don't think Livingston could have complained.

"But, when that whistle went, there was a great sense of relief as the main thing was to get the win as we needed the three points.

"2-1 is a difficult scoreline to be honest. Do we go on and try to get a third or do we sit back and try to hold on to what we have?

"I knew the next goal was going to be vital and Livingston came back into the match after they scored.

"In the end the victory was the vital thing and we achieved that.

"I was delighted as it was my first home game and there was a massive support, not just for me but for the boys.

"The atmosphere was great and we got off to a blistering start which lifted the crowd. It was a fantastic experience and one I really enjoyed."

Having been a spectator as Hearts dismantled Dundee United just days before his official unveiling at Tynecastle, Saturday's experience was a completely different affair for the former Portsmouth and Oxford United manager.

"I was a bit nervous walking down the tunnel for the start of the match but I had seen in previous games the sort of reception I was getting from the Hearts fans," he said.

"I was in the main stand for the game against Dundee United so saw it from that perspective.

"Standing on the touchline, I was more focused on what the players were doing, or weren't doing, as the case may have been.

"But I could sense the support and the excitement every time we attacked and that was tremendous."

"It was a really great day. The last 20 minutes were hell but the first 70 minutes and afterwards were great.

"I had a chat with Paul Lambert at the end and had a couple of drinks with my staff before heading back to the hotel with my wife and daughter.

"I was really tired and could hardly keep my eyes open that night.

"It had been a very stressful build-up to the match as I'd realised how important the game was."

Stress is something Rix has been used to since coming to Gorgie, two tough away fixtures against Aberdeen and Motherwell meaning a baptism of fire for him and his assistants Valdas Ivanauskas and John McGlynn.

"Everything about the job is high-profile. The easiest thing for me is dealing with the players on a day-to-day basis," he said

"The difficult bit is the media attention with so much else happening here.

"In a way my release is working with the players.

"The first two games were difficult. I don't care that people were saying we should have gone to Aberdeen and Motherwell and won. These were two tough matches, especially with everything that was going on.

"To have played those two matches and then Livingston at the weekend and get five points and still be up there with Celtic at the top speaks volumes for the players as they have had a lot to contend with.

"The club is really buzzing. Everyone who works at the academy has a smile on their face as there is an anticipation that something is going to happen and take off here.

"They all want to be part of it.

"The fans I have bumped into are delighted, although they want to win every game.

"But as we have seen in recent weeks with Celtic, Rangers and Hibs slipping up, there is no such thing as an easy game.

"The fans have to realise every game is going to be tough between now and the end of the season. But I am excited as I know we can improve."

Taken from the Scotsman