Flamboyant Rudi is putting Romanov's ambitions into practice

ONE goal, two assists - three if you count the penalty he was awarded after being fouled by Gary Caldwell. After being suspended for the previous week's defeat at Kilmarnock, Rudi Skacel was back with a vengeance on Saturday, proving his immense value to Hearts with yet another bravura performance.

The Czech midfielder's detractors say he drifts in and out of games, failing to concentrate for the full 90 minutes. On form like this, it is just as well for his opponents that he does, although it should also be conceded that not even the finest players can sustain such excellence from start to finish.

Hibs, who had begun the better team, were left exposed at the back when Paul Hartley scored Hearts' first from a Skacel cut-back. Minutes later they were two behind when a corner came back out to Skacel at the edge of the box and he buried his first-time shot into the net. Then came the penalty, swiftly followed by the sending-off of Gary Smith, and that was it - game effectively over by half-time.

Having seen their side lose a two-goal interval lead to Celtic on New Year's Day, there were more than a few Hearts supporters who, even with their team three goals and a man up, did not want to presume the match was won by the break. Nor did their team, who decided to go in search of a fourth - which quickly came, laid on for Calum Elliot by Skacel himself. The player and his team-mates were quieter thereafter, settling down to defend their lead after Garry O'Connor had got a goal back for Hibs.

That may have made for a frustrating last half-hour from the point of view of Hearts supporters in search of a more sizeable tally, but it also demonstrated a growing maturity in Graham Rix's side. They may not exactly have Chelsea's ability to close a game down once they are a couple of goals to the good - the Celtic match was a telling demonstration of that - but they do at least offer a lot more passion in going about getting that lead.

And passion is what it's all about at Tynecastle these days. The cautious approach of Craig Levein was fairly successful, especially given the lack of resources, for a couple of seasons, but those days of incremental progress are over. Vladimir Romanov is cut of more flamboyant cloth, and knows that a team in the habit of grinding out 1-0 victories will not attract the size of crowd he hopes to see at a redeveloped Tynecastle. This is why Skacel, for all that he and Hartley incurred the club owner's wrath for paying tribute to the former manager George Burley, is the player who best represents the owner's aspirations. Those who criticise Skacel for his showmanship miss the point that football is a branch of the entertainment industry.

The kids who buy Czech flags to wave during games do not do so merely because they admire his finishing: they want to show they are inspired by the way he relates to the crowd. True, Skacel took his celebrations too far at full-time when he approached the Hibs end swinging his jersey, but thankfully Andy Webster intervened and led the exuberant midfielder back towards the home supporters. He threw his shirt into the stand, his shorts followed, and eventually he marched off wearing little more than boots and boxers.

Afterwards, he was again asked about his plans beyond this season, and again refused to look too far ahead. "If we win the league and the Scottish Cup and I make a lot of goals, maybe I go to the World Cup," he said, which was tantamount to recognising how difficult it will be to break into one of the most accomplished teams in the competition. More pertinently for Hearts fans, qualification for the Champions League will make Skacel more inclined to extend his stay beyond this season on loan from Marseille - although such an achievement would also alert more clubs to his ability and potential availability.

Southampton, where Burley is now manager, would certainly be interested, but it is hard to see the appeal of such a move beyond affection for his former boss. Rupert Lowe, the south-coast club's chairman, also retains hopes of reuniting Hartley with his old gaffer, but it would take an unfeasibly large offer to persuade Hearts to sell someone whose contract still has some time to run.

It is now a year since the Edinburgh club refused to let Hartley go to Celtic. They declared then that they were no longer a selling club, and they have proved that on several occasions since. More traditional observers of the Scottish game may have found it hard to grasp, but it remains a fact.

Taken from the Scotsman