Rix spree could reap a reward in Europe

Which British team acquired most players during the transfer window, which team released most players and what is the connection between them? The answers are: Hearts, Southampton and George Burley.

Burley's first managerial incarnation of the season was at Hearts when they soared unbeaten to the top of the Scottish Premier League, prior to his sensational dismissal by Vladimir Romanov, the Lithuanian overlord of Tynecastle. Romanov's tendency to make his preferences known emphatically to the manager was cited as a reason for the fallout with Burley, which made it all the more surprising that the former Ipswich and Derby manager should fetch up at St Mary's, with Rupert Lowe and Sir Clive Woodward for company.

No fewer than 15 players felt the impact of Burley's managerial machete in a clear-out prior to Tuesday's transfer deadline. Meanwhile, as Burley was bidding brisk farewells, his successor might have been mistaken for the Tynecastle commissionaire, so frequently did Graham Rix have to salute new arrivals.

When Rix arrived in Edinburgh, plucked from the short list for the vacancy at Crawley Town, he was perceived by many as a creature of Romanov's whim, unlikely to last beyond the end of the season. Those outside Scotland, absorbed by Hearts' unforeseen status as Scottish Premier League table-toppers, seem largely to have come to the conclusion that nothing has changed now that the Jam Tarts are eight points adrift of Celtic.

However, such a view is unjust. True, Hearts lost twice in January, to Celtic and Kilmarnock, but while the second defeat was partly due to a drop in their own standards, the former surely owed much to the fact that when they were 2-1 ahead in the later stages of the game, Rix's team were reduced to 10 men by the unjust dismissal of Takis Fyssas for an innocuous challenge on Shaun Maloney - a red card later rescinded by the Scottish Football Association.

Football is replete with ifs and buts, of course, but what is significant about Hearts has been their response to adversity. January is the muddy plain upon which many a challenging side's offensive has become bogged down, their energy sapped by injuries and suspensions.

Hearts, though, made up ground on Celtic with their rousing derby win over Hibernian on Saturday, just as the leaders saw a 3-1 home lead over Dundee United pegged back to a 3-3 draw. Then as the clock ticked towards midnight on Tuesday it became evident that the Tynecastle Cinderellas might just be exchanging a pumpkin for a crystal carriage.

No fewer than 11 players have been signed by Romanov and Rix, with the latter insisting that he has had complete freedom of manoeuvre throughout. The £2 million spend is not large by Premiership standards -not even half of the initial fee for Theo Walcott's transfer from Southampton to Arsenal - but Hearts' £850,000 acquisition of Bosnian midfielder Mirsad Beslija from Racing Genk represents a club-record outlay.

And by guaranteeing that the Jambos will continue to fill Tynecastle and swell gates for away fixtures, the spree will have a doubly beneficial impact on the rest of their campaign. Hearts may not overhaul Celtic's eight-point lead, but they have a seven-point advantage over Rangers in the chase for Scotland's second Champions League place - a prize well worth adventurous investment.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk