Draw for Hearts and farce for Rix

Ewan Murray at Tannadice Park
Wednesday February 8, 2006
The Guardian

Quite what Vladimir Romanov has in mind for Heart of Midlothian remains open to conjecture, but it is apparent that their Lithuanian benefactor has no desire to follow a conventional route towards success or oblivion.

The head coach Graham Rix yesterday voiced concern over Romanov's influence in team selection and it seems now only a matter of time before the Englishman leaves Tynecastle. Of more immediate concern to the support, though, must be the uninspiring nature of this performance after a day of turbulence at the club.

Rix had told his squad that Romanov was responsible for six changes to the starting line-up, a suggestion which the Lithuanian's camp insisted was either taken out of context or meant as a joke.

Andy Webster and Robbie Neilson, mainstays in the defence, were the most high-profile players to be left out. Takis Fyssas and Rudi Skacel returned after being left out against Aberdeen. Hearts said that both missed because they were suffering from flu, but it is understood they were dropped at the request of Romanov.

Hearts started poorly and Grant Brenber, a former Hibs player, added to their anxiety by heading past Craig Gordon from Charlie Mulgrew's deep cross. It was no more than they deserved.

But Alan Archibald felled Steven Pressley in the box with eight minutes to play and Paul Hartley scored from the penalty spot to hand Hearts an unlikely share of the points. Barry Robson earned a red card for a lunging tackle on Pressley three minutes later, before Hearts' Julien Brellier followed him down the tunnel for raising his hands to David McCracken.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer