Tynecastle in chaos again

The future of the former England international at Tynecastle could be in doubt after bizarre events unfolded yesterday at the Edinburgh club that may see his players demand a meeting with Vladimir Romanov, their maverick owner, today.

Rix’s control of team affairs is not certain. Rumours emerged yesterday that the head coach had told his players yesterday morning that he was not responsible for selecting the line-up that faced Dundee United It showed in a disjointed peformance — the result of six changes — that could have ended in defeat had Hartley not restored parity after Steven Pressley had earned a soft penalty.

The bad blood that flowed thereafter, saw Barry Robson sent off for Dundee United and Julien Brellier after an ugly ruckus. Hearts have now given Celtic the chance to stretch their lead at the top when they face Falkirk tonight. By then, the Hearts Affair may be less clouded in mystery. The Times understands through sources close to the dressing-room that Rix revealed to the players that if anyone was unhappy about the selection, they should not blame him as he did not pick the team. Andy Webster, the Scotland defender, was so upset at being dropped after being an ever-present all season, that he broke off negotiations over a new contract.

Rix refused to answer questions about the speculation and later he said: “I will be in training the side tomorrow. If it is going to be otherwise, it is out of my hands.” Asked about a potential player revolt with Romanov, Rix responded: “That’s nowt to do with me.”

Rix arrived in October and his contract expires at the end of the season. Rix’s predecessor, George Burley, quit Hearts in remarkable circumstances after just ten games in which he had taken the side to the top of the table. Burley too had problems with freedom in choosing which players were bought.

The financial backing of Romanov, a Lithuanian millionaire who took control at Tynecastle this term after saving the club from bankruptcy last year, allowed Hearts to bring in 11 new players during the transfer window, to add to the ten signed by Burley last summer.

Hearts now have a first-team squad in excess of 30 and keeping all of those happy is the chief problem now for Rix, or whoever makes the decisions. Nine players are on loan from Romanov’s other club, FBK Kaunas of Lithuania.

It quickly became clear to the large travelling support from Edinburgh that Hearts were a pale imitation of the side who thrashed Hibernian and Aberdeen in their previous two games. That was because it was not the same side.

Six changes were made, by Rix, Romanov or whoever, with two Czech players, Ludek Straceny and Martin Petras, who were acquired on loan just before the transfer deadline, given their debuts.

The home side broke the deadlock when Grant Brebner struck after 32 minutes. Petras’s poor control conceded a throw-in that found Charlie Mulgrew and Dundee United’s teenage left back whipped over a cross from the corner flag that eluded everyone until it was met at the back post by the head of Brebner, who bundled it past Craig Gordon.

Petras was then booked for scything down Barry Robson and it was an unhappy Hearts team who headed for the dressing-room at the interval to meet Rix. Or was it Romanov? There was a lack of fluency about Hearts, underlined by the withdrawal of the subdued Petras and then Straceny and Michal Pospisil. There seemed no way back but they found one with eight minutes left. Pressley was judged to have been tugged back by Alan Archibald as he went into the box and Dougie McDonald awarded a soft penalty.

Paul Hartley stepped up displayed composure to send Stillie the wrong way. However, composure swiftly evaporated as Robson and Brellier were dismissed in the 86th minute.

DUNDEE UNITED (4-4-2): D Stillie — S Duff, D McCracken, A Archibald, C Mulgrew — G Brebner, D McInnes, M Kerr, B Robson — D Fernandez, C Samuel (sub: L Miller, 90). Substitutes not used: C Samson, G Kenneth, D Robertson, R Gardiner, S Abbott, D Goodwillie. Booked: Kerr, Duff.

HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN (4-4-2): C Gordon — M Petras (sub: R Neilson, 56), S Pressley, C Berra, P Fyssas — L Straceny (sub: S Mikoliunas, 76), P Hartley, J Brellier, R Skacel — M Pospisil (sub: D Cesnauskis, 65), C Elliot. Substitutes not used: S Banks, A Webster, L Wallace, B Aguiar. Booked: Skacel, Petras.

Referee: D McDonald.

Taken from timesonline.co.uk