Hearts thrown into turmoil again after Rix is sacked

Steven Pressley, the captain, expressed his disbelief upon hearing of Rix’s abrupt departure after just four months. The Scotland defender admitted that the Hearts team wanted to secure Champions League football for next season and a Scottish Cup success to keep Rix at Tynecastle.

However, the former Arsenal and England player had his contract terminated yesterday by Romanov after just 19 games in charge. Rix follows George Burley, who quit in October after taking Hearts to the top of the Bank of Scotland Premierleague table after ten games, and John Robertson, who was jettisoned last April after just six months in control, out of the door.

The capricious Lithuanian millionaire’s actions could jeopardise Hearts’ season. The Edinburgh side still have the chance to qualify for the Champions League if they hold on to second place and could also reach the Uefa Cup if they win the Scottish Cup.

However, that cut little ice with Romanov, who fired Rix citing poor results — Hearts have slipped behind Celtic in the title race since he arrived on November 8 — but also blaming the former Chelsea assistant manager for “poor recruitment”.

Equally damning in Romanov’s eyes, was the fact that he felt Rix had made public that the Hearts owner has been interfering in team matters, even choosing the team for a match with Dundee United in February, which prompted a revolt by the players who demanded a meeting with Romanov.

“We thought we would be able to stake a claim between now and the end of the season for Graham to stay in his job by delivering Champions League football and success in the Scottish Cup,” Pressley said. “I don’t think we are as shocked as when George Burley left but we are still surprised. There were rumblings that Graham was under pressure and his relationship with Mr Romanov was not the strongest.”

So Hearts, and Romanov, are now back where they were when Burley was fired, casting around for a high-profile successor who fits their criteria and who can take the club into the elite, not just in Scotland but in Europe. Claudio Ranieri and Sir Bobby Robson both came to Edinburgh last October to be interviewed for the job but neither would wish to endanger their reputations with Romanov now regarded as even more of a maverick owner. Nevio Scala, the former Parma and Borussia Dortmund coach, who was interviewed last summer, did put his hat in the ring yesterday.

Rix’s appointment was met with muted enthusiasm by fans but he did win many over. His record contains just nine wins in his 19 games, though losing only four. Jim Duffy, Rix’s friend who was appointed as the director of football just a month ago, was also fired yesterday. Valdas Ivanauskas, a Lithuanian coach who has been at Tynecastle for eight months, will take control until the end of the season.

Certainly, Ivanauskas will be on a similar wavelength to his wealthy compatriots in a way that Rix never was. “We have been disappointed with the performance of the team,” Roman Romanov, the chairman and son of Vladimir, said. “Results were not what they should have been.”

The millionaire’s son also took a swipe at Rix for some of his signings — Hearts signed 11 players in the January transfer window — and his conduct. “We felt some of the signings made in January were not appropriate for Hearts,” Roman Romanov said.

“In addition, the events that occurred in February when Hearts played Dundee United, including the way in which some information reached the public domain, were disappointing to us.

“I’d like to thank Graham Rix for all his hard work. He gave 100 per cent but, ultimately, it did not work out. Vladimir Romanov and the club’s management felt that something had to be done quickly. We owed it to the fans.”

The volatile working relationship between Vladimir Romanov and Robertson, Burley and Rix was always destined to end in tears for the hired help. Ivanauaskas touched on that yesterday in an interview he gave before Rix’s fate was known. “I have had to explain to Graham that he must try to think from Romanov’s point of view,” Ivanauskas said. “For Graham it is difficult and I understand that because I have coached in Germany, but it is a mentality thing. Romanov is the boss, he is in control, and in Lithuania and Russia the owner can do what he likes.”

Romanov saved Hearts from bankruptcy last season when he took on their £20 million debt and abandoned the sale of Tynecastle to property developers. The supporters are now as confused the players and the fear is that their white knight has now gone out of control,but they are wary about saying so in public.

Derek Watson, the chairman of the Hearts Supporters Trust, said: “Graham Rix was on a short-term contract so I am surprised rather than shocked at the news. We are used to big stories at this club now. I don’t think the fans will welcome this but the majority will accept it because Mr Romanov runs the club, owns 81 per cent of the shares and, without him, we wouldn’t be anywhere.”

Taken from timesonline.co.uk