Vladimir's verdict on his three men at the helm

ROMANOV ON BURLEY

"I'VE got an agreement with George Burley whereby I'm not going to comment on him personally. But I would say this: if the agents who were involved also were still on the scene, then Rudi Skacel, Roman Bednar, Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley wouldn't be here.

They would have been sold, there would have been agitation behind the scenes to get them sold off. Perhaps we would have had one victory more over the season, but what we wouldn't have was Hearts as we have now."
ROMANOV ON RIX

"My logic with Graham Rix was I needed a coach to see the club through to the end of the season.

I couldn't have appointed a great name and said at the end that's it, you're off, you were here for the transition. With Rix, I was convinced he'd be able to conduct himself with dignity and honour, despite the fact the media were out for his blood. I felt sure he'd be able to handle himself without cracking.

"It seems to me he came under the influence of Jim Duffy, and it was no longer clear who was running the team. His first strategic mistake was when he submitted to the will of the team rather than making proper demands of them.

"I don't think the media have lost anything - they've ended up with an excellent pundit who conducts himself well in that role. That's probably his vocation. He likes to speak, he likes to dress well: it works for him.
ROMANOV ON IVANAUSKAS

"Valdas is at the transitional stage between finishing his playing career and becoming an experienced coach.

He's still got a lot to learn. But he's got the German school behind him, that sense of discipline and order. For example, you'll never see the players turning up late for training. If they're 30 seconds late he slaps a fine on them. This morning there was a massage session, then training was due to start and they were all out of there just like the army. He's got a good basis, and learns quickly, and gains experience quickly."

Taken from the Scotsman