I DON'T CARE IF I MAKE VLAD MAD

CHARLIE NICHOLAS has again risked the wrath of Vladimir Romanov after launching another attack on the controversial Hearts owner.

The Lithuanian millionaire ripped into Scottish football's powers-that-be, referees, agents and the media following his side's Tennent's Scottish Cup Final victory over Gretna. But the former Celtic and Scotland striker, who has been an outspoken critic of Romanov this season in his role as a media analyser, has hit back. And he doesn't care what Romanov thinks of him.

Nicholas said: "I certainly find Romanov an interesting character. He does a lot of things we're not used to, with the way he sacks people and treats people.

"But we have seen guys like him come before, with their money, and then they disappear after two or three years.

"I don't think Mr Romanov will be too pleased with a lot of the comments I've made but that's reality.

"I don't believe in people turning up in our country and telling us exactly what's right and what's wrong.

"I welcome people coming in and giving us their opinion about anybody but there's a lot of right things in Scotland.

"Why was Andy Webster left out of the Cup Final? It doesn't matter whether you're pally with the manager or not because it's all about the owner there.

"I have never met him and a meeting would probably be impossible but that's life."

Nicholas also believes Romanov could have cost Hearts the SPL championship by sacking manager George Burley in October.

He said: "I have never got round the idea that Hearts fans love Mr Romanov for what he has done.

"I can accept, understand and appreciate people saying he has brought the money in and he has given them a profile.

"But the way George was doing things, they seriously could have won the Premier League.

"Second is not a big success and they only just won the Scottish Cup on penalties against Gretna.

"If it starts poorly and they don't make the Champions League, suddenly they are not in Europe at all and there will be a lot of people starting to think this is not right."

Nicholas claims the dressing room will be divided as players come and go.

But he believes Romanov will have to bring in five or six new players for them to build on their success.

Nicholas said: "It's OK saying we want Eidur Gudjohnsen and Lee Bowyer but you have to produce. The one thing I will say about Mr Romanov is he is paying them good cash and is actually paying better wages than some of the Old Firm players.

"But it is getting difficult. When you see people such as Rudi Skacel wanting to leave, then you know things aren't right.

"I'd like Hearts to get stronger and really ruffle the Old Firm up.

"But, at the same time, they will have problems because the foreign guys and the British players will always have a certain clash. Who's getting the bigger wages and profile?

"They have five or six players to find and the Champions League is not secured yet.

"They have qualifiers to go through and I'll be surprised if they kick on big style.

"You throw money at people and they will come, no doubt about that, but it depends how you fit them into a system.

"It's difficult without team spirit. That is the first thing you start with but, if you look at the current Hearts squad, three or four will probably leave.

"There will be guys saying they will take the money but, as soon as they do well and their profile is raised, someone in England will come and they will say, 'I'm off'.

"You have to have a team spirit and team plan and they should get a manager sorted out before they start worrying about what players they need to get in."

Meanwhile, former Hearts director of football Jim Duffy last night claimed he's saddened by Andy Webster's failure to secure a Scottish Cup winner's medal but insists the frozen-out defender will have many more chances.

The 24-year-old Scotland star was left out of Valdas Ivanauskas' 16-man cup final squad - along with teenage striker CalumElliot - despite starring in the previous four rounds. Both players then shunned the club's open-top bus tour of Edinburgh on Sunday as an estimated 100,000 fans lined the victory route to Tynecastle.

Duffy, sacked along with former head coach Graham Rix in March, feels sorry for Webster but expects the Dundee-born stopper to emerge stronger from the experience and taste Hampden glory in the future.

He said: "I've got no animosity to Hearts at all and it was great to see them lift the Cup - Scottish football needs a strong Hearts.

"I felt delight for guys such as Steven Pressley, Robbie Neilson and John McGlynn but I know it must have been hard for others, especially Webster and Elliot, to take.

"But it won't be Andy's last chance of a Scottish Cup Final. He is young enough and has the talent to pick up winners' medals in his career.

"He's going through a hard time and it must hurt but he will come through this a stronger person."

Taken from the Daily Record