Fans' vote reveals huge support for Valdas appointment

AN overwhelming 98 per cent of Hearts fans have urged Vladimir Romanov to appoint Valdas Ivanauskas as the club's permanent head coach.

As today's results of an Evening News poll confirm, the Tynecastle support have voted massively in favour of the Lithuanian, who guided Hearts into the Champions League and to Scottish Cup success in his caretaker role last season.

Ivanauskas admits that his future will not be ascertained for another "ten or 12 days", but he dropped the strongest hint yet that he has received verbal confirmation from Romanov, the club's majority shareholder, that he will indeed be leading Hearts into the forthcoming Champions League qualifying rounds.

Ivanauskas said: "We need a little bit more time. I know which position Vladimir wants me in but we are not quite 100 per cent ready yet. I will know more in ten or 12 days. Maybe then I will be the head coach."

The former FBK Kaunas coach has already begun planning for next season by sounding out the South Korean striker Ahn Jung-hwan about a move to Edinburgh from the German club Duisburg, although that initial interest has yet to be followed through.

And he has also put in place preliminary arrangements for a pre-season tour of Austria, adding: "We will be going to Austria around early July for a training camp. I don't know the exact dates yet but that is the plan.

"I know some players I want but it is still 50-50. We have many players in our sights but we need time on that front too. We have a big squad and some of them will have to find new clubs, or go up for sale, or go out on loan."

With Ivanauskas speaking of his plans for the months ahead, the Hearts support are only too willing to back his case.

They became captivated by his passion and commitment during the closing weeks of last season, when he pieced together a sequence of seven wins from ten games after assuming temporary control from the dismissed Graham Rix.

In particular, the attacking emphasis insisted upon by the Lithuanian curried favour with many in the stands along with Champions League qualification and the penalty shootout triumph over Gretna at Hampden.

The club is ready to give permission for Ivanauskas to continue coaching the Lithuanian national team next season should he wish to accept any proposal from the president of his country's FA, Liutauras Varanavicius.

However, any involvement with Lithuania will not compromise his position at Tynecastle. "I will stay at Hearts, 100 per cent. Whether I will be head coach or assistant I can't say, but I am pleased to be staying. I will have more meetings with Vladimir."

Ivanauskas moved to quell speculation surrounding the future of midfielder Julien Brellier, who found himself relegated to the substitutes' bench in the latter part of the season.

Romanov has privately questioned the merits of Brellier's inclusion in the side whilst Ivanauskas favoured Bruno Aguiar in the defensive midfield role that was the Frenchman's for the large part of the campaign.

However, it appears there could still be a position for Brellier at Hearts come the resumption of pre-season training on June 23.

"Julien is a part of our squad, an important player and we will need him next season," said Ivanauskas.

Taken from the Scotsman