Valdas is set targets of title and European group stage

VLADIMIR Romanov has told his new head coach Valdas Ivanauskas that he will only be considered a success in the new season if he meets the twin target of winning the Premierleague and reaching the group stage of the Champions League.

Ivanauskas, the 39-year-old Lithuanian who guided Hearts to Scottish Cup success and second place in the SPL at the end of last season after replacing the sacked Graham Rix on an interim basis in March, was finally confirmed in the position on a permanent basis yesterday. Under Romanov's rule, however, permanence has thus far been an alien concept.

If Ivanauskas is to avoid the fate of his immediate predecessors, he must meet some lofty ambitions declared by the club's owner who also named former Belarus coach Eduard Malofeev as sporting director to assist the head coach.

Romanov said: "Valdas was very effective in charge of the team at the end of last season, we won the cup and qualified for the Champions League. Everything is going on smoothly.

"The team accepted him and got used to him. His authority is firm. He's also full of energy and drive. Still, to compensate for his lack of experience I have also invited Eduard Malofeev to be the club's football director."

Romanov refused to discuss the breakdown of his talks with Alexei Mikhailichenko, the Ukrainian under-21 international coach, who had been considered favourite to take charge at Hearts until last week.

"I am not going to talk about this," said Romanov. "We like Valdas, feel very comfortable with him and trust him. I want him to just keep going."

Steven Pressley, the Hearts captain, has enthusiastically acclaimed the appointment of Ivanauskas and urged Romanov to stand by his man no matter what peaks or troughs are encountered in the new season.

"The players are very much behind Valdas and we are delighted with the appointment," said Pressley. "Since he took over towards the end of last season, our performances were extremely positive and I think we played a brand of football the supporters were very satisfied with.

"It's also important that the whole of the coaching staff's positions have been clarified, with John McGlynn, Stevie Frail and Tom Ritchie all on board, so a bit of stability has returned to the club. Let's hope it lasts.

"I just hope there are no knee-jerk reactions now if there are blips along the way. Mr Romanov has made this appointment and hopefully he will stand by it for some time."

Pressley met the media at Edinburgh Airport yesterday on Hearts' return from a week-long training stint on the Cote D'Azur where their headquarters were a luxury cruise ship provided by Romanov. The captain revealed the players had been told Ivanauskas would be staying in charge earlier this week and had marked the news in some style.

"We were made aware this week that he would be filling the post and we celebrated by sipping champagne on the deck of the boat overlooking St Tropez - it was hard going," he smiled.

"I spoke to Mr Romanov after the cup final victory and I told him then we felt Valdas was right for the job. The vast majority of us thought that if it was going to be Valdas, it would be a quick appointment but that didn't happen so you began to wonder. Whether there were discussions between Valdas and Mr Romanov over some points he wanted clarified, I don't know, but maybe that was the reason it took so long.

"He is a very well qualified coach, he has a great knowledge of the game," said Pressley. "I like a manager who has a presence, who carries authority and Valdas does that. With every good manager, there is a line you do not cross with them and it would be a brave man who crossed Valdas' line. He has the credentials to be a very good manager."

With the first leg of Hearts' Champions League second qualifying round tie on 25 or 26 July looming, the decision to stick with Ivanauskas appears a sensible one in providing continuity.

Ivanauskas said: "I never hid my desire to become the head coach and I am very pleased this dream has been realised."

Taken from the Scotsman