Ivanauskas expects to sign players

VALDAS Ivanauskas last night said he still had hopes of making new signings for Hearts before the transfer window closes, but added he had every confidence in his existing squad to do the job if need be.

On a day when club owner Vladimir Romanov's newfound emphasis on youth was made clear by five-year deals for Christophe Berra and Jamie Mole, the Tynecastle coach appeared to accept that he would have to guide his team successfully through at least the second qualifying round of the Champions League before being allowed to strengthen his squad. "Expect, yes," Ivanauskas said when asked if he thought new players would arrive at Hearts over the coming weeks. "But we must wait for the Champions League game and after."

Hearts play the first leg of their second-round tie against Bosnian champions Siroki Brijeg this evening at Murrayfield, where a crowd of around 25,000 is expected. If they are still in the competition after the second leg next midweek they can expect a very tough third-round opponent, as they will be unseeded. Even if they lose at that stage, though, they will have the compensation of going into the first round proper of the UEFA Cup - the last round before the group stages.

In other words, victory against Siroki Brijeg could persuade Romanov that the squad needs to be strengthened if it is to give a good account of itself in the final qualifying round and thereafter. Defeat, on the other hand, would mean that Hearts have only domestic competition to look forward to for the whole of the 2006-07 season - and Romanov, who has already said the club made too many signings in January, would be more likely than ever to insist that the wage bill was already big enough.

It still seems likely, in fact, that, despite being the only SPL club yet to recruit any new faces since the end of last season, Hearts will let more players go before making new signings. Andy Webster and Rudi Skacel are still aiming to find new employers in the coming days, while yesterday Ivanauskas repeated his belief that it would be better if Lee Johnson could find a new club.

The diminutive midfielder, signed by Graham Rix at the start of the year, has figured in pre-season friendlies, and was relatively impressive during his rare league outings last season. While praising the player's professionalism, however, Ivanauskas said it would be better for both Johnson and the club if he were to move on.

Although he gives the impression of being independent-minded, the head coach is well aware that he is working within the parameters set by Romanov. Bearing that in mind, he insisted that the young players who are making their way into the first-team squad would help make up for the absence of established figures such as Webster and Skacel. "Yes, both players [Webster and Skacel] are experienced, but we have very good young boys coming up," he said. "OK, it's a European game and experience is very important, but I trust my squad.

"Every Champions League game is important, and for Hearts it is the first time here so it's very important. But we know we have a good chance to go into the next round. We have a very experienced squad. A lot of players are internationals, and some like Edgaras Jankauskas and Takis Fyssas have played in the Champions League. There's pressure in every game - maybe now a little bit more pressure - but it's just one game, and we have the second game in Bosnia also."

The assertion by Romanov on Monday that Hearts were not ready for the Champions League was taken by some as a claim that the competition was starting too early for the club. It seems more likely, however, that the implication was either that the club were not yet strong enough to compete adequately in the group stages, or, more simply, that they were still a few weeks away from the third round and therefore understandably some way below peak fitness.

But, whatever the meaning of the businessman's gnomic utterance, Ivanauskas was perfectly clear when asked to assess the state of the team's preparation. "We are ready for the season to start," he said. "We are ready for this game. I trust this squad for the season."

Taken from the Scotsman