Ivanauskas' job not under threat should Hearts crash out

HEARTS' head coach Valdas Ivanauskas is not facing the sack regardless of tonight's UEFA Cup result in Prague.

It is understood that Hearts' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov is keen to ensure stability at Tynecastle even if the Jambos crash out of Europe to Sparta Prague tonight.

Sources close to Romanov insist that Ivanauskas' job is safe and he will have the owner's backing to carry on in charge.

Ivanauskas has been sacked by Romanov before - when he was coach of the banker's Lithuanian club Kaunas.

Last season was marked by turmoil at Tynecastle with both George Burley and Graham Rix being sacked before Ivanauskas took the helm. He guided the team to second place in the SPL and a win over Gretna in the Scottish Cup final.

However, he failed to secure Romanov's dream slot in the Champions League proper this season when Hearts lost out to AEK Athens and the 2-0 defeat to Sparta in the first leg of the UEFA Cup first round piled the pressure on. Hearts had also suffered a 1-0 home defeat to St Mirren which left fans frustrated.

However, since the Sparta defeat, Ivanauskas has guided his side to the three consecutive away wins over Motherwell, Alloa and Aberdeen and they are up to second in the league - three points behind champions Celtic.

Taken from the Scotsman