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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 21 Oct 2006 Hearts 0 Kilmarnock 2 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Herald ------ Report | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Valdas Ivanauskas | <-auth | Rob Robertson | auth-> | Kenny Clark |
| [D Invincible 27] ;[G Wales 35] | ||||
| 37 | of 044 | ----- | L SPL | H |
Hearts coach summoned for crisis talksROB ROBERTSON October 23 2006 Valdas Ivanauskas will hold crucial talks with Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov this afternoon which will decide Ivanauskas' future as head coach of the Tynecastle club. The Herald understands that Romanov is unhappy at recent home defeats and has called Ivanauskas to the meeting in Kaunsas in Lithuania, the city that is the centre of the Hearts owners' business empire. For his part, Ivanauskas is growing frustrated at the owner's meddling in team affairs and will tell Romanov the players are unhappy because of it. After the 2-0 home defeat against Kilmarnock on Saturday Steven Pressley, the club captain, met Ivanauskas to voice concern on behalf of the players over the rotation system and the constant changing of the starting eleven. There is a growing gap between Romanov and Ivanauskas and the meeting will try to thrash out a compromise. However, Romanov's patience with managers wears thin very quickly and there is every chance if no compromise is reached Ivanauskas will become the latest manager to leave Hearts. A Hearts spokesman confirmed last night that Ivanauskas had flown out of Scotland for a meeting with Romanov which is scheduled to be held in Kaunas at 1.30pm. The first team squad were told by the club's sporting director Eduard Malofeev, speaking through an interpreter, at their training base at Riccarton yesterday morning that he would be in charge of team affairs for the time being. It is expected that John McGlynn, who was caretaker manager after George Burley left the club, will be in charge with Malofeev for the match against Dunfermline at Tynecastle next Saturday. There has been unconfirmed reports that Ivanauskas will be asked to take a sabbatical from the club and allow Malofeev and McGlynn to head a group of Lithuanian coaches who will take temporary charge until he feels ready to return but that looks an unlikely scenario. The renewed speculation over the future of the Hearts head coach comes exactly a year after Burley left the club after a disagreement with Romanov when the team was on top of the league. His dismissal led to the appointment and subsequent sacking of Graham Rix before Ivanauskas was put in charge. The Lithuanian took Hearts to Scottish Cup success over Gretna and Romanov has, on more than one occasion, made it clear that his job is secure and he would be given time to try to find a winning formula at Tynecastle. The last public backing for Ivanauskas from Romanov came after the team was put out of the UEFA Cup by Sparta Prague. These public pronouncements make it surprising that he has been summoned by Romanov for a meeting to discuss his future. Either way, the latest twist is the last thing Hearts need as they try and put together a title challenge. Squad members are getting frustrated at the lack of starting opportunities and Craig Gordon, the goalkeeper, has called into question the commitment from some of the first team squad.  Taken from the Herald |
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| <-Page | <-Team | Sat 21 Oct 2006 Hearts 0 Kilmarnock 2 | Team-> | Page-> |
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