Fedotovas clears up Frail confusion and says search goes on

stuart bathgate
HEARTS director Sergejus Fedotovas tried to clarify the club's position about their search for a manager last night after contradictory comments by Roman Romanov at the annual general meeting, and said that the present thinking at least was that Stephen Frail, the caretaker manager, would not get the job permanently.

Fedotovas said that Hearts aimed to have a permanent manager in place by the time the players return for pre-season training on 30 June, but insisted the board would hold out for the "right" appointment rather
than an easy one.

"My understanding is that he (Frail] will not be in the long-term position with the club," Fedotovas told the Hearts website. "We are really grateful to him for what he is doing, and he is really great in a supportive position working alongside the manager, but this is really up to the people who will be coming to the club to decide. But we will really support him.

"We are speaking to potential candidates. Unfortunately we cannot tell at the moment who they are or the results of speaking to them.

"We really won't go for easy decisions or a quick appointment, and do it at whatever cost just to please some fans in the short term. That is a very serious, very important decision. Quite a number of people are doing their best to provide the best possible manager of this club.

"I believe a new manager will be coming on board, if we are lucky, with the start of the new season, for the start of pre-season training. We are working to achieve that timing.

"The discussion that Roman Romanov opened was merely to say that we are not going to make an easy decision just to please the fans. We will be shortlisting in order to get the proper manager."

Speaking earlier at Riccarton, Frail said he would rather concentrate on his current post than speculate on what might happen later. "I have said all along it's not a concern," he said. "I have been asked to do the job until told otherwise.

"It has been a disappointing end to the season in terms of the split and wanting to fini
sh in the top six. I have no desire to look beyond the role I was given."

Pressed further on the subject, however, Frail accepted that he now had some relevant experience of taking charge of a team. "I would like to think I have learnt enough," he stated.

"People always say that they want experience, they want experience. Sometimes the only time you get it is by throwing someone in.

"When I look at the results we have achieved since January, we'd be sitting third in the league. From where we have come and from the quality we have lost, I would look upon that as a real positive."

Hearts play their first ever match in the SPL's bottom six today when St Mirren visit Tynecastle.

Marius Zaliukas and Christos Karipidis are back in the squad after a virus and an injury respectively, while Jason Thomson should start at right-back in place of the suspended Robbie Neilson.

Taken from the Scotsman