'Sad day' for Frail as Hearts ties severed

Published Date: 10 July 2008
By Alan Pattullo
STEPHEN Frail's ties with Hearts were finally cut yesterday after a statement confirmed he had left the Tynecastle club "by mutual consent".
The caretaker manager was put on gardening leave by the club two weeks ago and an eight year association with Hearts officially came to an end yesterday. Frail had been a constant presence among the coaching staff during the turbulent period under owner Vladimir Romanov. However, his position has become more vulnerable after his spell in charge of first-team affairs last season saw Hearts post a worst league finish in 25 years.

"It's a sad day for me," said Frail last night. "I had four or five good years (at Hearts] as a player, and for the last six months I have been lucky enough to manage the club. My goal was to get the team into the top six and we failed. Everything has just been tidied up in terms of contracts and I am now looking for work."

On Tuesday Romanov described Frail's time in charge as something that didn't work and he pointed out that the side were almost relegated last season. This interpretation appeared a basic one at best when you consider the circumstances in which Frail worked. Yet it all but signalled the end of Frail's involvement with Hearts, where he was once also a player. A statement which confirmed he was no longer at the club was released yesterday afternoon.

"Heart of Midlothian Football Club today announces that caretaker manager Stephen frail has left the club by mutual consent," it said. "Stephen had managed the first team on the an interim basis over the last six months, having previously held the position of assistant coach and Under-19 coach since his appointment in October 2004."

Frail has observed all the comings and goings at Hearts since Romanov become involved in 2005. He was originally hired as a youth coach by Craig Levein in October 2004 and also served under John Robertson. While Romanov ended Robertson's association with the club Frail survived to work alongside another six managers: George Burley, Valdas Ivanauskas (twice), John McGlynn (caretaker), Eduard Malofeev, Graham Rix and Anatoli Korobochka. In November 2006 he was appointed assistant coach to Ivanauskas, who had returned to the club following a five-week break after illness. When Ivanauskas left Hearts for good four months later Frail and Korobochka took temporary charge of first-team affairs. In January 2008 Frail was put in sole interim charge of the first-team as Hearts began a search for a full-time manager. Frail, it was claimed, would work alongside the new appointment as an assistant.

This won't now be the case. It seems Frail has suffered the consequences for having been in charge at the end of a disappointing season, although a more thorough reading of the situation is required. Frail was given full responsibility for first-team affairs following a poor run of form over Christmas. Hearts finished the season in eighth spot after losing their final three games. They lost eight of their 21 matches under Frail.

This record failed to impress Romanov, who criticised Frail in a rare interview on Tuesday. The Lithuania-based businessman rounded on a perceived 'footballing mafia' in Scotland and said it was unlikely that the next manager of Hearts would be Scottish. The latest name to be linked with the long-time vacant post is that of Ian Holloway, who has confirmed that his agent has spoken to Hearts "at length". In so much as he is not Scottish the former QPR and Leicester City manager would appear to have the right credentials.

"In the past I allowed local people to run the club," said Romanov earlier this week. "For me, this really didn't work. Everyone knows who was in charge of the team. It was Stevie Frail. But we nearly fell out of the league."

The statement released on the Hearts website yesterday carried a more conciliatory tone. "As a former Hearts player, having appeared 66 times for the Edinburgh football club, Stephen will always be welcome at Tynecastle, and leaves Hearts with everyone's best wishes for the future."

Taken from the Scotsman