Heart of the matter: An interview with Steven Pressley

Moira Gordon
IN THE months preceding that now infamous statement at Riccarton, Steven Pressley had been quietly appealing for greater consistency at Hearts, in both team selection and disciplinary matters.
He saw the merit in a settled side and the team spirit that tends to encourage. Behind the scenes, he spoke with his latest manager, Valdas Ivanauskas, Eduard Malofeev and even pleaded with Vladimir Romanov, who, at that time, was still a significant influence when it came team selection. The former, having shown some sympathy, signed himself off on a "sabbatical" soon after, the others just refused to take on board the player's proffered opinions. With results still suffering, the disharmony became public.

That was more than two years ago and while the former Hearts captain says he prefers to look forward positively than back with regrets, he would be entitled to a simple "told you so".

Consider Hearts' current coaching set-up and playing results and it seems the club would have benefited sooner had they paid attention to the appeals emanating from the dressing room. Now they have a manager who has unified the squad more than any other since George Burley. Csaba Laszlo is being allowed, on the whole, to make his own decisions on team matters, including selection, training regimes and discipline, and as a consequence the run of recent results – five wins in a row then a draw at Parkhead yesterday – is the best since Burley's winning run in the 2005-6 campaign.

"Csaba Laszlo deserves a great deal of credit," says Pressley, who is back training with Celtic while he seeks a new playing contract elsewhere following his recent spell in Denmark with Randers FC. "I still speak to some people at Hearts and he seems to have the respect of the players and has been allowed to put his own stamp on the team. They have a fairly settled side and have a style of play that suits those players and I don't think it's any coincidence that they are getting their rewards on the pitch. I'm delighted for them." He maybe just wishes it hadn't taken so long.

For all the acrimony, there are still many who regard Pressley as a Hearts legend. He in turn will always have deep feelings for a club he once thought would be his home as he made the steady transition from player and captain to coach and, eventually, manager.

The absence of regret in his life encompasses that turbulent time and his stance as one third of the "Riccarton Three" alongside Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon. After months of trying to disguise the internal problems from the outside world, he still feels it was something which had to be done. But he denies any notion that it was wanton insubordination, stressing that, as a player, he recognised boundaries and has never prior to that or since questioned the authority of any superiors. It's not in his nature, he says, and he could find a long line of character witnesses to support the assertion. What he and his two cohorts did, he stresses, was strive to better things at the club and let supporters know what prompted them to go from league challengers and Scottish Cup winners to a dispirited squad, lagging behind in the league.

"We had tried to deal with it behind closed doors, but that hadn't worked. I still think I had a certain responsibility at Hearts, as the captain. I had a level of responsibility for the players and was simply trying to get over their views. People who know me know that I take my responsibilities very seriously and it wasn't always easy because of circumstances at Hearts for the vast majority of my time there as captain. But when I set out to make the statement, it was never intended as trouble-making, it was an attempt to amend a situation because we all believed that there was the personnel at the club to be successful but that we needed a more settled side and more consistent approach."

In Laszlo, Hearts have found someone who seems to agree. That has been beneficial for Christophe Berra, according to Pressley. Well aware of the burden Hearts captains in the recent past have had to bear, he has been impressed by the way the lad he saw come through the ranks to play alongside him in the first team, and then eventually take on the captaincy, has prospered.

"I am not surprised at all that he hasn't allowed it to affect his game. I haven't spoken to him about it or offered advice because he has to make his own decisions and do what he thinks is right for his dressing room. But from what I see and have heard, he has done a terrific job for one so young and has still performed to a terrific level on the pitch.

"But what I will say is that the one thing which has helped him in that respect is that, in terms of the playing side of things, the club is a lot more stable and settled. They have a manager there now who is leading things and they have a manager who has been in place since the start of the season so in that respect he has been able to take on a lot of the other responsibilities and allowed Christophe to concentrate on being a captain, in the sense of what a captain is at most other clubs where there aren't the same upheavals."

In an ongoing tussle with Dundee United for third place in the league this term, under Laszlo's guidance Hearts have a proven ability to test the Old Firm sides in head-to-heads and even better them. It is another parallel with the 2005-6 campaign when they split the Glasgow pair to finish second in the league, before winning the Scottish Cup. Since that day, Pressley has gone on to win the Premier League title with Celtic, and another Scottish Cup final at Hampden but, while they are treasured memories, they cannot challenge the sensation of hoisting aloft the trophy as Hearts captain.

The expectation in Scottish football is that each season the Old Firm will ultimately rise to the top – the league title is contested between them, the other silverware rarely wrestled from their grasp. Having spent 14 seasons of his career in that environment, to break the mould in 2006 was special and the Scotland coach, who has turned out for both Rangers and Celtic, says the game here needs that to happen more often.

"I have a lot of good memories from throughout my playing career and I hope there are more to come because I really do have a strong desire to continue playing, but when you win a cup with a team outwith the Old Firm, it's always a special occasion. To finish second and win the cup was an exceptional season for Hearts. It was exciting for the players involved and refreshing. It was also a great season for Scottish football because the SPL needs a strong Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United to keep things interesting and competitive at the top end of the table. By finishing second and winning the cup we gave that season a freshness and I think people are always receptive to that."

The chance of splitting the Old Firm this term may be a long shot, and with the uncertainty over finances at Hearts still an issue, who knows what will happen in the future, but at least as regards team matters the approach he advocated more than two years ago has finally been adopted and, in football terms, Hearts are moving in the right direction. Pressley may have had his career mapped out in his own mind and in the minds of others but, as he acknowledges, "you never know what's round the corner". After enjoying Christmas with his family, he hopes it's a new playing contract for him and continued progress for Hearts.

Taken from the Scotsman