No comfort zone at Hearts as axe swings

BARRY ANDERSON
ANY Hearts players coasting along enjoying what manager Csaba Laszlo terms a "nice life" should beware. The decision to dispense with reserve coach Angel Chervenkov and doctor Ivo Yakimov is the beginning of a restructuring process which, amongst other things, should weed out anyone taking easy money from the club.
With Hearts cutting their cloth to counteract the global economic downturn, Laszlo has warned that the club will no longer tolerate players ambling around on long-term contracts into their 20s without making an impression.

His vision for the future involves expanding Darren Murray's under-19 squad, developing the cream of the teenage crop at reserve level and then timing their promotion to the first team so as not to stint their progress. Who will manage the second string in Chervenkov's absence has yet to be decided, but cutting the number of backroom staff will also help reduce financial overheads.

In a footballing sense, the immediate focus is on reducing the number of peripheral players in order to help youngsters thrive. Hearts have recently loaned out players unable to impose themselves at first-team level, such as 21-year-olds Dennis McLaughlin and John Armstrong – currently with Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath respectively. Nonetheless, Laszlo explained today that a change of policy is being adopted.

"I don't like to have 70 players under contract and leading a nice life," he told the Evening News. "Definitely we are finished with the nice life, we don't want to have players who have no chance of being professional.

"The reserve team will be mostly young players in the future, this is my wish. We are not an amateur club, we are a professional club and we have a duty to the club.

"If you have somebody who is 22 or 23 in the reserves but he does not have any chance to come to the first team, this is not a development. This is only letting him play in the reserves and have a nice life. This is not my intention so we are trying to have a reorganisation for the club and the players.

"The young players must have the feeling that, if they work very hard, they get the chance to play in the reserve team and then the door opens earlier for the first team.

"We are not Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Juventus or AC Milan, who get the best players in the market for millions. We must produce players who later can maybe bring in millions for us. For this we need a new structure."

There are no plans afoot to replace Chervenkov, with both Murray and Laszlo's assistant, Werner Burger, in the running to take charge of reserve matches between now and the end of the season. "We have Werner on our staff, he has the UEFA Pro Licence," continued Laszlo.

"Our idea at the moment is not to get a new coach, we would like to have a reorganisation within the coaching staff. From now to May we will work with the people we have, we won't get anybody new."

Murray oversaw Tuesday's defeat by Celtic reserves at New Broomfield and is well respected within the corridors of power at Riccarton.

He has been on Hearts' coaching ladder for more than 13 years and previously coached the under-17 side before earning a promotion to the under-19s late in 2006.

The title of reserve coach will remain open until the summer, allowing Laszlo and his superiors to take stock of what is likely to be a significant transformation behind the scenes.

"This (the reserve coaching role] is not decided," continued the manager. "Werner will be staying with us (first team] but we would like to have some talented reserve players with us.

"We would also like to make a bigger under-19 squad and focus more on them. The talented players from this team can play in the reserve league, this is very important for the club.

"Having good coaches is very important but the most important is to have a new structure for the development. I am all for the under-19 guys and we must have more attention in this direction."

Taken from the Scotsman