Pre-match team talk from Vladimir Romanov inspires Hearts to victory

Published Date: 03 October 2011
By Alan Pattullo
HEARTS manager Paulo Sergio yesterday stood aside as Vladimir Romanov helped inspire the Tynecastle side to a thrilling victory over Celtic.
The club owner offered the players his advice in a team meeting room prior to the game and glowed with satisfaction at the end as Hearts recovered some pride following last weekend's lame defeat at St Johnstone.

Those who only half-joked about Romanov being persuaded to handle managerial duties on a permanent basis were given food for thought when Sergio did not attend the post-match briefing with reporters.

It wasn't Romanov, however, who undertook this chore. Instead, first-team coach Gary Locke offered his thoughts on the victory, with Sergio said to be rushing to catch a flight back home to Portugal.

There was nothing to suggest that this swift departure had been on the invitation of Romanov, who dispensed with previous manager Jim Jefferies on his last visit to Edinburgh. Jefferies departed earlier this season after a disappointing home defeat to Dundee United.

However, Hearts have now won their last four league matches at Tynecastle without conceding a goal.

It is away from home where they appear to be most vulnerable. Hearts, who visit Dunfermline in their next league outing, have failed to win successive matches this season.

Locke has urged the team to deliver the kind of performance posted yesterday on a consistent basis. "We all have ambitions for the club, but there's no point getting carried away just because we have beaten Celtic," he said. "We have to go and beat every team in the league and that's going to be difficult.

"I thought we played very well today and I thought we deserved that result today. But we can't play well today and then in two weeks' time not apply ourselves in the same manner."

Celtic manager Neil Lennon might note that Hearts never have any problem getting up for the visit of his side to Tynecastle. This was another rumbustious occasion and Romanov's pre-match talk simply added to the intrigue and drama. So, too, did the fire alarm which saw club officials, hospitality guests and reporters all mingle outside Tynecastle directly after the game as the stadium was evacuated.

Romanov's return to Tynecastle should certainly have got Sergio's alarm bells ringing. Locke explained that the owner "likes to have a little chat with the players" prior to matches at which he is in attendance.

Asked what the owner's message had been, Locke simply said: "Win." Whether inspiration or fear, or a combination of both, was behind the players going out and doing just that, there can be little denying that the talk seemed to have some effect, even if Locke expressed some doubt about the impact.

"He (Romanov] told them that they had to be on their toes because if not 'then Celtic would run all over the top of you'," said Locke. "As I said, they certainly applied themselves brilliantly today."

Locke then bravely added that he didn't think Romanov's visit to Tynecastle "had made a difference", although he acknowledged that "everyone keeps telling us" that it does. A more potent motivational factor, he reckoned, was the desire to make up for last weekend's 2-0 defeat to St Johnstone.

"It's just that we let ourselves down against St Johnstone last week and we have worked hard on the training field all week," he said. "The players were disappointed last week, too, but they have repaid the fans today."

Winger David Templeton, who helped set up both Hearts' goals in the 2-0 win, revealed that Romanov had held court in a meeting room rather than the home dressing-room. And he considered the unscheduled pep talk to have been a success.

"He has a few words and tells us to go out and have a good performance, and he also tells us to be on our toes because Celtic come here and play well - and last time they played really well against us here," he said. "So we had to try to put in a better performance and I think it showed.

"He comes into the meeting room before kick-off and has a few words to try and encourage us," Templeton added. "I think it worked today."

Locke revealed that Sergio had considered replacing Rudi Skacel just before the Czech midfielder struck the first goal after 58 minutes. "He was thinking about it," the coach said. "It was pleasing that Rudi got the goal. He was champing at the bit to get a run this season and has come in today and scored another valuable goal."

Both Locke and Templeton believed Kris Commons deserved the red card he was shown by Craig Thomson after a lunging tackle on Adrian Mrowiec after 65 minutes. "I had quite a good view," said Templeton.

"I thought it was a bad tackle. I think he had another couple of nibbles at other players when he had the ball and then he lunged in when he lost it. For me the referee got it right."

Celtic manager Neil Lennon admitted that the defeat is a blow to Celtic's title hopes, although it is still early in the season.

Celtic are ten points behind Rangers, with only one game in hand on the league leaders.

"It is a concern, obviously," said the Parkhead manager.

Taken from the Scotsman