Marius Zaliukas: Don’t make us pay for late wages

MARTIN HANNAN
Published on Sunday 21 October 2012 00:49

HEARTS captain Marius Zaliukas has made a plea to the Scottish Premier League not to take any further action against the Tynecastle club over its non-payment of wages.

The SPL is due to meet tomorrow to consider further sanctions on Hearts after the “secret” imposition of a transfer embargo on the club for its failure to pay manager John McGlynn and six players on time several weeks ago. Players were also paid late last week, although the delay was as little as 48 hours in some cases. Nevertheless, under the new strict rules brought in by the SPL during Scottish football’s summer of discontent, Hearts face further sanctions.

The issue has yet again proved a distraction as Hearts prepare themselves to face Motherwell in the SPL at Tynecastle this afternoon. Zaliukas hopes it is no more than that.

“To be punished for being a couple of days late, with all these sanctions, is unwise,” said Zaliukas. “The wages have been paid. It’s a couple of days – not weeks or months.

“For me this isn’t a problem. It’s only a couple of days. For me personally it’s more important to get back to the top of the table and get results in every game. I hope the SPL don’t take any further action. We players are trying to do our best on the pitch to get points. Outside of the pitch is not our decision.”

Last season, Hearts went on a fine run of form after it emerged that players were being paid often weeks late. The players showed solidarity with each other under manager Paulo Sergio, and Hearts astonished their rivals with a series of creditable results.

Both Zaliukas and his manager John McGlynn, below, are hoping that similar team bonding will take place in the wake of the latest crisis.

Zaliukas said: “Everyone has talked about it in the dressing room and they all have their own opinions. We need to show our team spirit and desire on the pitch. We hope to do that today.

“It may be coincidence that we’ve had good results before after these situations, I don’t know. I don’t see any problems inside the team. Everyone is working hard and trying their best.”

Manager McGlynn harked back to last season: “It was remarkable how the Hearts players were able to win games last year when they were not getting paid. Fair play to them, they dug it out and the management must have done a tremendous job to keep them focused through long spells of not getting paid. They had a lot of behind-the-scenes upheaval and everyone being involved. A massive compliment to the team that did that, and I am hoping in some way that it brings our players closer and they fight for one another more so.”

McGlynn hastily added: “I have no complaints in that department, they have been working really hard in training and they have a great attitude. They are great players to work with and they are receptive to what we’re doing.”

The manager also had no hesitation in nominating the biggest threat Hearts face today – not collapsing morale but Motherwell’s free-scoring striker Michael Higdon.

McGlynn said: “Higdon is scoring the goals. He is the top goalscorer in the SPL so that makes a statement in itself.

“They have scored goals from set-pieces. They can score goals but they are also conceding. They are a dangerous opposition home and away. This team that were third in the league last year, they had a great workrate and great season under Stuart McCall and Kenny Black, with probably not a massive budget either. A lot of compliments must go their way and they have started the season really well. We look upon it as a game we look to win.

“We understand that there will not be a lot in it, there will be thin margins and you hope you get that edge on the day.”

Size matters to Zaliukas: “I’ve played against Higdon for six years now. He’s always up amongst the top scorers in the SPL.

“I prefer to play against strikers like him than against small, quick strikers. It’s going to be a good fight against each other. Before and after every game we have a talk and ask each other how we’re doing.”

The Lithuanian is confident, however, of Hearts’ progress – so much so that he doesn’t give their second-placed Edinburgh rivals any real thought.

“We’re going to get back up the table,” said the skipper.

“It’s very early in the season. Of course I’m surprised how Hibs have done after the last two seasons. We’re not thinking about them or bothered about that. We just look at ourselves and we’ll get back to where we belong.”

Zaliukas finished by dispelling some rumours about him being watched by Manchester United when Hearts were pursuing him: “I read that online in the Scottish newspapers from Germany. I didn’t know anything about it at the time.”

Taken from the Scotsman