Romanov in manager talks

Meeting follows Hearts' second home league defeat of the season

Hearts have confirmed that head coach Valdas Ivanauskas is in Lithuania for discussions with majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.

The Jambos slumped to a 2-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock at the weekend - their second loss at home in the league this season.

The defeat by Killie leaves the Edinburgh side eight points behind SPL leaders Celtic and after the game, Romanov summoned Ivanauskas to Lithuania for talks on the situation. "Mr Romanov is meeting with Valdas Ivanauskas in Lithuania today," confirmed a Hearts spokesman.

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But the club insist any further announcement will be dictated by the result of the discussion between the two men. The majority shareholder appointed Ivanauskas on a permanent basis in June after he guided the team to the their Scottish Cup triumph over Gretna in May and a Champions League qualifying berth with a second-place finish in the SPL.

The former FBK Kaunas boss originally took over after Graham Rix was sacked in March. But Hearts were knocked out in the qualifying stages of the Champions League by AEK Athens before hopes of a spot in the Uefa Cup group phase were ended by Sparta Prague last month.

Romanov has parted company with three managers since taking a controlling interest at Tynecastle. John Robertson resigned after refusing to take a 'lesser' role at the club, then, after guiding Hearts to the top of the SPL with a 10-game unbeaten streak, George Burley left citing "irreconcilable differences" with the club's hierarchy.

Rix took over in November last year but was axed despite leading the team to the Scottish Cup semi-finals, before Ivanauskas stepped into the head coach role.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer