Hearts players in revolt

VLADIMIR ROMANOV was today facing a player revolt at Hearts after club captain Steven Pressley revealed there was "significant unrest" within the Tynecastle dressing room.

Just days after manager Valdas Ivanauskas was relieved of his first team duties for two weeks due to "ill health", key members of the club's playing staff have broke their silence on the constant controversy that seems to engulf the club by insisting they've had enough.

Speculation that Hearts' managers haven't been allowed the final say in team-selection matters has raged since George Burley's sacking in October last year with the team at the top of the SPL table.

There is significant unrest within the dressing room - Steven Pressley

Since then Graham Rix has also come and gone while Ivanauskas' position is now believed to be in some doubt as he takes a two-week sabbatical in Lithuania.

Team selections appear to have become even more erratic since the appointments of former Soviet Union boss Eduard Malofeev as a "consultant" and sporting director Anatoli Korobochka.

And it would seem the players have finally reached breaking point.

Pressley, flanked by key first-team players Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon issued this statement to the media at the club's Riccarton training academy today.

"This is as statement on behalf of some of the players. This statement is no reflection on Eduard (Malofeev) who from my initial impressions is a very honest and diligent man."

"I would like to wish Valdas a speedy recovery but whether he returns or not is almost incidental in relation to the problems associated with this football club.

"I have tried along with the coaching staff and certain colleagues to implement the correct values and disciplines but it has become an impossible task. There is only so much staff, a captain and certain colleagues can do without the full backing, direction and coherence of the manager and those around the football club.

"While publicly I have expressed the need for unity, behind the scenes I have made my concerns abundantly clear.

"The last two years have been very testing for the players and together we have faced a number of challenges. I have worked hard to maintain some degree of unity, however, morale is not good. There is significant unrest within the dressing room."

Malofeev cancelled a pre-match media conference ahead of tomorrow's SPL game with Dunfermline, which had been scheduled for this afternoon.

Taken from the Scotsman