Piggy-backs pushing players to the edge

A SERIES of bizarre training regimes including piggy-back sessions have left the Hearts players disillusioned with daily routine at the club.

The Evening News understands that unorthodox methods used by Romanov's Russian coaching staff have contributed significantly to the dressing-room unrest which captain Steven Pressley revealed to the media yesterday.

A club source explained: "The players are coming in to training fed up. They don't like the training programme as they've been doing exercises like piggy backs and things all week. It's no good. The place is a shambles and the club is in chaos. I think the final straw was Romanov threatening to drop the players and sell them."

Romanov spoke to the squad yesterday to outline his intentions whilst head coach Valdas Ivanauskas remains in Lithuania on a two-week break. Eduard Malofeev has replaced Ivanauskas as acting head coach in the interim, and was taking charge for the first time this afternoon. The words of the majority shareholder only served to further irritate a squad that is now beginning to turn against his running of the club. The players are doubtful if they will ever see the popular Ivanauskas again and Pressley has grown tired of trying to lift dressing-room morale.

Since Romanov first became involved, no fewer than five managers have departed including Ivanauskas - the latter only temporarily for the moment. The Lithuanian maintains he will return to his job once his health issues are resolved, and it appears he would be welcomed back by the players.

Taken from the Scotsman