Bednar the latest at Tynecastle to register his bewilderment

IN THE sense that every team is capable of playing badly, there was little remarkable in itself about Hearts' disjointed display against Hibs on Wednesday night. But, for many observers - both supporters of the club and neutrals - the nature of the performance in the 1-0 defeat was indicative of the deep confusion and disillusionment that has set in at Tynecastle.

For the first time over this past week, some senior Hearts employees have conceded that they cannot see a way out of the current shambles while Vladimir Romanov remains in charge. Previously, those people, in common with many Hearts fans, would insist that the majority shareholder was the only show in town, and that without his financial input the club would have no viable future. Now, a significant number fear that Romanov's capricious self-indulgence will prevent his grand plans from ever being realised.

As Hearts are the Scottish Cup holders and are still second in the SPL, actual protests against the Romanov regime are still some way off. But the team needs to start playing a lot better if it is to stop itself from slipping down the league, and the demoralisation so evident at Easter Road does not suggest any such improvement will happen soon.

Rather than a single act being responsible for dispiriting the staff, it is the lack of a coherent direction which is causing dismay. If there was one proverbially back-breaking straw, however, it was Romanov's decision to address the players a fortnight ago and tell them they would be sold off if they were unable to beat Dunfermline the following day.

"For the two years I have been playing here, this is probably the biggest storm he [Romanov] has made," the striker Roman Bednar, currently out of action because of an injury, told the Czech publication Sport.cz.

"The captain and the older players arranged a press conference, but nothing more has happened since then. Mr Romanov said that he would sell all of us though, but it is not that easy to sell so many players."

One reason for the players' confusion, Bednar continued, was the uncertainty about the coaching team. Valdas Ivanauskas, the head coach who is currently on indefinite sick leave, is said to be coming back. Meanwhile, though, the veteran head coach Eduard Malofeev is in charge, and, while many players have warmed to him, just as many have been adversely affected by the continuing uncertainty.

"Let's see what happens further," Bednar continued. "Perhaps Mr Romanov will have another speech for us. Mr Ivanauskas should have returned in two weeks, but that did not happen as he is staying at home.

"I have to say Eduard Malofeev's training sessions are not bad. Nevertheless, nobody knows what is going on."

There is still a number of Hearts supporters who believe Romanov's claim that there is a conspiracy of conservative forces whose aim is to prevent the Tynecastle club from becoming the leading force in Scottish football. According to this claim, most if not all of the media want the Old Firm duopoly to remain in place, as do the Scottish Football Association and its referees.

Since Steven Pressley made a statement expressing his concern about the way the club was being run, however, that claim has become less credible than ever. Pressley was backed up by "certain colleagues" when he read out his statement in public after Romanov's threat to sell off the team, and Bednar's remarks confirm that it is not just the Scottish players at the club who are dissatisfied or bemused.

The captain has previously voiced the hope that an open and honest dialogue with Romanov would persuade him to come to some sort of an accommodation. Increasingly, though, it seems the businessman adamantly refuses to accept that his actions, besides undermining Hearts, are jeopardising his entire business plan for expansion into western Europe. And if self-interest will not open his eyes, it is hard to think of anything that will.


Taken from the Scotsman