Pressley's absence signals fans' breaking point

AFTER scores of changes to Hearts' line-ups this season, after all the debate about who has been unjustly included in or omitted from the side, it may come as a surprise to outsiders that one more selection on Monday night should have affected the club's support so seriously. But, to those who have watched daily the disillusionment spread like dry rot at Tynecastle this season, it was no surprise at all.

The absence of Steven Pressley from the team which drew 1-1 with Falkirk even managed to overshadow the emergence of a seventh head coach in the past 21 months, with FBK Kaunas coach Eugenijus Riabovas taking charge later this month.

Perhaps supporters have become numb to the changing of the guard, but there are two simple reasons why Pressley's absence aroused so much more consternation. First, as the club captain and the embodiment of the fighting spirit for which Hearts were not so long ago renowned, Pressley has become the constant on whom the fans could rely during the past two years of unprecedented turbulence.

Second, even if some supporters would have been willing to put up with the omission of the captain on its own, for many it became a tipping point, the decision which persuaded them that their affections could not remain married to Vladimir Romanov for better or worse. On the street and on websites alike yesterday, fan after fan said this had been the straw that broke the camel's back, the step too far by the Romanov regime.

The rumours about Pressley began on Monday afternoon, as Hearts supporters prepared to set off for Falkirk or get home in time to watch the match on television. They were confirmed around an hour before kick-off at the Falkirk Stadium when the Hearts captain's name was absent from the official team list.

Speaking after the game, Craig Gordon - who along with Paul Hartley sat alongside Pressley three weeks ago when he issued his statement criticising the way the club was being run - insisted that the captaincy had not changed hands. A Hearts spokesman, who was in the room at the time, did not contradict the goalkeeper, and the club said nothing yesterday to elaborate on the situation other than in a brief interview on its website, heartsfc.co.uk

Asked to explain the absence of Pressley, the interpreter Alex Kozlovski said: "I think some rumours about him and the captaincy unsettled him, and he asked our coach not to put him to the game [sic] because he was not mentally 100 per cent fit to participate."

Pressley himself said nothing yesterday after training at Riccarton, but the rumours in question concerned a revolt against his captaincy proposed by a high-ranking Romanov employee. One matter raised by Pressley in his statement was concern about the serious unrest in the dressing-room, and the divide between some of the Lithuanian contingent and the rest of the squad has deepened since then.

Talk of a suggested vote of no confidence may be wide of the mark, but there is little doubt that Romanov has bided his time since the statement before deciding to foment action.

While some recent events at Hearts have had a comic side to them, matters have also taken a more serious turn since Kozlovski began to be used as a spokesman. Pressley was "not mentally fit" this week, while last week it was Julien Brellier who "should put himself together". We await with interest the club's definition of what constitutes complete mental health.

Understandably, though, one aspect of the case has led to some - Hearts supporters or otherwise - having more sympathy with the club owner than with Pressley and the "certain colleagues" who have sided with him. It is incontestable that in most businesses, making such a public stand against what is happening would be grounds for disciplinary action.

But there are significant differences here compared to other businesses. For a start, football cannot be completely assessed in normal business terms. More importantly, rather than directly criticise Romanov, Pressley talked of matters at the club which he thought had got out of hand and needed the attention of the owner. In other words, he said he wanted to work with Romanov, not against him, and held out hope that the businessman would be willing to have constructive talks.

One way in which football clubs cannot be treated as wholly rational commercial concerns is that affection for them is often deeply irrational. To Hearts fans, Pressley is far more than just another name on the payroll, and his iconic status means that most regard him as the moral leader of the club whoever is the actual owner of the majority of the shares. It may appear that the hopes of constructive dialogue harboured by Pressley are forlorn now, but there is still a chance, albeit a slim one, that Romanov will respond positively.

The crisis currently gripping Hearts does not merely concern the football club: it affects the credibility of the Romanov empire, and of its main long-term project - western expansion.

If Romanov does not in the long run care about Hearts, he does care about himself, and about his family, some of whom are employees of and/or shareholders in his company. If he comes to comprehend that many Scots hold their football teams and players almost as dear as family, he may realise why the treatment of Pressley has provoked such an adverse reaction.

It will be up to his senior employees to make him aware of that reaction, and to explain to him what can be done to put things right. This may be no easy task, but if they do not succeed in it, the discord at Tynecastle will surely grow more and more bitter by the day.
How to stop the rot, in ten straightforward steps
1 Get the fans back on side

THE absence of Steven Pressley from the side which faced Falkirk on Monday was a watershed moment for Hearts. The club captain, an iconic figure, is now perceived to be in direct conflict with Vladimir Romanov. Many - perhaps most - fans will take the side of Pressley. Romanov needs to speak to these supporters. He could start by addressing the Fans Forum agm at Tynecastle tonight.
2 Tell the truth

MISLEADING the fans over the reasons for Eugenijus Riabovas' arrival in Edinburgh was an embarrassing mistake. As speculation mounted that Riabovas was in line for a coaching post at the club, sport director Alex Kozlovski insisted there was "no role" for the Kaunas coach. "He was just observing," Kozlovski said. "He has no link with Hearts." It was confirmed yesterday that Riabovas is to take over as head coach on a temporary basis.
3 Restore team spirit

SPIRIT in adversity has been a given for Hearts in recent seasons. The club has had to contend with a chief executive who wanted to sell the ground, the turmoil of a takeover and more managerial changes than Marks and Spencer. Throughout this the players have displayed an imperishable spirit. Now, however, cracks are showing. Romanov's meddling is taking a huge toll.
4 Appoint a manager and let him manage

RAIDING FBK Kaunas every time a result goes against you is not a formula for finding a successful coach. Hearts need to identify and appoint a manager who knows the Scottish game and who can provide stability. Of equal importance, he needs to be allowed to manage as he sees fit, picking the players he wants to play.
5 Don't alienate the club's best players

A CLUB stands or falls by its senior pros and Hearts are lucky to have a strong spine in Craig Gordon, Robbie Neilson, Pressley and Paul Hartley. Without the quartet Hearts would be unrecognisable. Romanov appears to be at loggerheads with all of them. Peace talks are needed. Urgently.
6 Reduce the Lithuanian influence

THIS is nothing to do with xenophobia. The current set-up is simply impractical. Non-English speaking coaches are struggling to get their message across to the players both at matches and in training.
7 Appoint a new chairman

IF HEARTS fans thought Doug Smith was a low-profile chairman they hadn't bargained on Roman Romanov, who has disappeared without trace in recent months. A new chairman is required. One who is unrelated to the club owner would be preferable.
8 Reduce the size of the squad

TOO many mediocre players are clogging up the squad and taking big wages out the club. Panic buying during transfer windows has helped create the ill-thought out rotation system which saw 59 changes in the first 11 league games of the season. A first-team squad of 25 players would suffice.
9 Heal the divide

WHEN Pressley read out the now famous Riccarton statement three weeks ago it was on behalf of "certain colleagues". From that moment it became clear there was a divide between the Lithuanian players at the club and the rest of the playing staff at Tynecastle. For Hearts to play to their best the rift must be healed.
10 Appoint a fans' rep to the board

DURING George Foulkes' tenure as chairman there was much talk of bringing a supporter on to the board. It never happened. Instead, the board has been loaded with Romanov's relatives and friends, and the fans have been left on the outside looking in.

Taken from the Scotsman