The man who fell to earth

HE WAS the captain who kept the heart of his club beating, but has Steven Pressley bitten off more than he can chew by challenging Vladimir Romanov.

When Steven Pressley arrived at the club’s hotel last Monday to prepare for the SPL match against Falkirk, he gave no one the impression that he was anything less than “mentally attuned” for that evening’s game.

He was said to be his usual self, the cool and determined leader of men whose possession of such sterling qualities have made him such an inspirational favourite at Tynecastle.

But during the course of a traumatic day for Hearts, something happened to Pressley which made him snap and which will inevitably lead to his departure from Tynecastle. His dramatic removal as team captain later that day may also force a fans’ backlash against autocratic owner Vladimir Romanov when Hearts play Rangers later today, with untold consequences for a club which is owned and controlled lock, stock and barrel by the Lithuanian millionaire.

Two versions of events have been spun during the week. One is that Pressley discovered a plot by some players – in short, the club’s Lithuanian contingent – to have a vote of no confidence in his captaincy and was so shocked he couldn’t take the heat and wanted out of the kitchen.

According to club sources, another version is that the captain, who had been under increasing strain since his revelations of behind-the-scenes unrest at Hearts, had asked to be left out of the team because he said he was not “mentally attuned” to playing.

It may well be the case that there was a plot against Pressley, but sources close to Tynecastle say there is a rather more plausible version of events, and it is certainly one which is being openly discussed by senior Hearts supporters, encouraged by friends of the club captain – Pressley has not yet been formally stripped of that title, despite Christophe Berra writing in his place in today’s programme.

The chief problem faced by Hearts this season has been team selection. Whether Vladimir Romanov has picked the team or not, a bewildering inconsistency of selection has bedevilled the Tynecastle club.

It was that problem which, above all, eventually forced Pressley to speak out at Hearts’ football academy last month, backed by fellow Scottish internationalists Craig Gordon and Paul Hartley - the so-called Riccarton Three. They knew it was wrecking team morale, and stopping the team developing cohesion. And it was team selection which reportedly caused the captain’s iron self-discipline to break.

Apparently when caretaker coach Eduard Malofeev told him the team to play Falkirk, Pressley questioned whether Hearts really were serious about making a challenge to Celtic in the SPL. Not to put too fine a point on it, Pressley saw names on the team sheet which displeased him – players he did not think were pulling their weight for the cause, players who just were not good enough to play for his beloved Hearts.

This was seen as a direct criticism of Malofeev’s selection – which, of course, would have been approved by Romanov.

Pressley was then told he would not be captain for the night. In fairness to Malofeev and his fellow coaches, should Pressley have been allowed to carry on as captain of a team he did not feel comfortable with?

It is not clear whether Pressley then decided to drop himself out of the team or was kicked out by Malofeev, but the end result was the same.

It has also been reported that Paul Hartley and Robbie Neilson were dropped to the bench because they backed Pressley, but that cannot be confirmed. Nobody at Hearts is talking about anything to do with Monday’s events at the moment.

In the aftermath of the 1-1 draw with Falkirk, however, Craig Gordon was adamant that Pressley wanted to play and had been given no reason for his omission. That statement gives credence to this new version of why Pressley did not play.

Employment law usually goes out of the window when it comes to football, and it is now clear that Pressley has no future at the club and his contract is likely to be torn up sooner rather than later. However, one employment law expert pointed out that Romanov could have sacked the captain for his first statement some weeks ago.

“If an ordinary employee had gone on television to question the way a company was being run, their feet would not have touched the ground on the way out of the door as bringing your employer into disrepute is a sure way of getting fired,” said the expert.

And maybe that will suit Pressley. His former mentor Craig Levein was recently asked for an identikit of the kind of player he wanted at his new club, Dundee United. His description had onlookers saying one name – Steven Pressley.

“United might not have the money to afford a transfer fee, but (owner) Eddie Thompson would certainly take Steven Pressley onto their wage bill,” said one source close to the Dundee club.
Meanwhile, FB Kaunas coach Eugenijus Riabovas arrives on Monday to take over as caretaker coach, Malofeev going back to Lithuania after today’s game to qualify for his necessary coaching licences.

Yet again, another Lithuanian enters the scene, while between one to four Scottish players – depending on whether Romanov decides to empty the Riccarton Three plus Neilson – could exit in January during the transfer window.

Today there is the small matter of a vital SPL match against Rangers, and rarely can a game between these two rivals have been so overshadowed by events off the field.

The latest news is that some Hearts fans will stage a post-match protest against Pressley’s removal. Obviously if he plays and Hearts win, that protest might be muted.

Former club chairman George Foulkes wants everyone at Tynecastle to concentrate on the onfield activities for 90 minutes: “We have to back the team, whoever is playing,” said Foulkes. “It is a very crucial match and we must all give the players every backing, whoever they are.”

If Steven Pressley is one of those players, expect him to be cheered at every touch of the ball. If he’s not in maroon, then his days at Tynecastle are surely numbered.

Taken from the Scotsman