TURMOIL TOPS THE MATCH OF THE DAY

TODAY'S Tynecastle teamsheet will tell a couple of significant stories. The Hearts and Rangers selections are probably more eagerly-awaited than the big match itself.

Will the home team drop skipper Steven Pressley after he missed out on a manic Monday at Falkirk? Are Paul Hartley and Robbie Neilson still seen as surplus to requirements? Is Craig Gordon's position safe?

And can we expect to see Kris Boyd's name in the Rangers starting line-up or will manager Paul Le Guen again prefer his top scorer beside him on the bench?

Most of the mystery, of course, surrounds the central question - What's happening at Hearts?

There's only one person who can answer that. And dictatorial owner Vladimir Romanov (below) has gone very quiet. Mad Vlad's rants at the SPL, SFA, referees and the media had become a regular feature. But, just when he really needed to tell us all what's going on at Tynecastle, Romanov's retreated into his shell.

It's arguably the most critical phase at the club since he saved it from bankruptcy. Those of us trying to tell the tale of the turmoil at Hearts are growing increasingly frustrated. But we have to angle our anger in the right direction.

The poor PR staff who try to explain their boss's bizarre actions are easy targets.

They've been placed in an impossible position. Can we really expect them to come up with answers for some of Vlad's crazy decisions?

Then there's that ever-changing supporting cast in the technical area who, understandably, resemble rabbits caught in headlights.

I have to say sporting director Eduard Malofeev gave me one of my favourite interviews a few weeks back when he ranted and raved in spectacular style before his interpreter told me calmly that there was no problem whatsoever at Hearts.

I sympathise with Ed, Alex Koslovski and all the rest of the multi-layered managerial set-up who try to fill that gap between Romanov and the football operation as they clearly don't have the answers and it's cruel to put them in front of the cameras.

Huge credit to Senegalese defender Ibrahim Tall for appearing at Friday's media conference but it was grossly unfair to place him in front of all the flak flying around.

The central figure in all of this should have come and i said his piece long before now. It's a shambles.

And when you're given the, official line, as Setanta Sports were on Monday, that Hearts will give 'minimal cooperation to the media' you don't exactly hold your breath for an explanation.

It seems Pressley, whose captain's column will be missing from today's match programme, could be finished at the club after the latest dressing-room dust-up which led to his withdrawal from the team on Monday.

How does he heal that rift after the apparent discovery that some of his team-mates were plotting to have him stripped of the club captaincy?

And how daft was it to leave Hartley and Neilson on the bench at Falkirk allegedly because neither had the desired impact in the Cup defeat at Hibs. If you play both out of position - Neilson in right midfield and Hartley virtually up front - that's what you get.

I'm assuming Gordon will play today although the suspicion remains that there are repercussions to come for him after his public appearance as one-third of the Riccarton Three.

Romanov's track record, from Russian submariner to business tycoon, tells you that anyone who crosses his path tends to be torpedoed.

It's just as well the game has intriguing questions surrounding it because the meeting of Hearts and Rangers carries no serious title significance. With 24 league games left, these two are effectively battling with Aberdeen and Hibs for the runners-up spot.

Rangers need wins, lots of them, to try to climb back to domestic credibility. Some of the players, who thrive in the gentle pace of a UEFA Cup tie, look unwilling to get their hands dirty when it comes to the more frantic weekend action.

The Boyd dilemma is a separate issue but I can't help thinking Le Gaffer could do himself a favour by building his attack around the Scotland striker. His 29 Rangers goals in 29 starts don't come across as an accidental statistic. Le Guen could have spared the Rangers fans an hour of frustration against Dunfermline last Saturday if he'd played big Kris from the start.

The frustration for the Hearts fans, though, threatens to go on for considerably longer.

Taken from the Sunday Mail