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| <-Page | <-Team | Sun 19 Nov 2006 Hearts 0 Rangers 1 | Team-> | Page-> |
| <-Srce | <-Type | Herald ------ Post Match Comments | Type-> | Srce-> |
| Eduard Malofeev | <-auth | MARK WILSON | auth-> | Douglas McDonald |
| 80 | of 120 | ----- Nacho Novo 78 | L SPL | H |
Hartley: let’s start talkingMARK WILSON November 20 2006 Paul Hartley has appealed to Vladimir Romanov to hold clear-the-air discussions with the Hearts playing staff in an attempt to ease the mounting crisis at the club. Yesterday's 1-0 defeat from Rangers at Tynecastle witnessed the first significant supporter protest against Romanov's regime as Steven Pressley, the club captain, was brought back to the squad but confined to the bench. The Lithuanian businessman was not at the match but is due in Scotland later this week. With Hearts now having gone seven matches without a victory, there is mounting pressure for results on the pitch to match the disaffection emanating from the stands. Hartley was recalled to the starting line up yesterday after having been demoted to the bench for Monday night's 1-1 draw with Falkirk. He was one of the "Riccarton Three", alongside Pressley and Craig Gordon, who last month released a statement expressing "significant unrest" at the direction the club was taking. The Scotland midfielder now hopes a full and frank exchange of views could lead to Hearts finding unity and recapturing some of last season's optimism. "Perhaps he [Romanov] will want to come and speak to us," said Hartley. "The sooner everything gets sorted then the better for the club. We all want to be moving in the same direction and be trying to challenge for honours. "I think he'll have stuff to say to us and will want to get his point across. It's important that everything comes out in the open and we start to talk. "The supporters, the players and the owner all want to be pushing for success in the same direction." Pressley walked out on the Hearts squad before the Falkirk match after uncovering an apparent plot to have him removed as captain. Hartley, as the club's vice-captain, wore the armband in his absence yesterday but hopes a reconciliation can now be reached with Romanov. "I think that is between Steven and the club but I'd like to think so," said the 30-year-old. "You want your best players playing and he is a real leader for us. "There is only one captain at the club and that is Steven. The sooner he gets back in the team, the better. If he is injured or unwell, then I will take the armband, but that's all." Robbie Neilson also inexplicably remained among the substitutes and Hartley admitted fearing for his own position before the team to face Rangers was named. "You're always fearful after you've been relegated to the bench as I was on Monday," he said. "I don't want to be sitting on the bench picking up money. I don't care about the money, I just want to play football. "There was a concern whether I was going to play or not but it wasn't my decision. If I'm picked to play for Hearts, I will always give everything for the jersey."  Taken from the Herald |
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