WATCHING HEARTS CAN DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH

VALDAS IVANAUSKAS knows enough of Hearts' history to understand the sacrifices courageous men made for their club and country.

And he knows enough about himself never to allow the mental pressures of football management to affect his long-term health.

The killing fields of the Somme, where players and fans of Hearts laid down their lives as part of McCrae's Battalion in the First World War, could never be compared with the playing fields of the SPL.

Ivanauskas is well aware how much his club means to its people and has returned after a month off through ill health to bring the stability and success the fans crave.

The Lithuanian has wrestled with enough demons of late to acknowledge how close he came to succumbing to the psychological strain of football, maybe even for good.

He insists he had to walk away before his problems grew even worse but now he feels better able to cope with the demands of working for Vladimir Romanov. Ivanauskas was back on the training pitch at Riccarton yesterday after four weeks of resting in his homeland as the club was beset by internal unrest. Dressing-room discontent became public and many senior players, including team captain Steven Pressley, effectively had a vote of no confidence in Romanov's running of the club as fans turned on the owner and even some of their own Lithuanian stars.

Ivanauskas was a soothing presence at Tynecastle yesterday and promised to work to bring the shattered club together after piecing together his own fragile mental state.

He said: "My target is to bring back unity to the club. The first target is winning matches again and the second is to please our supporters, who have been very angry about recent results and situations.

"We need to change that because fans, like this club, have died for the club and are the greatest supporters in the country. We'll change this situation, starting in our next game against St Mirren."

Ivanauskas stormed out of Tynecastle after a 2-0 loss to Kilmarnock on October 21 and was signed off on the sick within 48 hours of returning to Lithuania to talk to Romanov. He revealed he wanted to walk sooner but, switching between English and Lithuanian at a Tynecastle media conference yesterday, refused to elaborate on why he stayed longer.

However, he insists his health is better and doctors have given him the green light to continue in one of the most demanding jobs in football. He added: "The problems were there before. Not at the start of the season but before the Kilmarnock game.

"It was possible I could even have quit - I suggested stopping before. I needed time off for health reasons and also personal reasons, which I do not wish to discuss, but I was always confident I would return.

"A manager's life isn't easy. All managers have problems and Hearts were not the only reason I asked for time off as I also had the personal problems I wished to resolve.

"I don't want to give too many details on my health but doctors advised me not to follow events at the club so closely during my time off, although I still spoke with Mr Romanov. I saw only two games on TV - against Celtic and Rangers - because I was told by doctors to get away from Hearts life.

I tried to do my best but it was not so easy." Asked what he did during his time off, he said: "I relaxed."

Asked why he had returned to a job that had clearly affected his health he said: "It's my job. I've chosen this way. I love this game, this club, this action.

"What will I do differently now? Well, stress depends on results but no doctor has told me not to come back to Hearts.

"As a manager, I take so much on myself, you know, but I have a very, very good team of doctors who say I can do it."

Ivanauskas rolled his eyes when asked if he had spoken with Romanov every day but said it was often enough before they returned to Scotland together on Friday.

Again, he refused to elaborate but it is inconceivable the owner has not given Ivanauskas fresh assurances about his role and influence in the dressing room.

Ivanauskas said: "I was very happy with my discussions with Mr Romanov. It's not a pressure working for him but it's very, very interesting. Maybe it's difficult for you but I know him better and he likes this club, it's like a baby to him. He's not unhappy but wants to make this a big club, also in Europe, and it's difficult for him as it's not a short-term programme.

"You need time to achieve targets and you need a system to help you succeed. You can buy the best players but this will only bring success for two or three years."

Romanov constantly toys with the media on issues of team selection, one minute claiming he picks the players and insisting the next his head coach does it.

Ivanauskas insists he gives the owner the respect his position deserves but is adamant Romanov has no final say.

He feels Romanov's plan to have 70 per cent of players at the club Scottish is fine in principle but claims he won't be operating on strict quotas. He said: "Vladimir wants to know every discussion going on here.

"It's normal for people in his position to ask who is playing and who is injured. He is given this information but he is not on the training pitch every day, so it's not possible for him to pick the team.

"Vladimir also says he wants 70 per cent Scots but we can't count in terms of 50 per cent or 70 per cent because, most of all, we need good players.

"As a manager, it doesn't matter to me which country these players come from because every good team has foreign players, whether they play in Scotland, Germany, Italy or England.

"We live in Scotland, like Scotland and have very good young Scottish players. We must continue the good work of our academy in bringing through the likes of Lee Wallace, Christophe Berra, Jamie Mole and Calum Elliot because it's good for Hearts and good for Scottish football."

Taken from the Daily Record