Unrest will ruin season says Jan

Hearts striker Edgaras Jankauskas has urged the Tynecastle club to clear up the controversy over skipper Steven Pressley before it affects any more performances.

Jankauskas admits the off-field antics are making it difficult for Hearts to concentrate when they go out on to the pitch and he believes the club have to sort out the turmoil.

It is expected that Hearts will issue a statement later today after Pressley was left out of Saturday's squad, and Jankauskas wants the matter sorted now.

Jankauskas said: "Of course we want to have a clearer picture of what is going on, it's logical. I think we have a squad good enough to achieve something.

"It will be difficult this year because these things affect the team, how strong we can be.

"It is always an influence on your performance and psychological state."

Meanwhile, former Tynecastle keeper Henry Smith believes that if Pressley is allowed to quit the club things will go from bad to worse at Hearts.

The Scotland internationalist looks certain to have played his last game for the Gorgie side after being suspended by the club on Friday and the SPFA have backed the defender as he gets set to go to war with owner Vladimir Romanov.

"If Steven was to leave, I fear Hearts would go down the tubes big time," said Smith. "You only have to look at the two goals they lost against St Mirren to see what happens when he is not there.

"There was no leadership on the park and it showed in the body language when Paul Hartley was sent off. Craig Gordon didn't want the armband and that to me said a lot about the situation.

"Steven is the leader in that dressing room and I don't understand why people were trying to replace him. He'll be a big loss because I don't think anyone can replace him."

Taken from the Scotsman