'Unwell' Gordon dropped by Hearts

HEARTS YESTERDAY placed the future of goalkeeper Craig Gordon in doubt when chief coach Valdas Ivanauskas left Scotland's No1 and the Tynecastle captain out of the starting line-up at Dundee United.

Ivanauskas announced last night that the player was ill, though he was on the bench and looking fit at Tannadice during the pre-match warm-up as the travelling support looked on in bemusement, and was reported by some sources to be ready to play. "He was feeling not so good in the morning," said Ivanauskas, "and I decided to rest him before the derby game against Hibs at Tynecastle on Boxing Day. I hope he is OK tomorrow."

The Hearts coach showed his anger at further questioning over whether Gordon was, indeed, ill and snapped: "You have any other questions? I have given you my opinion so do you have any other question."
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Gordon's team-mate Robbie Neilson said the players had not known about any line-up changes until Ivanauskas named the team an hour before kick-off. "It was a big shock to us," he said. "I don't know what the situation is. I am as much in the dark as anyone else. He didn't look ill to me. I don't think he was. It's just some sort of situation that's going on. Craig is the kind of guy who doesn't let on too much to the boys but I'm sure he'll want to sort it out. I hope he'll be back for the Hibs match."

Charlie Mann, official spokesman for Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov, was as puzzled as anyone. "I heard from people when I arrived at Tannadice," said Mann. "I am not involved day to day so I wouldn't know if a player was about to be dropped from the team. The fans will be asking me what's going on and I will have to try and find a way of getting that information to them in some shape or form. But first I have to find out for myself."

Former Hearts player Gary McKay, now a radio pundit and a critic of Romanov, told the Sunday Herald: "We were told at one point that we Hearts supporters were intellectuals but we're now being treated like imbeciles. We're told the reason he isn't playing is because he isn't feeling well. If you're not feeling well as a football player then you'll not be stripped. You get sent home because you don't want to spread the illness among the players."

Meanwhile, Gordon was reported to have told a representative of the club's official website that he was perfectly fit and Fraser Wishart, secretary of the PFA, who has been representing the keeper this week, also poured cold water on the story that Gordon was ill.

Meanwhile, Hibs manager John Collins last night angrily denied reports of a fresh row with his two contract rebels, Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson, insisting both players would be in contention for the Boxing Day derby match. The players' agent Willie McKay was quoted in the morning papers claiming that both men - who saw a £3 million bid from Charlton Athletic turned down in midweek - had already been told they were being dropped from the squad for Tuesday's match, amid claims that Celtic were ready to enter the bidding for their services.

Both players were unavailable for yesterday's 5-1 SPL victory over St Mirren at Easter Road - Thomson through suspension and Brown with a calf injury apparently picked up in training on Thursday - but the club hardly suffered in their absence.

"Scott picked up an injury on Thursday at training," Collins said. "It was nothing too serious, and hopefully he will be back with us tomorrow but it was enough to keep him out of the game. I expect him to be training tomorrow, and he will most definitely in contention for a place on Tuesday. Kevin will also be back fresh, so they will definitely both be in contention.

"It this story has never come from my mouth. Whoever has written this story - whoever this has come out from - is telling a lie. There is your headline."

Taken from the Sunday Herald