Sunday, December 06, 2009
The Romanov Era at Hearts
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The Romanov Era at Hearts
The Sunday Times/Douglas Alexander
December 6, 2009
Vladimir Romanov’s reign at Hearts is lost in translation
“Our goal has to be champions of Europe. I want us to be at the stage where to do anything else, to come back without the trophy, would be shameful. I think we’re looking at three years.”
— Vladimir Romanov, October 15, 2005 Hearts go into today’s televised match at Hamilton lying firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League. Although things were initially promising under Romanov — they finished second in the Premier League, splitting the Old Firm, and won the Scottish Cup in 2006 — they have been unable to sustain their challenge.
Subsequent finishes have been fourth, eighth and third and Csaba Laszlo, the current coach, says a long-term strategy to stabilise the club is required. “It is always up and down, up and down. I would like to try to stabilise for the next two, three, four, five years, as long as possible.” The closest Hearts have come to winning the Champions League was a defeat by AEK Athens in the qualifiers for the group stage in 2006. This season, they were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Dinamo Zagreb and failed to reach the group stage of the Europa League. Romanov, it transpires, is no Nostradamus.
“I think that the club will no longer be in debt at end of the year and a budget of £10m will be made available. Buying players will be the decision of the head coach and Anatoly Byshovets [the then director of football]. They will look after the team, my only input will be to ensure that their transfer activity is within the club’s budget.”
Related Links
* Ibrox fans have right to demand answers
— Vladimir Romanov outlines his strategy for Hearts in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia, October 3, 2004 Hearts are still in debt and it has increased alarmingly under Romanov. It was £19.6m when he initially transferred it to his own bank, Ukio, in 2005. According to the latest figures available, it is now £30.477m, down from a previous peak of £36.249m due to a £12m debt-for-equity scheme and £10m banked from the sales of Craig Gordon and Roman Bednar. So despite bringing in £22m, Hearts managed to reduce their debt by less than £6m. In layman’s terms? They are losing money at a dangerous rate and are not being run as a viable business. Ukio, meanwhile, earn interest on the debt and can call it in whenever they wish.
As for the “budget of £10m,” it may have gone on the wages of a ludicrously bulky squad, but has hardly been visible in transfer fees. Hearts have paid for seven players under Romanov, at a total cost of £2.25m. They were forced to pay £850,000 for Mirsad Beslija, or £122,000 per start, after Genk, his previous club, complained to Uefa about late payment following a dispute about agents’ fees. Laryea Kingston cost £500,000, as did Juho Makela, Michal Pospisil was a £300,000 signing, while David Templeton, Lee Johnson and Chris Hackett arrived for a combined £100,000. In contrast, Hearts have brought in £17.3m in sales, a net transfer profit of £15.05m during Romanov’s reign.
It was quickly shown that “buying players will be the decision of the head coach” was a myth. George Burley’s contract was terminated a year later, the manager complaining players such as Ibrahim Tall had been signed without his consent and Romanov revised his hands-off strategy when interviewed by this newspaper shortly afterwards. “I don’t think there is one manager out there who can be given a free hand to do the job on his own,” he said.
A pattern of sporadic, damaging interference followed by long periods of indifference has persisted since. Including caretakers, Hearts have had nine managers since Craig Levein declined to stay on after Romanov’s takeover. Laszlo is comfortably the longest serving at 17 months, almost gold watch territory at Tynecastle. Yet he cites only David Obua, Ismael Bouzid and Suso Santana as his signings.
He does not mention David Witteveen, the ineffectual Austrian striker, Ian Black, signed from Inverness, Dawid Kucharski, a Polish defender, the Slovakian keeper Marian Kello and Audrius Ksanavicius a Lithuanian forward. Kucharski admits he did not meet Laszlo before agreeing to join Hearts, but did meet Romanov when he underwent a medical in Kaunas, Lithuania. Laszlo has repeatedly aired frustration at the lack of striking alternatives available, and did so again last week, yet he is careful not to directly criticise Romanov for this and maintains they have a good working relationship.
“I am the manager and we must have a concrete agreement,” he said on Thursday. “If you don’t trust each other, no chance. Mr Romanov gave me Bouzid, Obua and Suso, so I cannot say Mr Romanov doesn’t trust me. That is the truth. We had a lot of conversations about other players and Mr Romanov told me even to think about this player and I said ‘no’ and the player didn’t come. We are in the right direction, that is the point. Your question is more for the past, but at the moment we are in the right direction.
“If your boss tells you something and you always say ‘Yes, oh yes’ and you know 100% it is wrong and you don’t tell him, this is not development. I tell him a lot of time and maybe this is why I am [still] here. If I think it’s no, I say so, but he can convince me and I can convince him.”
Yet Laszlo fails to convince us. It is obvious Romanov can veto any signing by him and insist on any he wishes. If the manager disagrees too often, he can simply be dispensed with, a point which Laszlo may be approaching.
“I’ll put all my efforts into keeping the stadium and build an even better venue to meet the requirements of today and tomorrow — better than anything in Glasgow,” — Vladimir Romanov, November 30, 2004
Another grand plan which has been scaled down considerably. Yes, Hearts have remained at Tynecastle, the main reason Romanov was accepted without scrutiny by fans, but their redevelopment proposals for it have been relatively modest compared to his initial boasts and, so far, have not progressed beyond artists impressions and models.
More than two years ago, they announced they were “at an advanced stage” in replacing the existing main stand with a new 10,000 all-seater one which would increase the stadium’s capacity from 17,240 to 23,000 and would include a hotel, conference and leisure facilities and car park. Yet nothing much has happened since.
Last February, they announced a further 12-month delay to the start of the project and last week Edinburgh City Council unveiled plans to relocate a secondary school to the proposed development site until the end of 2015, “given that Hearts have reviewed the timing of the development of their new stadium”. It was also confirmed the council have still not received the information required to grant Hearts planning permission and that the club have not paid a bill for the adjacent Tynecastle Nursery, which would have to be moved if they begin work. Children at the nursery are often read fairytales.
Vlad’s Victims
Hearts have tried nine managers during Vladimir Romanov’s controversial reign
John Robertson Nov 3, 2004 — May 9, 2005 Tynecastle goalscoring legend left after reaching two semi-finals and finishing fifth
George Burley Jun 30, 2005 — Oct 21, 2005 Set a winning pace in the SPL and was gone — the first of four bosses in a memorable season
John McGlynn Oct 21, 2005 — Nov 8, 2005 Stepped up as caretaker and won three of four games
Graham Rix Nov 8, 2005 — Mar 22, 2006 The disgraced former Chelsea coach was shown the door 10 days before a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hibs
Valdas Ivanauskas Mar 23, 2006 — Oct 23, 2006 Oversaw a second-place finish in the SPL and a Scottish Cup triumph, but forced to step out of the firing line due to illness
Eduard Malofeev Oct 23, 2006 — Nov 14, 2006 Tangled with a fourth official and failed to win a game in a six-game caretaker spell
Valdas Ivanauskas Nov 14 2006 — Mar 2, 2007 After the phantom tenure of Eugenijus Riabovas, who came and went within a week, Ivanauskas briefly returned
Anatoly Korobochka Mar 2, 2007-Dec 31, 2007 Director of football worked in ambiguous tandem with Stephen Frail with first team
Stephen Frail Jan 1, 2008 — Jul 9, 2008 Took sole charge but left after an eighth-place finish
Csaba Laszlo Jul 11, 2008 — present A significant tenure by Romanov standards. Reality, however, is beginning to bite. The Times
The Romanov Era at Hearts
The Sunday Times/Douglas Alexander
December 6, 2009
Vladimir Romanov’s reign at Hearts is lost in translation
“Our goal has to be champions of Europe. I want us to be at the stage where to do anything else, to come back without the trophy, would be shameful. I think we’re looking at three years.”
— Vladimir Romanov, October 15, 2005 Hearts go into today’s televised match at Hamilton lying firmly in the bottom half of the Premier League. Although things were initially promising under Romanov — they finished second in the Premier League, splitting the Old Firm, and won the Scottish Cup in 2006 — they have been unable to sustain their challenge.
Subsequent finishes have been fourth, eighth and third and Csaba Laszlo, the current coach, says a long-term strategy to stabilise the club is required. “It is always up and down, up and down. I would like to try to stabilise for the next two, three, four, five years, as long as possible.” The closest Hearts have come to winning the Champions League was a defeat by AEK Athens in the qualifiers for the group stage in 2006. This season, they were beaten 4-2 on aggregate by Dinamo Zagreb and failed to reach the group stage of the Europa League. Romanov, it transpires, is no Nostradamus.
“I think that the club will no longer be in debt at end of the year and a budget of £10m will be made available. Buying players will be the decision of the head coach and Anatoly Byshovets [the then director of football]. They will look after the team, my only input will be to ensure that their transfer activity is within the club’s budget.”
Related Links
* Ibrox fans have right to demand answers
— Vladimir Romanov outlines his strategy for Hearts in an interview with Russian newspaper Izvestia, October 3, 2004 Hearts are still in debt and it has increased alarmingly under Romanov. It was £19.6m when he initially transferred it to his own bank, Ukio, in 2005. According to the latest figures available, it is now £30.477m, down from a previous peak of £36.249m due to a £12m debt-for-equity scheme and £10m banked from the sales of Craig Gordon and Roman Bednar. So despite bringing in £22m, Hearts managed to reduce their debt by less than £6m. In layman’s terms? They are losing money at a dangerous rate and are not being run as a viable business. Ukio, meanwhile, earn interest on the debt and can call it in whenever they wish.
As for the “budget of £10m,” it may have gone on the wages of a ludicrously bulky squad, but has hardly been visible in transfer fees. Hearts have paid for seven players under Romanov, at a total cost of £2.25m. They were forced to pay £850,000 for Mirsad Beslija, or £122,000 per start, after Genk, his previous club, complained to Uefa about late payment following a dispute about agents’ fees. Laryea Kingston cost £500,000, as did Juho Makela, Michal Pospisil was a £300,000 signing, while David Templeton, Lee Johnson and Chris Hackett arrived for a combined £100,000. In contrast, Hearts have brought in £17.3m in sales, a net transfer profit of £15.05m during Romanov’s reign.
It was quickly shown that “buying players will be the decision of the head coach” was a myth. George Burley’s contract was terminated a year later, the manager complaining players such as Ibrahim Tall had been signed without his consent and Romanov revised his hands-off strategy when interviewed by this newspaper shortly afterwards. “I don’t think there is one manager out there who can be given a free hand to do the job on his own,” he said.
A pattern of sporadic, damaging interference followed by long periods of indifference has persisted since. Including caretakers, Hearts have had nine managers since Craig Levein declined to stay on after Romanov’s takeover. Laszlo is comfortably the longest serving at 17 months, almost gold watch territory at Tynecastle. Yet he cites only David Obua, Ismael Bouzid and Suso Santana as his signings.
He does not mention David Witteveen, the ineffectual Austrian striker, Ian Black, signed from Inverness, Dawid Kucharski, a Polish defender, the Slovakian keeper Marian Kello and Audrius Ksanavicius a Lithuanian forward. Kucharski admits he did not meet Laszlo before agreeing to join Hearts, but did meet Romanov when he underwent a medical in Kaunas, Lithuania. Laszlo has repeatedly aired frustration at the lack of striking alternatives available, and did so again last week, yet he is careful not to directly criticise Romanov for this and maintains they have a good working relationship.
“I am the manager and we must have a concrete agreement,” he said on Thursday. “If you don’t trust each other, no chance. Mr Romanov gave me Bouzid, Obua and Suso, so I cannot say Mr Romanov doesn’t trust me. That is the truth. We had a lot of conversations about other players and Mr Romanov told me even to think about this player and I said ‘no’ and the player didn’t come. We are in the right direction, that is the point. Your question is more for the past, but at the moment we are in the right direction.
“If your boss tells you something and you always say ‘Yes, oh yes’ and you know 100% it is wrong and you don’t tell him, this is not development. I tell him a lot of time and maybe this is why I am [still] here. If I think it’s no, I say so, but he can convince me and I can convince him.”
Yet Laszlo fails to convince us. It is obvious Romanov can veto any signing by him and insist on any he wishes. If the manager disagrees too often, he can simply be dispensed with, a point which Laszlo may be approaching.
“I’ll put all my efforts into keeping the stadium and build an even better venue to meet the requirements of today and tomorrow — better than anything in Glasgow,” — Vladimir Romanov, November 30, 2004
Another grand plan which has been scaled down considerably. Yes, Hearts have remained at Tynecastle, the main reason Romanov was accepted without scrutiny by fans, but their redevelopment proposals for it have been relatively modest compared to his initial boasts and, so far, have not progressed beyond artists impressions and models.
More than two years ago, they announced they were “at an advanced stage” in replacing the existing main stand with a new 10,000 all-seater one which would increase the stadium’s capacity from 17,240 to 23,000 and would include a hotel, conference and leisure facilities and car park. Yet nothing much has happened since.
Last February, they announced a further 12-month delay to the start of the project and last week Edinburgh City Council unveiled plans to relocate a secondary school to the proposed development site until the end of 2015, “given that Hearts have reviewed the timing of the development of their new stadium”. It was also confirmed the council have still not received the information required to grant Hearts planning permission and that the club have not paid a bill for the adjacent Tynecastle Nursery, which would have to be moved if they begin work. Children at the nursery are often read fairytales.
Vlad’s Victims
Hearts have tried nine managers during Vladimir Romanov’s controversial reign
John Robertson Nov 3, 2004 — May 9, 2005 Tynecastle goalscoring legend left after reaching two semi-finals and finishing fifth
George Burley Jun 30, 2005 — Oct 21, 2005 Set a winning pace in the SPL and was gone — the first of four bosses in a memorable season
John McGlynn Oct 21, 2005 — Nov 8, 2005 Stepped up as caretaker and won three of four games
Graham Rix Nov 8, 2005 — Mar 22, 2006 The disgraced former Chelsea coach was shown the door 10 days before a Scottish Cup semi-final against Hibs
Valdas Ivanauskas Mar 23, 2006 — Oct 23, 2006 Oversaw a second-place finish in the SPL and a Scottish Cup triumph, but forced to step out of the firing line due to illness
Eduard Malofeev Oct 23, 2006 — Nov 14, 2006 Tangled with a fourth official and failed to win a game in a six-game caretaker spell
Valdas Ivanauskas Nov 14 2006 — Mar 2, 2007 After the phantom tenure of Eugenijus Riabovas, who came and went within a week, Ivanauskas briefly returned
Anatoly Korobochka Mar 2, 2007-Dec 31, 2007 Director of football worked in ambiguous tandem with Stephen Frail with first team
Stephen Frail Jan 1, 2008 — Jul 9, 2008 Took sole charge but left after an eighth-place finish
Csaba Laszlo Jul 11, 2008 — present A significant tenure by Romanov standards. Reality, however, is beginning to bite. The Times
