posted Apr 18, 2008

i love it all lol

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posted Apr 18, 2008

whats the betting its the last season we see Berra, Kingston, Driver etc.? Clubs will be prepared to spend money on them so its another way for Romanov to cut the wage bill and make some money at the same time. Its like a gentle warning for them...

The sooner we get coaching and managerial staff whose primary language *is* english the better.

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posted Apr 18, 2008

One supporter, who was critical of the Romanov and there running of the club this year was told "How many games have been screwed by referees?"

They are looking for a more experienced and mature manager to take over from Stevie Frail.


Perhaops we should be looking for a more mature chairman

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posted Apr 18, 2008

//green - Hearts would not exist without the intervention of Romanov.//

Oh dear - did Romanov tell you that aswell as all the other lies?

You used to have debts smaller than your assets meaning you were 100% safe.

Under Romanov your debts have spiralled and you are no longer safe. The day Romanov decides Hearts are not required no one can step in - your gone.

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posted Apr 18, 2008

hmm good point - heres hoping that some loyal supporter wins the euromillions jackpot and pays off the debts for us :D

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posted Apr 18, 2008

Unfortunately, Russians, from the undemocratic Putin to YoMan AvramsMeBich they have no style or class. It's quite simple, they have no style or class. So forget debate and intellect to prevail.

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posted Apr 18, 2008

What a total mess Hearts are in, it will only get worse with Romanov in charge.

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posted Apr 18, 2008

But mr goonergetit, they are not russian they are lithuanian, and from what i understand they own a club there two and a lot of players come from that club dont they.

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posted Apr 19, 2008

hearts are the platform for romanov to shift lithuanian footballers to the u.k and beyond.

he sold velicka (spelling) to stavanger for £600,000 Topped up to £1 million based on appearances. why? he could have got more if he sold him to an english club.

lots of rumours abound about romanov,some suggest that he is trying to sell the club to a ukranian.

The bottom line is this, why would you sack your manager when your team is unbeaten,and top of the league???????

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posted Apr 20, 2008

I understand that Mr Romanov's fortune has neared or topped the 1 Billion mark, so any rational analysis of the financial situation at Hearts is irrelevant. The debts and any increase in them are mere bagatelle and are contained within Hearts and his banking interests, which are no doubt further ringfenced.

From the documentary on Romanov of (I think) 2 years ago, it was clear that he has an obsession with football and in particular the identification of value-for-money football players from around the World.

For those who saw the film, he has endless dossiers on thousands of football players. These are constantly updated, by his analyst, who also happens to be his translator and reviewed almost daily and rated on a simple 1, 2, 3 scale by him.

I think the purchase of a football club was entirely about his own belief that through his "methodology" (whatever that is) he can create a successful (on the pitch) football team. Financial success is not the most important thing for him, at this stage of his idealogical plans.

Just consider the following questions about his decision making.

Why buy Hearts?

It wasn't specifically Hearts, as we know he approached other Scottish Clubs.

Why buy a Scottish Club?

Quite simply, if I was a multi-millionaire with a self-indulgent theory and the money to prove it, Scotland is the cheapest place to buy a club that will guarantee you (with minimum investment) an annual slot in European football (This is how you get noticed for football achievement in a global/club context.) Effectively, it's not difficult to achieve 3rd place in Scotland year in and year out and as Hearts have proved, during Romanov's apparently shambolic tenure to split the Old Firm.

Why sack Burley?

Well he never wanted him anyway and success under a traditional management control system in football was totally against what he is trying to achieve.

The same can be said of the continuing management situation at Hearts, all the way up to Board level. This also explains why young Romanov was unprepared for the shareholders meeting. For his position at the club and other minority shareholders this is all unimportant.

Why remove the spine of the Scottish team and all your best players? Same reasons as above?

Quite simply Romanov didn't pick them, they were there before he took control and Craig Gordon was very good business. Note - Resultant transfer moneys have not been applied to reduce the debt burden I understand.

Why invest in plans for a new stadium?

This could be for straight forward reasons of good business. (Take a look at Arsenal's reported figures since they occupied the Emirates Stadium) Also, his bank is likley to finance it. But importantly, it has no impact on the selection of players and the building of a team through his methodology. Also, if he still believes he's going to be successful "his way" then he a wants a good stadium for the team he wants to build.

On the cynical side, it could just be an affordable PR exercise, like so much else, since the natives (us fans) are restless.

Is he going to sell/dump the club?

I'm sure he could write off the ring fenced loan notes easily when the time comes. However, he has show so far in his life and business, to be relentless at achieving what he sets out to do. If his tactics regarding the buying and selling on of players are to be scaled up, it's possible to conclude that this is what he is seeking to do with Hearts as a whole over the long term. If this is the case, his history suggests that he will achieve it.

But if he gets to the point where he loses belief that his 'method' can succeed, then the outcome for the club will be likely determined with how far we are down the stadium development route.

Unlike Ken Bates, he owns the loan notes, so liquidation under a penny a share deal is of no direct benefit to him. The key is Romanov's pride set against time and the method in his madness.

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