Hearts to delay naming new manager

HEARTS will wait until the summer before rebuilding their management team after parting company with head coach Graham Rix and director of football Jim Duffy.

Rix’s record fell short of the controlling Romanov family’s expectations, and he fell despite coming into the job as recently as November, when he replaced George Burley.

Duffy quickly followed, just a month into his new job.

The former Dundee manager sought assurances from majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov about Rix’s future before he accepted the role, so it was no surprise he too moved on.

Valdas Ivanauskas, Lithuanian like the Romanovs, was swiftly appointed interim first-team coach until the end of the season.

Rix became a victim of the board’s ruthless regime despite guiding them to the semi-final of the Tennent’s Scottish Cup. Hearts have, however, fallen to second place in the SPL and trail Celtic by 14 points.

Hearts remarkably signed 11 players in January, and while many believed owner Vladimir Romanov was behind those deals, his son - Roman - claimed they were Rix’s signings.

Roman also suggested the way in which news reached the media about his father picking the team angered the main shareholder and sped up his departure.

He said: “We felt some of the signings made in January were not appropriate for Hearts. In addition, the events which occurred in February when Hearts played Dundee United, including the way in which some information reached the public domain, were disappointing to us.

“I’d like to thank Graham for all his hard work . He gave 100%, but it did not work out.”