Employment tribunal set to take place

Some of the Hearts fans may have fallen out of love with Csaba Laszlo near the end of his reign at Tynecastle but for Scottish football, he was good copy. Why give a one line answer when you can deliver a novel seemed to be Laszlo’s motto and he always managed to wrap interviewers around his finger.

Whether that was through his charm or in total confusion will probably remain unanswered but for a spell it looked as though Laszlo was able to work well with Vladimir Romanov. The Hungarian is still the longest serving manager at Hearts during the Vladimir Romanov era but disagreements over signing targets led to an inevitable parting of the ways.

It is this parting of the ways that will be placed under scrutiny this week with Laszlo taking his former club to an employment tribunal, citing unfair dismissal. Laszlo points to 18 months left on his contract at the time of his sacking and his legal team will be seeking compensation for this breach of contract.

The Number of managers that Hearts have went through during the Romanov era would suggest that it can’t be a surprise to have been sacked by the club but that shouldn’t lessen any case Laszlo has.

Hearts moved with great speed to replace the Hungarian with Jim Jefferies returning to Tynecastle in the blink of an eye. The party line from Jefferies was that he was in Edinburgh shopping with his wife when the call from Hearts came through.

In one sense, we really hope that is true but the contractual details seemed to be concluded rather quickly.

Then again, the speed of the replacement is not necessarily an issue that affects the case put forward by Laszlo and his defence team.

With the new season having kicked off and the Jambos having dropped two points against 10 man St Johnstone, this will be unlikely to have an impact on the football club. Jefferies will be focused on getting his team ready for the weekend.

However, yet again the illustrious Edinburgh club sees its name being dragged through the mud with regards to complaints made by a former employee.

We’d like to clarify to Mr Romanov and his legal team that we have no real opinion on the case and any preceived opinion that may appear to be weighted in favour of Csaba Laszlo is purely down to him being good copy during press conferences and interviews.

Well, you can’t be too careful can you?

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A lot of cutbacks in place, still big losses

We’re certainly no financial wizards at WeKnowSFA and we do know that the Hearts debt situation is different to the one that is faced by the vast majority of clubs around the world. This is because Hearts are owned by Vladimir Romanov who is also chairman of UBIG, the investment company which links many different strands including Ukio Bankas and other industries together.

If all of Hearts debt is owed to their owner and his companies, there is not going to be a great rush to see them put of business. However, with these debts rising, cutbacks to turn the tide are likely to have an impact on the footballing side.

Jambo’s boss Jim Jefferies was putting on a brave face when questioned about the debt which now stands at £35m but the boss said that he knows his budget and he will work within it. It is one thing to work within it but can he make Hearts a success on a much reduced budget?

Hearts have been crying out for a striker this season and brought some strikers in on trial in the January transfer window. Other clubs were able to come in and offer more lucrative deals for Hearts so if the Jambos budget is reduced from what it was in January, what are the chances of getting someone good in?

Hearts may be able to turn to youth for the solution and there is no doubt that Hearts have a healthy crop of youngsters available to choose from. However, the sale of Christophe Berra was a major factor on the spreadsheet of released figures, so there is likely to be increasing pressure on player sales to continue?

Can Hearts continue to remain a top six team on a reduced budget?

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Csaba Laszlo will not be amused

According to the BBC, the word from Tynecastle is sure to give Csaba Laszlo an unhappy start to the New Year. Hearts have two strikers on trial at the moment and fans have been hopeful that Izale McLeod and Steven MacLean would be added to their squad for the second half of the season.

The BBC stated that Vladimir Romanov is not likely to sanction moves for strikers Izale McLeod and Steven MacLean, although this may be referring to permanent transfers as opposed to loan moves. At the moment, this is just speculation but will certainly dampen the enthusiasm that Jambo fans have had since these players have been on trial.

Certainly Csaba Laszlo has asked for reinforcements for his squad and has made pleas to Vladimir Romanov to release some funds for the squad. In all likelihood, this has a better chance of seeing Laszlo released from his contracted duties at Tynecastle.

This news will be positive for Aberdeen and Mark McGhee who have signalled an interest in Steven MacLean, at least for picking him up at the end of a season on a Bosman deal. The fact that the striker has been training with Hearts was obviously a concern for all concerned at Pittodrie but this latest news may give some hope for McGhees summer re-building plans.

With the transfer window not yet open, it remains to be seen what Hearts spending options are going to be in January but if there are no reinforcements, it could be a long old season.

Well, maybe not for Csaba Laszlo!

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He’s making a list, checking it twice

Is Vladimir Romanov going to be naughty or nice for Csaba Laszlo this January transfer window? Hearts are languishing in the bottom 6 of the SPL and they need some new recruits to force their way up the table.

Hibs and Dundee United have so far stood toe to toe with Celtic and Rangers, which will be exasperating the frustration felt by the Jambos. They have been the consistent challenger to the third place spot but now there are doubts about the Glasgow duo, Hearts are nowhere to be seen.

Romanov is not around

Obviously the current financial crisis is taking up the thoughts and time of most of the banking industry but Vladimir Romanov has rarely been seen in Edinburgh of late.

When Hearts were flying high, Romanov was in the papers more than Jordan or Susan Boyle but he is rarely heard of these days. If only the same could be said for the other two chancers much loved by the red tops!

This means that when Laszlo is looking to make a request for additions to his squad, he has to wait around until he get in contact with his boss.

“Mr Romanov must trust my judgment and go for players I want.”
“We must have a concrete agreement that I decide who is signed.”
“If you don’t trust each other there is no chance. Mr Romanov did deliver Ismael Bouzid, David Obua and Suso Santana when I asked for them.”
“That is positive – it shows we are going in the right direction.”

As usual, this is fighting talk from Csaba Laszlo and many are wondering if he is actively courting the sack?

Again though, Romanov is not the man he was, previously, any Hearts manager talking in such a way would have been forced to walk the plank. Nowadays, it doesn’t even appear to register with the colourful character.