text: Heart of Midlothian | Hearts Resembling A Football Club Again
  Hearts Resembling A Football Club Again
  While acknowledging that new manager Csaba Laszlo has yet to prove that he can 'walk the walk' , I noticed an example of how the new manager is already trying to improve the way the football club is being run.
  saba wants the first team squad to report to Riccarton by 8.30am each morning, so that they can have breakfast together, before starting training at 9.45am. Apparently training didn`t start until 10.30 am before. The Hearts website had this explanation from Csaba :
  'I want the players to realise that this is their job, and the Academy is their place of work. We must be together and work hard. If we only come into work for 2 hours, then we do not have the right mind. We must focus, work very hard, rest and then continue our work again.'
  imple, isn`t it? In fact, it begs the question - why the hell did Korabochka/Frail not insist on stuff like this before, when it was obvious that the spirit and focus in the squad was wrong?
  24-man squad heads out to Germany on Sunday for 10 days, where each day will consist of two or three training sessions, and there are some notable inclusions - and omissions. Most interesting is that Juho Makela will be there following his loan spell back home. Let`s hope he can make a successful 'fresh start' at Hearts, after failing to impress Korobochka and Frail.
  Also in the squad is goalkeeper Jamie McDonald, who had a very successful loan spell at Queen of the South last year. It had been rumoured that Frail didn`t rate him - but again, lets hope that he impresses Csaba, and that he can challenge Steve Banks to become our Number One in the coming seasons. It`s good to see a number of young players being included too, like Glen, Templeton, Rapnik, Brown, McGowan and Husband
  obbie Neilson, Jason Thomson, Bruno Aguiar and Mirsad Beslija are all missing from the squad - presumably through injury - while Calum Elliot is also excluded since he looks set to move to Inverness Caledonian Thistle on loan.
  n a personal note, the continuing presence of Kestutis Ivaskevicius and Audrius Ksanavicius is concerning. For me, these 2 guys epitomise what has been wrong at the club over these last 2 years. Both have average ability with almost no concept of teamwork, purpose or passion, and presumably are only in Edinburgh at the insistence of Romanov. Whether they fit in with Csaba`s plans remains to be seen, although to ditch them completely may be a step too far for the new manager at this stage!
  he marketing message at the start of this new Laszlo era is clear - discipline, togetherness, teamwork. If the manager has been as honest and open with Romanov about his plans as he has been with the fans (via the media), then maybe Romanov will trust him enough to leave him in charge of all team matters.
  hen again... maybe not !!!
  I think you're a tad harsh on Audrey. To me, he's been the better (i.e. more interested & harder working) of the Lithuanians to date. He's far from being the greatest footballer, but he always gives 100% in a Hearts jersey and that's good enough for me. As for Ivaskevicius, he has shown he has some ability - but lacks direction, passion & commitment (and I blame the regime for that). If that could be instilled in him by a new boss, he MIGHT become a good player. Clean slate for all IMO - we'll find out soon enough who isn't up for the fight.
  20/07/2008 15:22:00
  well ,, for what it,s worth from an outsider looking in ,, Hearts must get back to the basic fundamental requirements expected of a top flight club and form the semblance of a frequent starting line up with adequate back up in most if not all positions which for all intents and purposes is a prerequisite ,, your man Csaba must be allowed to implement such measures to put the Jambos back on course as one of Scotland's premier outfits ,, starting at the beginning and keeping things simple may seem the obvious thing to do ,, and invariably is ,, your problem here is that recent history proves that Hearts have been bereft of the luxury of doing so and without meaning to sound condescending ,, the sooner it happens the better ,, a strong league can only benefit everyone involved with the game in this country and Hearts contribution is not only welcomed but expected on an annual basis ,, hope your man gets to do the steering job before Romanov turns Tynie into a parking mall ,, Good Luck to your new man Csaba ,, he'll need it ......!!!
  20/07/2008 18:53:00
  SJ - I know the point you're making about No 28 especially, but I think the realistic question should be .."Would this guy have even made it into the squad of 1998 or 2005 based on football ability ?" Granted - based on last season's team peformances - some others were equally as ineffective. And granted - both are better players than I ever was (by some cosiderable distance actually) !!! But if Csaba is really going to pick guys on merit, I'd be extremely surprised if either of these 2 get a game. To quote Geroge Burley 3 years ago - "The players have to realise that we've now raised the bar at this club" - hopefully Csaba will do the same. (Given the stooshie about Burley's alleged drinking which led to his dismissal, his quote was rather ironic !!)
  Fair enough SH - my only point really is that whether they get a game or not is (or should be) up to THEM. If they show the passion, willing, and skill required - and as you say, raise the bar of their own game, then they're in with a shout. Both are talented players, and both need proper direction which a manager can give them - if they're open to it. A good example is Miko. He drifted for 18 months, getting a game because of his heritage even though his performances rarely warranted it... and the fans (rightly) got on his back. But since the turn of the year he has raised his game and became probably Hearts' best player in the last 10 games or so. Other Lithuanians can do the same.