After meeting with club owner Vladimir Romanov today, Valdas Ivanauskas has been given two weeks off due to ‘ill-health’.
Denying any connection between Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock and today’s meeting, Ivanauskas released the following statement:
‘It was my initiative to ask Vladimir for the meeting.
‘He immediately said yes to it. He listened to all I said and it was great to feel his support and understanding.
‘Despite how it may seem, the meeting was not connected to the defeat on Saturday.
‘I want to be, and must be, at the top of my physical and mental state.
‘I had been having some health problems earlier but now it is at the point where I cannot ignore them.
‘I want to be, and must be, at the top of my physical and mental state.
‘Therefore, with Vladimir’s agreement, I am taking two weeks leave which I will spend on getting my health back.
‘I will return in two weeks to my position as head coach. I hope our fans will understand my need for this.’
If this is in fact true (and I suppose I shouldn’t even be questioning that) then Valdas should have everyone’s full support. No-one’s job is worth suffering ill-health for, so in that respect I wish him a complete and quick recovery.
However it’s probably little wonder that the guy is suffering – just look at the pressure he’s under. We haven’t ever heard officially that influence from elsewhere affects team selection and tactics, but a lot of what’s gone on lately simply cannot have been solely Valdas’ doing. If it has been, then he should be fired ASAP. But I don’t believe it has been – no man of his footballing experience would surely want to make so many changes to his teams on a regular basis.
As for Mr Romanov, he had this to say about today’s meeting:
‘I have full confidence in Valdas and look forward to his return.
‘During his absence the rest of the coaching staff will perform the necessary duties for our games.’
Sporting Director Eduard Malofeev will be the main man in charge of the first team until Valdas returns.
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I suppose a lot of what happens next will (as always) depend on how things go on the park. If we suddenly field an unchanged side over the next couple of games that picks up points, then we can infer (because with Hearts these days thats all you can do) that Valdas was the sole person behind the bizarre team selections and substitutions. What do we do then? I wish Valdas all the best in his recovery, and as someone who has taken time off work myself due to stress I know roughly where he is, but what if we suddenly have a recognisable Hearts team again in his absence?
…then he must be held accountable and be relieved of his duties – that’s what. Even if this does happen though, I somehow doubt that the teams we’ve seen over the past few weeks have been all Valdas’ doing. But then perhaps I’m giving him too much credit…….