And Another One Bites The Dust

It is situation normal for Hearts as they have lost their fourth full-time manager since Vladimir Romanov took control of the club in February 2005. Yesterday saw Valdas Ivanauskas leave the club by mutual consent after spending three weeks on "football business" for the Lithuanian businessman. Anatoly Korobochka who was put in control of team affairs during Ivanauskas business trip has been handed the reins on an interim basis. Former Hearts favourite Eamonn Bannon says he is not surprised by the latest news from Tynecastle. He said: "I'm not surprised because nothing that happens at Tynecastle these days surprises me. When Ivanauskas was off over the last few weeks I suspected that another change was on the way. Ivanauskas probably got fed up with the way things were going and wanted to stay home in Lithuania. As I've said before there has been too many changes at Tynecastle recently. It's a worrying time although funnily enough, they are still high up the table. But it could be so much better. It's up to the owner, he is putting money into the club, but I watched them lose 4-0 to Dundee United on Saturday and it was a disjointed performance by a disjointed team. It was plain to see that they were short of confidence and it even affected Craig Gordon who let in a couple of goals that perhaps he shouldn't have."

The story from Tynecastle is that the decision to leave was made by Ivanauskas. Romanov paid tribute to the former Kaunus manager. He said: "Valdas made the request to leave his role as head coach. During his period in charge of the team, Hearts won the Scottish Cup and finished second in the SPL. He has played a key role in the development of the team at a crucial time." For his part Ivanauskas was not minded to offer a real explanation for wanting to leave the Gorgie club at this time. He said: "I am very proud to have been Hearts' coach. In my career as a young coach, it has been my best and most interesting experience. Above all, I would like to express my gratitude to the best fans in Scotland, especially those who have given their support when times were tough."