Rix sacked !

[Real Madrid]

We all knew this would happen soon but he has not done too bad a job

link to BBC web site (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/heart_of_midlothian/4832716.stm)

[Real Madrid]

I wondered if duffy would be considered for the job but he has been given his P45 as well !

[shandon saint]

there is never a dull moment down gorgie these days...

Watch them blow their 6 point lead over rangers now....

[HertsSaintee]

You have to feel sorry for the guy. The job was a hiding to nothing.

The bit that me laugh was when Romanov Jr used the excuse that "some of the signings made in the transfer window were not appropriate for Hearts" or words to that effect. It's common knowledge that most, if not all of Hearts' 11 or so signings in January were identified by none other then...his old man.

Ludicrous.


Herts

[Kevin]

He we go: "Hearts of Lithuania" on the way next :?

[mark]

I know a lot of Hearts fans and from what they say, no-one expected Rix to last past the end of the season anyway (even when he was first put into the job) Bit of a shock with the timing though (semi final in 2 weeks). Duffy has also been given his P45, and a lithuanian out in place. In my opinion Rix has never been that great a manager (been to a few Hearts games this season) but its still a shocking way to be sacked after 4 months and drawing with Rangers!!

Cant see why any top manager would take the job id they are going to be treated like that

Rix also lives next to my work and his car is back now but no sign of a removal van ...yet :D

[Steve Maskrey]

Fair enough Rix was bound to go but Duffy? He's barely sat down at his desk as Director of Football or whatever he called himself. How can they justify sacking him? :shock:

[Kevin]

Fair enough Rix was bound to go but Duffy? He's barely sat down at his desk as Director of Football or whatever he called himself. How can they justify sacking him? :shock:

60 day rule!!

[Dev]

Fair enough Rix was bound to go but Duffy? He's barely sat down at his desk as Director of Football or whatever he called himself. How can they justify sacking him? :shock:

I think they'd probably justify it by saying it was Rix's appointment. Rix and Duffy are mates from Chelsea and Pompey, it must have been Rix's influence that got Duffy the job.

The big question is where Hearts are going to go now. There aren't any obvious candidates and you'd be mad to take that job just now. Rix wasn't an ideal appointment but I can't see anyone better clamouring to take the job.

[Kevin]

Former Hearts midfielder Eamonn Bannon claims there would be "a queue a mile long" to succeed Graham Rix as head coach. The former Arsenal midfielder became the latest boss to lose his job at Hearts following the departures of George Burley and John Robertson. It would not be a surprise if Hearts found it difficult to lure a high-profile manager because of their track record, but Bannon believes they will not be short of interest.

"You would be surprised at how many men wouldn't be put off by what has happened," he told PA Sport. "There will be a queue a mile long to take that job. Those people with well-paid jobs in the Premier League wouldn't take it but those managers in other jobs and not currently employed will be attracted. You will have to have a strong personality to handle that job but it's still a great one to have."

The former Scotland international does not expect the fans to revolt as they did against past regimes. Bannon added: "With Celtic certain to win the league, at the end of the season the fans will wonder whether George Burley could have won the league had he not left. Who knows? But Mr Romanov does things hard and fast and he is spending big money there. The Hearts supporters probably surmised Rix would not be there in the close season. It is not worrying because (majority shareholder) Vladimir Romanov is trying to take the club forward and he is pushing the stadium redevelopment. But I don't think the fans will turn on the board. If a legend like John Robertson can leave Hearts and not spark a reaction then this won't anger the fans. A few weeks after he had gone George Burley came and it was John who? That's the way football is - when a top players retires then fans are looking to the next generation of players. But if the owner is spending big money then he is entitled to do what he wants and how he wants."

Bannon believes Rix was probably informed he would not be given a new contract in the summer. He continued: "I don't think anything surprises you at that club these days. The supporters saw George Burley come and go. It seems if anybody disagrees with them, then they decide to part company with them. They are not particularly malicious but I can imagine George Burley wasn't happy to do that whereas Graham Rix would. Maybe he left over something else. I know they said recently that anything other than second place and a place in the Champions League would be good enough to confirm the manager's position. Perhaps he has been told he is not going to be there after this six months so he decided he might as well leave. Maybe Hearts have somebody lined up."

Looks like John Connolly then :***:

[Chansey]

You have to feel sorry for the guy. The job was a hiding to nothing.

The bit that me laugh was when Romanov Jr used the excuse that "some of the signings made in the transfer window were not appropriate for Hearts" or words to that effect. It's common knowledge that most, if not all of Hearts' 11 or so signings in January were identified by none other then...his old man.

Ludicrous.


Herts

When Rix came in was he not told he would have no influence on signings, how can they use that as an excuse.....Thank f**k for geoff!!

[SlickDT]

It will be interesting to see who is in the frame for this job! No doubt it will be a bigger profile name than Rix/Duffy. A return for Levein?

[mainstand]

Spoke to a couple of Hearts fans who were actually glad he was away they reckoned they had been playing S***e since he came :o

I think there will be yet another twist in teh tail with a manager coming in from his other Club.

[Saint Paul]

But what decent name is going to want to take this job, with the stigma that is being built up around it ?

All season, there have been stories of Romanov's influence in this team, from making signings to picking the team. Any decent manager would not be prepared to work under those conditions, so I think that the Lithuanian, who is now in charge, will be the long term replacement. It has been one big ploy to get him into the hot seat anyway.

[Steve Maskrey]

ITV teletext has Nevio Scala as being interested even though he was overlooked before they appointed Burley

[HeronAddict]

The Hearts fans at the moment still seem to be behind Romanov, but I'd suggest that's going to change very soon. The next step will be that all their top class Scottish players - Gordon, Webster, Neilson, probably even Pressley, will ask to leave because of Romanov's meddling and the fact that they seem to be a club perpetually in crisis. When the Hearts fans have a team full of Lithuanian, Czech and Polish nobodies then I think it'll be a lot harder for Romanov to retain his popularity.

As for who's going to replace Rix, I think they only appointed him in the first place because he was so desperate to get back into the game to improve his reputation, and was prepared to work under any conditions. No other manager will accept the amount of interference from upstairs that Rix had to. According to The Scotsman this morning Romanov had continually told Rix not to pick Julien Brellier - despite him being most fans choice for player of the year, Romanov doesn't rate him (probably because he was Burley's only signing). When Brellier started against Rangers, Rix's fate was effectively sealed.

Why doesn't he just put himself on the bench and be done with it? Is there a certain level of coaching qualification you have to hold to be a manager in Scotland, like in England?

[Steve Maskrey]

Was it Brellier? I thought it was Robbie Neilson that Romanov didn't want in the team :?

[HeronAddict]

Was it Brellier? I thought it was Robbie Neilson that Romanov didn't want in the team :?

According to this (http://sport.scotsman.com/football.cfm?id=456002006) Brellier was the major issue, but it wouldn't surprise me if he had problems with Neilson as well.

[chopper]

It was Andy Webster who was dropped from the side was it not?

[HeronAddict]

It was Andy Webster who was dropped from the side was it not?

I think he was dropped for the Dundee Utd game, when it was revealed that Romanov had picked the team. After that he and his agent cancelled talks about a new contract.

[auchterarder mark]

i reckon the fans are next on vlads hitlist - i can alsmost see his statement: '"The fans have done a decent job I have to say but not the job we expected. We had a good team and we deserved better.

"They have tried hard but maybe it is too big a job for them.

"Hopefully they got some good experience here and maybe they can get better. But I would like to thank the fans for what they have done. They arrived in a very difficult situation and they handled it very well.

"They gave 100%, I'm sure, and tried very hard but it just didn't happen. Vladimir (Romanov, Roman's father and majority shareholder of the club) and the board felt that it couldn't wait any longer because it is a crucial part of the season."

New lithuanian fans to be flown in in coming days.

[Victor]

top class Scottish players
Oxymoron alert

[Victor]

...moron alert
Ive posted this to save someone else posting the obvious.