The pall of silence which fell over Tynecastle following the club’s embarrassing elimination from the Betfred Cup at the weekend finally lifted this morning when Hearts Director of Football Craig Levein announced that Head Coach Ian Cathro had left the club with immediate effect.
In a brief statement, Hearts said “The Board wishes it to be known that this was a very difficult decision, reluctantly made, as every member of the Board recognises that Ian is an extremely talented young coach with a very bright future ahead of him. We thank Ian for all of his efforts and wish him well in the future”.
Hearts said that a further statement will be made on Wednesday in relation to management plans for this weekend’s Ladbrokes Premiership match against Celtic and the longer-term coaching of the club.
It is expected, however, that Assistant Head Coach Austin MacPhee will take charge of the team ahead of Saturday’s opening league game in the east end of Glasgow.
Speculation is already rife about who will succeed Cathro with former Hearts player Steven Pressley, who was club captain when Craig Levein managed the side a decade and a half ago, being touted as favourite. Pressley is presently without a club but if he were appointed this may divide the Hearts support, some of whom still regard the former centre half as a Hearts icon while others never forgave him for his chest-thumping celebrations at Tynecastle when he returned as a Celtic player.
Whatever happens and whoever is appointed as the new Head Coach, an interesting few days lie ahead in Gorgie. For not even the club’s previous owner – Vladimir Romanov who went through managers at a whim – sacked a manager four days before the start of a league campaign!
Author of The Team for Me - 50 Years of Following Hearts. Runs Mind Generating Success, a successful therapy practice in Edinburgh. Contact me if you want rid of any unwanted habits. Twitter @Mike1874
