Three days before an important Europa league game, with the tie evenly poised at 1-1, Vladimir Romanov decides it is time to remove the management team and bring in a fresh face to be in charge. While details are still scare and difficult to confirm, it is reported that Jim Jefferies has been offered the post of Director of Football at Tynecastle; Billy Brown has been relieved of his post; Gary Locke has been asked to take training tomorrow while his post is under review. Romanov is not wasting much time in searching for a new manager as he is meant to be be announced tomorrow.
The players are still very much in the dark over the behind the scenes upheaval. Leaving the ground following a players' meeting, Ryan Stevenson was obviously got on the hop as to what he could or could not say. He said: "We don't know anything about it. We have to wait until tomorrow. I don't want to say anything. I think it's all getting made...I think it will come out tomorrow." Asked how much a blow it would be if Jefferies and Brown left, he replied: "It would obviously be a blow but we will need to just wait and see what happens tomorrow. We will just get on with it, that's what we are here for."