Hearts manager Laszlo is sacked

Last updated : 29 January 2010 By BBC Sport

The Romanian-born Hungarian citizen had been at odds with Romanov over a lack of money to bolster the squad.

Laszlo steered Hearts to a third place finish in the Scottish Premier League last season but the Edinburgh side have struggled for form this term.

A good run of seven league games without defeat saw Hearts climb up the table to fifth spot but Wednesday saw them slump to a 3-0 home defeat to Aberdeen.

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With just nine goals in 11 home league games this season, Laszlo had repeatedly spoken of his desire to add strikers to his squad in the January transfer window.

But, on the morning of his departure, he revealed that he would have no money to spend even if prize-asset Lee Wallace was sold.

"At the end of November or beginning of December, I gave to the board a complete plan for the short-term and also the long-term," he revealed.

"Now the January transfer window is finished. This plan you can put in the dustbin."

Laszlo also blamed the club's reliance on young players on the worst injury crisis of his career, which included a spell in charge of Uganda.

He said that being forced to persistently field youngsters resulted in them picking up injuries more physically developed players would have avoided.

"The body reaction showed I had it right," said Laszlo.

"This is not an accident that Craig Thomson, Johnny Stewart, (David) Templeton, Scott Robinson are injured."

That quartet is just the tip of the iceberg, with Andrew Driver, Lee Wallace, Ruben Palazuelos, Ian Black, Laryea Kingston, Arvydas Novikovas, Jamie Mole, Calum Elliot, Jamie MacDonald and Jamie Mole all nursing problems.

Hearts travel to St Johnstone on Saturday, with assistant coach Werner Burger taking charge of the first team.

Source: BBC Sport

Source: BBC Sport