Paulo Sergio knows he has a task and a half on his hands to win the fans over as they get the first chance to react to the sacking of Jim Jefferies and his management team tonight at Tynecastle. There is the slight matter of winning the Europa League qualifier tie against Paks to deal with but Sergio says he is no mug. He has spent most of his time since his appointment assessing players either live in training or on DVDs. he has the good fortune to have inherited a good away result with Jefferies side securing a 1-1 draw in Hungary last week after dominating possession. However, Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov's decision to change his manager mide-tie has made tonight's Tynecastle encounter much less predictable. However, Sergio has immersed himself in information about his new players and their opponents and will not deviate significantly from Jefferies' plans for the European tie.
The former Sporting Lisbon coach said: "I haven't slept for three days because I'm very keen to see all the players. With the internet and DVDs you have so much material. We almost see all the players we have at Hearts, two, three or four games. I think we have good players. I believe in their quality, I believe in their commitment to the club and the future because they are professionals. I like the way they received us in training. I'm pleased to work with them. I'm sure we're going to have a good relationship. It's very important to have a good relationship with your group of players to be successful."
Sergio is not about to alienate the players who will determine just how long he spends at the club. He understand the relationship Jefferies built up over the last 18 months and is not about to ignore his predecessor's contribution. The Portuguese believes the player will brush aside any disappointment over the veteran manager's departure and he has been working with first-team coach Gary Locke to prepare for the game. The new man in charge has also agreed to a request from the players that Jefferies be invited to say his farewells. Sergio went on: "I think they are focused on the game. I talked to them and there are some things that Jim did that we are going to keep the same. I'm not stupid, I'm not going to change everything in 48 hours. I try to give them some ideas I believe will be good for the future and we will make changes gradually. Tonight you will see some of the things Jim will have done because he's a good coach and he knows what he's doing. I will talk with Gary and we know what we are doing."