Vladimir Romanov might be regretting his decision to pay his players on time.
Hearts had picked up 13 out of a possible 15 points in the league prior to Saturday's travel to Inverness; it seems that (Ryan Stevenson, who remains 'on strike' over the late wage payments, aside) all the rigmarole surrounding the club had served to stiffen the will of the players, rather than break it. Last week's 5-2 win over St. Mirren, in a match where the Tynecastle side played 80 minutes with ten men, was not a result or performance which suggested a lack of motivation. They lie third in the table.
January was supposed to be a nightmare month, with Romanov flogging any player he could, and an exodus the like of which had not been seen since Moses complained to the Egyptian Pharoah about the working conditions for immigrants. No sign of that so far - only Eggert Jonsson (sold to Wolves for a generous £200,000), Calum Elliot and Janos Balogh have left so far.
The squad finally got the money they were owed last week, and promptly lost 1-0 in the Highlands. Coincidence?
Of course it is. Hearts were far from their best, but they were battling the elements as much as their opponents; the gale force wind might have been in their favour in the second half, but it was so strong that it was as much of a hindrance as an advantage. But one never knows what is going on in Mad Vlad's mind, or what conclusions he might draw from hearing that result, whilst sitting in his castle, drinking human blood...(or at least that's what I imagine he does)
Maybe Ian Black shouldn't ditch the painter-decorator sideline he had going in the lead up to Christmas just yet, in case that February paycheck gets delayed as a result.
Of course, some of you will have, by now, have noted the deliberate mistake in the opening paragraph. The Hearts players were not, by the SPL's definition, paid 'on time'. Romanov claims the club processed the payments on Monday and, for various admin reasons, not all the money arrived in accounts until Tuesday. The subsequent charge handed down of 'failing to behave with the utmost good faith' by the Scottish Premier League can, it seems, be roughly translated as 'taking the f****** piss out of us' and implying that the delay was pre-meditated.
Hard to believe that, in this whole debacle, the SPL could manage to lose some of the moral high ground, but they are doing their best to do so, not least after the BBC's Chick Young appeared to have picked up insider information that the likely penalty when the organization's board meet is an eight point penalty. The fact that this has got out is deeply embarrassing, especially since, as pointed out by Guardian journalist and unashamed Jambo Ewan Murray, the men who will decide Hearts' punishment include representatives of St. Johnstone, Motherwell and Dundee United - who happen to be the three teams directly below them in the league and who therefore stand to benefit most from taking points off the Edinburgh club. It could be comparable to letting Orange, O2 and T-Mobile convene to punish Vodafone for not paying tax...if, of course, Vodafone were actually being punished...
A points deduction seems, to this author, to be a somewhat inappropriate punishment - taking away the fruits of the players' laudable efforts during a difficult time. I'm not saying Romanov and co. should get off Scot-free - a fine might seem counterproductive at a time where there are obviously financial issues, but perhaps a transfer embargo? Preventing the signing of new players for this transfer window, and perhaps even the coming summer, seems like enough of a slap on the wrist.
Considering the fact that the SPL have done little more than bat an eyelid to so many other offences in the past - the constant sectarian singing (a fixture in the away end at both Caley's home games against the Old Firm this season), the claim by the Scotsman that six clubs were late with at least one payment to the taxman in the last year - it would seem incredible, and incredulous, for them to hit Hearts like this.
It has been a week where the back pages in the Scottish rags have been unanimously dediated to events at Tynecastle, which seems staggering considering a much, much bigger story going on just along the road in court in Edinburgh, where the tribunal into Rangers' ongoing tax saga finally concluded. The result, to be announced in approximately six weeks, could of course plunge the Gers into administration.
If Hearts get an eight point deduction for all this, then what on earth would Rangers get in the hypothetical situation that they can't meet a £30million-plus bill to the taxman? One wonders...
L.
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