Csaba Laszlo grateful for Romanov's support amid rocky spell

The Hearts manager's preservation has surprised many, including the bookmakers. Laszlo noted that he had been the favourite for the sack at the start of the season. This reflected more on Romanov's reputation as a hirer-and-firer than Laszlo's own performance at the club. The manager led Hearts to third in the league last season and was named manager of the year, yet still was judged to be under pressure at the start of the current campaign. Past events dictated this, with Laszlo's predecessors having tended not to last long. He is the seventh since Romanov took full control of the club, in 2005. But the Hungarian has now lasted longer than any previous Romanov appointment.

Laszlo has a right to feel as secure as ever as he reflects on a run of league form which has seen his side go unbeaten in their last five matches, and with St Mirren to come at Tynecastle tomorrow. A Scottish Cup defeat at Aberdeen last weekend was a setback, but cannot take away from the good work achieved over Christmas, and in what are continued difficult circumstances at the club.

Laszlo yesterday reflected on having handed a list of signing targets to the new sporting director at the club, Aleksandr Metlitski. Of those, one – Izale McLeod – has already joined Peterborough, with Hearts having failed to make him an offer following a trial at the start of this month. Another, Steven McLean, is still available from Plymouth Argyle, but Laszlo seems to accept the tying up of such deals is out of his hands. It was possible to trace an element of frustration as he explained that his targets had been pin-pointed. The club have, at least, been granted permission to speak with Falkirk skipper Darren Barr.

"I have given my short-term and long-term plan to the sport director (Metlitski]," he said. "We have other names and I hope with the new sport director we have the right person that can go and deal in this direction."

Laszlo is still making do the best he can with his restricted resources. At the same time he must accept with stoicism a club owner who has a tendency to eye warily those players identified as desired additions by his manager. But he appreciates that it could be worse. He could have Romanov breathing over his shoulder, as has been the fate of some. Indeed, even though many might interpret it as a sign of reported disinterest, Laszlo saluted the club owner's willingness to let him work on.

"I was first on the list from the bookies to leave the club or be sacked, of all SPL managers." he pointed out. "But I must give credit to the board for giving me a chance to come back and go in the right direction. In football, too often nobody asks if you had a 17-year-old in the team or if you had so many injured players. They just look at 2-0, win or lose. But here I get the credit. You can say what you want about our club but I've been allowed to go in the right direction."

Laszlo's hopes to be able to continue moving forward in a positive manner. To do this, he would rather have the likes of Michael Stewart by his side. The Hearts skipper has been central to the club's run of good form of late but is out of contract at the end of this season, amid reports of interest from Dundee.

Laszlo wishes to keep Stewart at Tynecastle and underlined how the change in the players' attitude following a spate of red cards has been noted by everyone at Tynecastle, including the first team's bus driver.

"A story recently told me everything about Michael these days," he said. "it involved our bus driver of over 20 years, Alan 'Scooby' Scott. He has been here so long he knows everyone at this club. We were watching the West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest game together. Alan remarked to me the Michael Stewart of today is not the one he recognises from before.

"This shows we're not wasting our time with the work we are doing with Michael and it also speaks about the player. He has changed in the right direction. He isn't just our top goalscorer, but he has also tried to change off the field and people are recognising this."

Laszlo stated that he hoped to keep Jose Goncalves at the club, with the defender – also out of contract at the end of the season – having expressed a desire to remain at Tynecastle. The manager admitted to having talked with former midfielder Bruno Aguiar in recent weeks, although he stressed that he tries to retain contact with many of his old players. Christos Karipidis, who left last year, is another who he talks with regularly, but both are now under contract with other clubs.

"I think Bruno is a very interesting player, also Karipidis," he said. "Maybe one time in the future I will work with these players, but you don't know."