Hearts sack manager Csaba Laszlo on eve of cup semi-final

• Csaba Laszlo had been outspoken in his remarks about the club's transfer policy

The 45-year-old leaves after a year and a half in charge at Tynecastle, making him the longest serving boss of the Vladimir Romanov era.

He is the ninth manager to leave Hearts in the Russian-born owner's five-year reign.

The news came as a complete shock to the Hungarian manager who less than two hours earlier had given a press conference to the Sunday papers at Tynecastle to preview Tuesday's Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final against St Mirren.

The club released a brief statement this afternoon which read: "Hearts today announced the departure of Csaba Laszlo with immediate effect.

"The club has begun the search for his replacement and hopes to make the new appointment at the earliest opportunity."

The Gorgie club are seeking their first League Cup final appearance in 13 years but their preparations have been thrown into uncertainty by today's news. More immediately, they face St Johnstone away tomorrow in a Clydesdale Bank Premier League match.

Laszlo's position was undermined recently by the appointment of former Belarus international Aleksandr Metlitski as Hearts' new sport director. Metlitski was given control over the club's signing policy.

Laszlo has long demanded that funds be released so Hearts can sign new strikers. Goalscoring has been a chronic problem this season, with the club's strikers struggling to convert chances. Indeed, the top scoring forward at Hearts is Christian Nade with two goals.

Laszlo brought in two strikers on trial over Christmas and had high hopes of signing both Steven MacLean from Plymouth and Izale McLeod from Charlton Athletic.

However, Romanov announced he was unimpressed with his manager's motives. "I am not convinced that we need them," the club owner said of the two players. "In these reports I do not see anything except for publicity of those two players. Maybe Laszlo decided they needed a PR manager?"

Hearts did sign one player this week, completing a pre-contract deal with Darren Barr of Falkirk who will move to Tynecastle in the summer.