Prospect of new faces at Tynecastle less likely

AFTER making it clear for months that, in his opinion, Hearts need to recruit experienced strikers, Csaba Laszlo is now close to being resigned to soldiering on with his current resources.

The Tynecastle manager has not yet officially given up hope of signing Steven MacLean or Izale McLeod on loan after both players trained with Hearts recently, but admitted yesterday that his priority was to keep working with the players he has.

"I have made my suggestions," he said when asked how hopeful he was of signing reinforcements. "I gave my suggestions to the board and the new sport director.

"At the moment we don't have anybody. I hope we will have somebody.

"This is all I can say about this. I just concentrate on my work, taking young players into the team. If somebody comes it is a bonus.

"For me the big problems will be if someone is sold without us getting a replacement. If somebody comes in, it will be a bonus."

McLeod, of Charlton Athletic, has also been in talks with Peterborough, while MacLean, currently with Plymouth, is now more likely to join Aberdeen. The Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov has gone on record as questioning Laszlo's judgment when it comes to identifying possible signings, but the manager implied that he had done his job and had to allow Romanov and the directors to do theirs.

"I have a contract with Hearts and I must make my suggestions. I must take the team forward: it's in my contract to do this," he added.

"I must do everything in my power to take the team forward. For this, I give my suggestions, positives and negatives, on which positions where we need players or don't need players.

"This is my job, to come to the board. The rest is not in my power.

"MacLean is a very good goal scorer, Izale also. They are both experienced and good players. It's not a question.

"You must look also to the financial situation for both players. Both would be coming on loan, so we wouldn't have any financial risk. We must not go and buy these players for huge money.

"This was my suggestion to the board, to bring players in on loan. I won't say names, but I've suggested even Premier League clubs who are willing to let players go on loan."

Laszlo is prepared to see players leave Hearts this month, and has suggested to the board which ones he thinks are surplus to requirements.

But he does not want the size of the squad to shrink, and his minimum requirement would be for any departures to be replaced immediately.

"At the moment I hear nothing," he said when asked about players who might be leaving.

"But last season was the same with Christophe Berra and, at the last second, he was gone. This is my biggest worry – that someone goes out and we don't replace.

"I've given the board a list of potential players who may be of interest to other clubs. Also I suggest replacements if they do go – or say we can replace with young guys.

"But we don't have to sell. Why? I don't think so."