Weak finish to Hearts season angers Vlad

Hearts finished third in the league and qualified for European football next season, however their majority shareholder is less than satisfied by what he termed "wicked" results during the final weeks of the campaign.

He said: "The regular football season in Scotland has ended with Hearts in third place and I want to thank everyone who made efforts to achieve the result: the team, coaches and staff of the club and especially the supporters, who faithfully continue to believe in the club.

"The team has shown a good result this season, but it was disappointing at the end when we were fighting for one of the top places in the league. It's hard to believe that our team who won against every opponent in the league, succeeded only once in the last 12 games.

"This trend makes me worried and wary. The circumstances surrounding such results are undoubtedly wicked. There are no excuses for it and we have to fight it. I'm waiting for suggestions and information from those who may have some information on what the reasons were for the weak end to the season."

Speaking on his club's website, Romanov also stated that building a new stadium is essential. "We are doing everything possible to stay at Tynecastle but we may not be able to remove the planning obstacles that are in our way - health and safety hurdles.

"I hope the supporters and local authorities will support development plans, because there's no future for the club without a new stadium."