Efficiency Savings...

[Martin_T]

I think it is clear that the club is going to need to cut costs further, given this week's events and indeed the drop in income from falling gate receipts etc. We've already seen Andy Murray (why exactly did a club of our size need a sports scientist as well as a Doctor and Physio?) and Alex Koslovski (what exactly did he do other than pish people off?) leave.To that end, I'd like to see the following justify their position with the club in order to avoid redundancy:

 

Anatoly Korobochka - Sporting Director - Supposedly in charge of the entire footballing department of the club. Has presided over a consistent decline in team performance (2nd the season before he arrived, then 4th and then 8th last season). Many young players who were never going to make the grade were given 5 year contracts and we are still living with the burden of this today. Does the club even need a 'sporting director'?

 

Pedro Lopez - I'm unsure of his exact job title, but I think it may be deputy Chief Exec. In charge of pushing through the stadium reconstruction, has failed with this to date. Is his position really needed when we already have a Managing Director in Campbell Ogilvie.

 

Angel Cervenkov - Does the club really need another coach? We have Csaba Laszlo, Werner Burger, Tom Ritchie, Darren Murray and John Murray as head of the academy. Another one we could easily afford to shed.

 

On the playing side, we all know about Makela and Beslija, who should be paid off at the earliest opportunity. But if Paluzeulos and Aguiar are not going to play, they should also be let go. If Kingston's salary is anywhere near the speculated 15,000 a week, he should be put on the transfer list.

 

With all of the above let go, the club may be someway to be living within our means.

[leginten]

Good post. The two remaining members of the Committee of Failure should be launched, in my opinion. I'm not sure what they have to offer in terms of expertise in general and knowledge of how to achieve success in the SPL in particular.

 

Unfortunately the "New Austerity" programme seems to have taken a rather scattergun approach so far; we can't seem to sort out basics like getting staff wages paid on time, yet we still appear to have a lot of flab in terms of unnecessary personnel at Tynecastle.

[Spellczech]

Good post. The two remaining members of the Committee of Failure should be launched, in my opinion. I'm not sure what they have to offer in terms of expertise in general and knowledge of how to achieve success in the SPL in particular.

 

Unfortunately the "New Austerity" programme seems to have taken a rather scattergun approach so far; we can't seem to sort out basics like getting staff wages paid on time, yet we still appear to have a lot of flab in terms of unnecessary personnel at Tynecastle.

 

I doubt backroom and admin staff are paid nearly as much as players. We still have a squad containing some deadwood but not nearly as much as previously. I would rather see young players on the bench than older more expensive ones, but I reckon Palazuelos and Aguiar are two decent players and the kind of competent, technically proficient and professional players that the younger players can learn from.

[Diego10]

Agree with the majority of the OP.

 

Unfortunately the backroom staff named are as likely to be laid off anytime soon as we are to play a cavalier 4-2-4. Which there might be more chance of if we did actually get rid of them.

[Martin_T]

I doubt backroom and admin staff are paid nearly as much as players. We still have a squad containing some deadwood but not nearly as much as previously. I would rather see young players on the bench than older more expensive ones, but I reckon Palazuelos and Aguiar are two decent players and the kind of competent, technically proficient and professional players that the younger players can learn from.

 

Hearts have paid some extrodinarily excessive salaries to incompetent individuals in the past under Romanov. Rix was given 250,000 a year, when he was struggling to get 25,000 a year elsewhere. It honestly wouldn't surprise me, if the combined salaries of Korobochka, Cervenkov and Lopez were circa 350,000 to 500,000 per annum.

[Spellczech]

Hearts have paid some extrodinarily excessive salaries to incompetent individuals in the past under Romanov. Rix was given 250,000 a year, when he was struggling to get 25,000 a year elsewhere. It honestly wouldn't surprise me, if the combined salaries of Korobochka, Cervenkov and Lopez were circa 350,000 to 500,000 per annum.

 

Fair comment. Depressing thought.

[blairdin]

Hearts have paid some extrodinarily excessive salaries to incompetent individuals in the past under Romanov. Rix was given 250,000 a year, when he was struggling to get 25,000 a year elsewhere. It honestly wouldn't surprise me, if the combined salaries of Korobochka, Cervenkov and Lopez were circa 350,000 to 500,000 per annum.

 

I might be wrong, but I suspect the Korobochka and Lopez are employed by UBIG as opposed to specifically by Hearts. Their remit is supposedly includes progressing players through the pyramid to Hearts. I can't see them going, no matter what.

 

I wouldn't be sorry to see the back of Cervenkov, but again I suspect he would remain in mad Vlads pyramid.

 

On the playing staff, cuts can be made. Kingston is an expensive luxury who isn't giving us value for money just now, but I'd be reluctant to sell the only player who has the pedigree to command a fee..

 

Think we need to think about having two players for each position, backed up with youngsters such as Copil and Branny.

 

I would lose a keeper. No need for Kello, Macdonald and the Hungarian. That's a tough choice.

 

I don't see a place for Bruno and Ruben. One of them should be freed.

 

Makela and Beslija should be freed.

 

I also think Robbie should be moved on, now that we have Thompson and Johnson as right back options.

 

Do we really need a shop at St James Centre and Tynecastle open 6 days per week? Probably not. I would close the shop at Tynecastle on non-match days.

[Ryan Gosling]

Keeper's a different position. Every team has 3.

[Martin_T]

Keeper's a different position. Every team has 3.

 

Do we need 3 senior keepers though Chris? We also have the likes of Ridgers and Bjornsson in addition to Kello, McDonald and Balogh.

 

Most areas of HMFC have been wildly bloated during Romanov's tenure. In 2006/7 I'm sure at one point we had Koslovski, Korobochka and Malofeev all employed as 'sporting directors'.

[Ryan Gosling]

Do we need 3 senior keepers though Chris? We also have the likes of Ridgers and Bjornsson in addition to Kello, McDonald and Balogh.

 

Bjornsson's back in Iceland.

 

We have Kello, Balogh (backup goalie), MacDonald (reserve team goalie), Ridgers (sub reserve goalie/U19 goalie) and Falzon (U17/sub U19 goalie).

 

Celtic, for example, only have two goalkeepers in their first team but they're trying to sign a third. Rangers also have three, as do hibs, to give you some examples.

[portobellojambo1]

Hearts have paid some extrodinarily excessive salaries to incompetent individuals in the past under Romanov. Rix was given 250,000 a year, when he was struggling to get 25,000 a year elsewhere. It honestly wouldn't surprise me, if the combined salaries of Korobochka, Cervenkov and Lopez were circa 350,000 to 500,000 per annum.

 

Thing is Martin the three in particular that you mention are probably paid directly via UBIG, and if they were to sever their connections with Hearts would probably remain within the pyramid system. While logic would make you assume that if employed in either Lithuania or Belarus they would receive a salary more in line with local rates of pay that may not be the case, it may be more a case of new office, new job, same money. We may lose their connection to Hearts but not actually save anything financially.

[Martin_T]

Thing is Martin the three in particular that you mention are probably paid directly via UBIG, and if they were to sever their connections with Hearts would probably remain within the pyramid system. While logic would make you assume that if employed in either Lithuania or Belarus they would receive a salary more in line with local rates of pay that may not be the case, it may be more a case of new office, new job, same money. We may lose their connection to Hearts but not actually save anything financially.

 

I don't think anyone knows that for certain PJ1. It wouldn't surprise me if Ubig paid their salaries but Hearts have to pay an additional charge for their 'services'.

[Flimsy]

Irrespective of whether there are financial benefits if Korobochka, Chervankov and Lopez departed Hearts, I don't think there are any Hearts fans who would miss them if they left.

 

The inevitable cost cutting will be from the playing staff, I still suspect we are paying in excess of 3K a week to most of the senior players.

[portobellojambo1]

I don't think anyone knows that for certain PJ1. It wouldn't surprise me if Ubig paid their salaries but Hearts have to pay an additional charge for their 'services'.

 

I was unaware of that, although if they are indeed salaried staff I would find it a little strange that they were being paid extra for doing a job they are already being paid for.

[Sheriff Fatman]

I think it is clear that the club is going to need to cut costs further, given this week's events and indeed the drop in income from falling gate receipts etc. We've already seen Andy Murray (why exactly did a club of our size need a sports scientist as well as a Doctor and Physio?) and Alex Koslovski (what exactly did he do other than pish people off?) leave.To that end, I'd like to see the following justify their position with the club in order to avoid redundancy:

 

Anatoly Korobochka - Sporting Director - Supposedly in charge of the entire footballing department of the club. Has presided over a consistent decline in team performance (2nd the season before he arrived, then 4th and then 8th last season). Many young players who were never going to make the grade were given 5 year contracts and we are still living with the burden of this today. Does the club even need a 'sporting director'?

 

Pedro Lopez - I'm unsure of his exact job title, but I think it may be deputy Chief Exec. In charge of pushing through the stadium reconstruction, has failed with this to date. Is his position really needed when we already have a Managing Director in Campbell Ogilvie.

 

Angel Cervenkov - Does the club really need another coach? We have Csaba Laszlo, Werner Burger, Tom Ritchie, Darren Murray and John Murray as head of the academy. Another one we could easily afford to shed.

 

On the playing side, we all know about Makela and Beslija, who should be paid off at the earliest opportunity. But if Paluzeulos and Aguiar are not going to play, they should also be let go. If Kingston's salary is anywhere near the speculated 15,000 a week, he should be put on the transfer list.

 

With all of the above let go, the club may be someway to be living within our means.

 

Korobochka and Lopeza might be doing nothing for the club, but their wages will pale into insignificance compared to the players who are sitting on the medical table, or the bench (like Makela, who magically has suddenly become surplus to requirements unlike the demands of all the premier league managers we have on this site over the summer. It's amazing how a player can go from having the sun shining out of his arse to being the devils spawn in the space of one game.).

[DETTY29]

Wasn't there a suggestion that Hearts where perhaps paying wages for the likes of Pedro's wife and other family/friends of the Romonav family at one point? Not saying its true.

 

Would be interested to know if Rodney takes a salary out.

 

Back on topic costs could be trimmed back dramitacally and could and should have been for a while. The like of Beslija should have been given a deal to leave and make some sort of saving.

 

I do think we are mismanaged on the financial side at times.

 

As a director, the accounts will confirm. Thrown mine out , but if I recall, minimal 'expenses' only.

[Csaba's Broon Shoes]

Why can't we not play home games with a 1pm start and save on electricity

 

from the floodlights , would surely save a few quid

 

Players could take cars to away matches

 

We could arrange a race night in the Gorgie Suite .

[scott herbertson]

Quite a few mentions of 'freeing' players, or 'letting them go' or 'clearing out deadwood'

 

Problem is a club can't do that anymore.

 

Playeri n contract = Hearts pay wages until the end of the contract or pay off the contract (ie pay the wages in one big lump = no saving)

 

Only way to clear the deadwood is to find some other club to pay them - hence the attempts to shift beslija and makela overseas (witht he deal probably being we would have to pay to let them go)

 

On a brighter note surely some of them wil be approaching the end of their contracts,

 

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