Hearts set to appoint Daniel Stendel to succeed Craig Levein
Steve Cotterill, Neil McCann, Stuart McCall and Alan Irvine also spoke with owner Ann Budge about the role
Tuesday 3 December 2019 15:22, UK
Hearts are set to appoint Daniel Stendel as their new manager, Sky Sports News understands.
Craig Levein was sacked just over a month ago and although former Barnsley manager Stendel is currently out of the country, he could be confirmed in the role later on Tuesday.
Steve Cotterill, Neil McCann, Stuart McCall and Alan Irvine also spoke with owner Ann Budge about the role.
Sky Sports News understands that if Stendel's appointment is confirmed, he is expected to be in the stands at Tynecastle on Wednesday to watch Hearts play Livingston in the Scottish Premiership.
Caretaker manager Austin MacPhee addressed the media on Tuesday and is expected to take charge of Hearts for the final time.
When asked if Wednesday would be his last game, MacPhee said: "I honestly don't know. Obviously there are talks going on with other people and I will speak to Mrs Budge again today at some point.
"If there is anything to be communicated, I will always do that with the players. She has very good lines of communication with the senior players as well."
The process of appointing Stendel has taken over a fortnight due to his contractual situation at Barnsley, where he was sacked at the end of October.
The 45-year-old German hopes to bring the coaches who worked with him at Barnsley - Chris Stern and Dale Tonge - with him to Tynecastle.
Meanwhile, Hearts are still looking to appoint a sporting director to fill the role vacated by Levein, who was also the club's director of football until his sacking on Halloween.
MacPhee urges Hearts to make 'right decision'
"I still think it's the right thing that the right decision is made and it's got to be a decision the board believe in," caretaker boss MacPhee added.
"Just because whoever the manager they want to put in post isn't available or it's maybe more complicated, they are better trying to get whoever they want. Especially given the run of games."
MacPhee has lost three of his four matches in charge, conceding 13 goals in the process, but was at pains to stress that losing twice to Rangers in Glasgow was not out of keeping with historical trends.
And he claimed a new manager was better taking charge with a less difficult run of fixtures, citing an example from across Edinburgh.
Hibernian sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom a week after Levein lost his job but new boss Jack Ross has been in charge of three matches, winning against Motherwell and St Mirren before drawing with Kilmarnock.
MacPhee said: "Hibs is a good example, he has come into post where there are very, very winnable games, and that gives the appointment momentum.
"There are so many games between now and January, it's important these things happen at the right moment. If I have to take the team for some more awkward fixtures, I have no problem with that.
"I know the club are working on what they believe to be the next best step and sometimes these things take time."
MacPhee - who has been assistant under Ian Cathro and Levein and would be interested in taking over as the club's new sporting director - claimed he had not held talks with Budge over his own future.
"She has just asked me to proceed with taking the first team," MacPhee said. "I am just focused on that.
"The other things going on in the background, I don't need to know what they are. I just need to focus on the game.
"It's a massive three points for us. We need to get the team on the front foot, get the supporters behind us and get the type of performance that got us three points against St Mirren."
