Pressley reveals squad unrest

Hearts captain Steven Pressley says there is "significant unrest" among the squad.

Coach Valdas Ivanauskas is currently taking a two-week break due to illness, with Eduard Malofeev in charge of first-team duties for this weekend's SPL game against Dunfermline.

Majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov took control of the club in 2005 and has seen four different managers take the reins during his time at Tynecastle.

In a statement on behalf of some of the Hearts players, Pressley, flanked by Paul Hartley and Craig Gordon, voiced his concerns at the current regime.

"This is a statement on behalf of a number of the players," Pressley said in a press conference aired on Sky Sports News.

"This statement is no reflection on Eduard, who, from my initial impressions, seems a very honest and diligent man.

"I would like to wish Valdas a speedy recovery, but whether he returns or not is almost incidental in relation to the problems associated with this football club.

"I have tried along with the coaching staff and certain colleagues to implement the correct values and disciplines, but it has become an impossible task.

"There is only so much a coaching staff, a captain and certain colleagues can do without the full backing, direction and coherence of the manager and those running the football club.

"While, publicly, I have expressed the need for unity behind the scenes, I have made my concerns abundantly clear.

"The last two years have been very testing for the players.

"Together, we have faced a number of challenges and worked hard at retaining some degree of unity.

"However, due to the circumstances, morale, understandably, is not good and there is significant unrest within the dressing room."