The job no one in Britain wants to take on now

No one could ever accuse Graeme Souness of lacking bottle. This is the man who caused a riot at the Istanbul derby by planting a flag in front of rival fans, and who still provokes anger from Celtic fans 15 years after he left Rangers. Returning to Edinburgh, though, was simply far too dangerous.

Souness felt that coming back to his native land to manage Hearts would have endangered his reputation, never mind his health. He may be out of work, but the former Newcastle United manager has politely declined overtures from Tynecastle in the wake of Graham Rix's abrupt sacking last Wednesday.

Souness could have a confrontation in an empty house. The last place he needs to be is around Vladimir Romanov, who has now jettisoned three managers - Rix, George Burley and John Robertson - in 11 months. The Lithuanian millionaire is a maverick owner who applies the hardball attitude that made him a success in business to football.

But at what cost? Burley was sacked last October after taking Hearts to the top of the table. Rix has gone a week before the biggest game of the season, the Scottish Cup semi-final next Sunday against Hibernian, and with the team trying to hold on to second place in the Scottish Premier League to earn Champions' League football.

Who would risk that environ-ment? Not Souness. "He agreed to talk to the Romanovs out of courtesy but he doesn't feel the job is right for him," a friend told the Edinburgh Evening News on Friday. After the sacking of Burley, Romanov met Sir Bobby Robson, Claudio Ranieri and Ottmar Hitzfeld before coming up with Rix. The chances of such a celebrated guest list this time are zero.

Nevio Scala, the former Parma manager, and Lothar Matthäus are both on Hearts' radar, however, word has it in the management community here. Alex Smith has been in the business since 1969 but is currently not employed as a manager, which leaves time for his role as president of the Scottish Managers Association. "There will be someone who wants the job, even though they know it's a vulnerable position," said Smith. "But top-class bosses in Britain won't want to know."

The reason is Romanov. The man who saved Hearts from bankruptcy a year ago has gone beyond the limits of even the most ego-driven British club owner. He does not just buy the players - 21 this season - he wants to choose the team as well.

Robertson and Burley both resisted demands to include Saulius Mikoliunas and Deveidas Cesnauskis, two Lithuanian internationals, and were history. Rix told the team in February before a match that he had not picked the side, and has been dead in the water ever since.

The idea to give Rix the bullet came while Romanov was on board the Russian nuclear submarine in which he served during the Cold War for a reunion. Later, he met Vladmir Putin, the Russian president, at the Kremlin. Back in Edinburgh, stories of espionage engulfed Hearts. Valdas Ivanauskas, the coach - Lithuanian, naturally - put in charge until the end of the season, admitted he had been Romanov's eyes and ears. "I had to explain to Graham to think from Romanov's point of view," said Ivanauskas. "For Graham it was difficult, but Romanov is the boss and in Russia the owner can do what he likes."