Laszlo takes on job at Hearts without meeting Romanov
Laszlo takes on job at Hearts without meeting Romanov
Laszlo admitted he had not yet had a face-to-face meeting with the Hearts owner, who has handed the former Uganda coach a three-year contract.
"This is my first time here," he said. "I know Mr Romanov, and I know his vision. Normally I wouldn't come to talk only with the club officials. But I know he is a busy man. For me the most important thing is his opinion of the football club, and his vision. And I know we can work very well together. This is what I feel."
Laszlo hopes to meet with Romanov next week but holds no fears about what he has signed-up for after two years in Africa as coach of Uganda. He turned down a more financially rewarding job offer from a club in the United Arab Emirates to return to European club football with Hearts, after previous experience with Borussia Moenchengladbach, where he was youth coach, and Ferencvaros of Hungary.
Hearts, he said, attracted him because when he grew up in Hungary he followed football in three countries – England, Germany and Scotland.
Affable and articulate, Csaba managed to clear one thing up right away – his name. Despite being known as Laszlo Csaba during his time in Africa he confirmed that "Laszlo" is his family name. "Usually it is a first name but maybe my family is a little bit different," he smiled.
His path to Tynecastle has proved a complicated one, but the motivation for ending his association with Uganda was simple. "I came here because I wanted to coach a famous clubs in Europe," said Laszlo. "And that famous club is Hearts."
Laszlo has also been impressed by Romanov in phone conversations, and has not let the fate of his predecessors steer him away from what he called his "dream job". He has signed a three-year deal but immediately declared a hope to stay for six. And he meant years, rather than months, or even weeks. He is confident that Romanov, who has spent the last seven months searching for a new permanent manager, will offer him an opportunity to prove himself. Laszlo has a proud record to protect – one of never having been sacked.
"If you look at my career I am not a coach who jumped from one place to the other," he said. "I coached Borussia Moenchengladbach. I coached the Hungarian national team. I coached the Uganda team and I coached Ferencvaros and each time I had a contract for two or four years. I was never sacked.
"If you hire a coach you don't tell him that if he doesn't win the league or the cup then he is out," he continued. "The dream to win the cup or be at the top of the league must be there but you must also be realistic.
"You must know what is possible and you must have a plan. I don't think at the moment Mr Romanov's plan is to sack me if we don't reach first place. But normally I don't like to be eighth or seventh. Every time, I want to be first. It's not Mr Romanov's wish – it's also my wish. I have a responsibility to the fans and the people who work very hard for success at this club."
The issue of team-selection was something else which had to be addressed. The extent of Romanov's influence on the playing-side has proved an enduring fascination for Tynecastle observers. Laszlo, who will appoint a No2 next week, said he will be happy to discuss his teams with those in the Hearts "technical team" but expects the last word to be his.
"The technical team will discuss players and discuss the performances, but the decisions are mine," he said. "I can't speak to the newspapers after we lose a match and say: 'I don't know what happened because he told me to play this guy or that guy.' The people outside will think: 'what is this for a coach?'
"No, I make the decisions. I am a team worker who will ask the technical team about things because if you have more eyes it is easier to see things.
"You see more. More hands also feel more. I will have a second coach and ask his opinion every time. But at this moment I don't think the team will be the attention of the owner. He has a coach and must trust the coach. He must know he has a coach who knows about football and he can trust him.
"If you go to Germany, Hungary or England every owner would like a coach who leads the team, someone he trusts. If you want to build a house you must take someone who has the knowledge to build a house. You must have a base and not begin with the roof and I think it is the same in football."
He has been impressed with the club's academy at Riccarton and stressed that talented young players are the way forward. He described himself as a disciplinarian, but one who liked to smile.
"Maybe I have a young face but I have a lot of experience," he said. "I am 44 and I have worked in football over 20 years. I know my destiny."
