Scottish Premier League Update

Ali Hannah takes stock of Alex McLeish and George Burley

It says everything about the precariousness of the position that Alex McLeish finds himself in that when he heard the news from Tynecastle this weekend that he had to make a call.

Assured by Ibrox chairman David Murray that George Burley wasn't heading down the M8 to Govan, McLeish insisted that reports of his demise are premature. The problem for the Rangers manager, however, is that he is under serious pressure and heading into a month that could effectively break him.

An Old Firm double header in November in the CIS Insurance Cup and the SPL - both games are being played at Parkhead - and critical Champions League matches, McLeish is up against the clock as he bids to reverse the lacklustre start Rangers have made to the season.

A radio show report on the weekend that Burley left Hearts that the former Derby manager would be the new Ibrox gaffer, a comment that incensed McLeish. "I heard it," he confirmed. "I spoke to the Chairman before the game. He had been bombarded with calls.

"You can't help speculation, but it is a load of rubbish. I'm comfortable. There is pressure, you acknowledge that - and then get this team going forward again.

"We are all governed by results and we've got to keep getting results."

It is such stats that have been the biggest problem for Rangers so far. Despite taking first blood in the opening Old Firm game of the season, Rangers nevertheless now trail Celtic by six points and Hearts by nine with the first quarter of the campaign gone.

Croatian striker Dado Prso is by far Rangers' most influential player and should anything happen to the former Monaco star Mcleish would be in serious trouble. While Rangers are solid enough from back to middle, it is in the final third where the problems are and if it wasn't for Prso Rangers would be in a far worse predicament than they currently are.

With a knee that has previously required surgery, Prso has the look of a player who would benefit from a rest but given the paucity of genuinely inspirational figures at Ibrox, McLeish has little choice but to keep over-relying on the 30-year-old.

French full-back Olivier Bernard underlined just how important Prso is to Rangers when he remarked: "I knew Dado before I came here because of the time he spent in France.

"He has always been a talented player. He is vital to Rangers and he is a top-class player so we all know how important it is that he stays fit. We do have a big squad here but he is the main player.

" He is definitely up there with any striker I have played with. He is the best, because he can go into channels, hold the ball, do a lot of things - he is the complete forward.

"He's not the same type of player as Alan Shearer, but he is definitely up there.

"As for Hearts, we don't know what is going to happen with them. All we have to do is win our own games and I'm sure we'll catch everyone. If we close the gap by December, I'm sure we will then be more certain of our future."

Burley Sacked at Hearts

It lasted just 114 days from start to finish, but perhaps the most surprising thing about the acrimonious departure of George Burley from Hearts was the timing.

There has been a simmering tension between Burley and owner Vladimir Romanov almost since the onset of Burley's regime and, from as early as the beginning of the campaign, there were clear signs of problems between the two men.

At the end of July, the Lithuanian invited a select band of Scottish journalists to attend the Champions League match between his "other" club Kaunas and Liverpool after which a question and answer session would follow with journalists free to ask questions about how Romanov planned to take Hearts forward.

This was the first time it emerged that the problem which would go onto spoil the marriage of Burley and Romanov, for the owner revealed that it was he who had identified new signings Jankauskas and Rudi Skacel. The latter has since proved himself beyond doubt at Tynecastle and in the SPL, but the question remained that the owner was meddling in team affairs, pointedly revealed when he insisted that even if the manager hadn't wanted to sign those players, he would have signed them anyway.

Burley, of course, was furious and made his feelings clear via the press. "I will pick the team that I feel is best for Hearts," he said, before adding ominously, "No matter who has brought a player in or what money we've paid."

Hearts are no strangers to off-field controversy given the drama that beset them in recent seasons regarding the proposed move to Murrayfield and the hatred directed from the stands towards Chief Executive Chris Robinson, but the biggest fear now for the Hearts directors is the fury of the fans.

Having taken Hearts to the top of the league, beaten Rangers and got a draw from Parkhead in the process, Burley made the club serious championship contenders, something that is as rare as Californian snow given the dominancy of the Old Firm in the SPL.

When Romanov took over at the end of last season and made lavish promises that he wanted to challenge the monopoly of Celtic and Rangers and take Hearts into Europe, most scoffed. No-one has been able to challenge, financially and otherwise, with the Glasgow duo, yet in just the first quarter of the campaign suddenly there is faith that Romanov could yet deliver.

However, there are few managers who stand for anyone meddling in team affairs and the fact that the Hearts players wore t-shirts on Saturday afternoon saying "for the gaffer" under their kit suggests that the dressing room is not entirely happy with the way events have unfolded.
If the crisis starts to affect the performances on the field the problem for Romanov is that he will rapidly lose the faith of the support. "What if" will be the question if the good work is undone because of turmoil in the boardroom.

Caretaker boss John McGlynn took control of Hearts on Saturday and the 2-0 win over Dunfermline suggested that so far there has been no serious impact on the team. Players are notoriously self-centred and will be concerned about these events effect them, but if Hearts move swiftly to find a replacement there is no reason why there should be any reason for them to relinquish their grip at the top.

Of course, bringing someone in who has to put up with Romanov's interference is a challenge in itself.

Hearts have had a unique opportunity to make a little bit of history this season. If they have blown it by allowing a talented manager to walk away from the club then it would appear likely that another civil war between the season-ticket holders and boardroom await. The capacity for self-destruction down Gorgie way is something to behold.