Clouds gather above Cathro
● Future in doubt as Hearts fans turn on head coach after Betfred Cup elimination
Hearts officials were remaining tight-lipped about head coach Ian Cathro last night amid growing uncertainly over his future.
The Tynecastle club’s name was not among the 16 teams in yesterday’s draw for the next round of the Betfred Cup, a fact which resulted in a weekend of intense speculation about Cathro’s position.
It’s understood discussions between club officials were held soon after Hearts were knocked out of the Betfred Cup on Saturday following a 2-2 home draw with Championship side Dunfermline.
It is the first real football test of owner Ann Budge’s reign and Hearts director of football Craig Levein will be expected to bring unity to the club in the countdown to Saturday’s league kick-off.
Levein defended Cathro as recently as the end of May and said the head coach “needs time” to get to grips with Scottish football again.
The director of football is understandably reluctant to call time on Cathro, whose coaching ability he has rated ever since first coming into contact with him at Dundee United. But Levein knows he must also recognise the growing unrest among supporters.
Hearts needed to beat Dunfermline to secure a place in the last 16, the draw for which took place at Dens Park after yesterday’s Dundee derby.
But Cathro’s side only managed a draw, meaning they were out of the competition whatever the result of the subsequent penalty shootout – which Hearts also lost.
That led to angry scenes in the stands. Cathro’s perilous situation is exacerbated by the ongoing construction work at Tynecastle Park. The building of a new 7,200 capacity main stand means Hearts’ first four league fixtures, are all away from home before the scheduled return to Tynecastle for the clash with Aberdeen on 9 September.
But while Cathro could expect clemency for such a tough run – the four “away” games are against Celtic, Kilmarnock Rangers and Motherwell – he cannot expect leniency for recent results.
The 31-year-old Dundonian was at least expected to get Hearts through a League Cup group made up by lower tier sides Elgin City, East Fife, Peterhead and Dunfermline.
After wins over Elgin and East Fife, Saturday’s 2-2 draw combined with the defeat to Peterhead last midweek condemned Hearts to elimination.
It comes on top of a difficult start to his reign last season when the new head coach won just five times after taking over from Robbie Neilson in December. There were mitigating factors in that those players brought in by Cathro in the last transfer window were not given time to acclimatise. Most have since left.
But he has been backed with significant funds this summer, with Northern Ireland striker Kyle Lafferty leading the cast of new recruits. Now just six days before the league opener Cathro’s position has been placed in fresh doubt.