Source: Team_Talk
Mackay urges board to back boss
Charlton striker Izale McLeod and Plymouth Argyle forward Steven MacLean both trained with Hearts last week with a view to a loan move but Laszlo is still awaiting approval to complete either signing.[LNB]Laszlo has been unable to bring in any of his strike targets in the previous two transfer windows and recent comments from majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov suggest he will be disappointed again.[LNB]Mackay believes that would be unfair on Laszlo, who has taken Hearts up to fifth place in the Scottish Premier League in recent weeks.[LNB]Their recent upsurge in form followed a difficult start to the campaign when Hearts initially failed to build on their third-place finish and suffered a 4-0 Europa League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb.[LNB]But a 1-1 draw against Hibernian on Sunday extended their unbeaten run to five games to leave them four points off fourth spot, despite the fact their top-scoring forward, Christian Nade, has scored just two goals this season.[LNB]"The manager deserves a bit of help from the board," said Mackay, who made a club-record 640 appearances for Hearts between 1980 and 1997.[LNB]"When things go on a downward spiral, which they did after the European situation, it's very hard to pick players up," he added.[LNB]"You have to say Csaba Laszlo has responded to the criticism and has just worked and worked and worked, and has got some great results for the team.[LNB]"So I think, if he needs a bit of help and support, then he is justified in asking for it."[LNB]Laszlo's future could be in doubt should he be denied one of his preferred strikers, especially after he brought McLeod and MacLean to training.[LNB]"My disappointment would be for the supporters," Mackay added.[LNB]"They had great numbers on Sunday, great numbers at Falkirk and great numbers against Motherwell, nearly 15,000 at that game.[LNB]"It's them I would feel sorry for because they are still backing the team in great numbers even though the start of the team wasn't great."[LNB]Romanov's transfer policy is now based on rearing young talent to sell on, and although Mackay admits that heaps pressure on the youth coaches, he feels the club's latest crop of youngsters have been instrumental in the team's recent upturn.[LNB]"Craig Thomson, until his injury, had been as consistent as anybody this year," the former Scotland midfielder said.[LNB]"The boy (Scott) Robinson has come in, Gordon Smith came in, (David) Templeton has come in and they have just freshened it up and given a different impetus to the team.[LNB]"They are not the finished articles yet but they have given the guys around about them a lift."[LNB][LNB]
