DARREN JOHNSTONE

Stephen Frail, Hearts' interim head coach, has told club owner Vladimir Romanov he must stop interfering in team selection.

The Tynecastle club said Frail would have full control of first-team affairs when he was handed the role at the turn of year, but in the aftermath of Monday's 2-1 defeat to Falkirk, Frail - who last month backed Romanov over his order not to play contract rebel Anthony Basso - admitted there has to be a new approach if the club is to move forward.

He said: "Things have to change, not so much on the pitch; a lot of things happen off the pitch. There needs to be more of a focus and go for the same goal, right from the first day of pre-season; have no interference and have everyone pull in the same direction."

Before then, Frail will try to ensure the Gorgie club finish in seventh place, having failed to make sure of that place in the match against Falkirk. Hearts still have a two-point advantage over John Hughes' side, and wins in their final two matches against Kilmarnock and Gretna would make them the top side in the bottom six.

Frail said: "They're still big games for us and it's important we go and win Saturday's game against Kilmarnock and then beat Gretna on Tuesday night to finish the season on what will be a tiny, tiny high."

The emergence of teenager Gary Glen, the SPL's Young Player of the Month for April, and 20-year-old full-back Jason Thomson have given Hearts hope for the future, but Frail said: "To go with younger players next season you need to make sure you have quality and experience round about them.

"We need to make sure the ones that do come in enhance us, and there are good players out there who could do that and make us a better team.

"Glen has shown how good a player he could be, but it would be unfair to pin everything on him at the minute. We need players in and around him to take the pressure off him and help him develop."

One of those may be Mauricio Pinilla, the Chilean striker who has made only eight appearances since joining Hearts in 2006 and suffered knee ligament damage earlier this year. He was said to be keen to return to South American to be closer to his young daughter, but his agent, Hugo Rubio, said: "Mauricio has signed for another three years. He is happy and is looking forward to staying in Scotland."