'We're not to blame' - Barnsley chief responds after hold up in Hearts appointment of Daniel Stendel

Hearts are not expected to make a mangerial appointment until next week

Hearts are still negotiating with Barnsley for German manger Daniel Stendel. Picture: Getty

Following the 1-1 home draw with Livingston, Hearts interim boss Austin MacPhee revealed that the appointment of the next Tynecastle boss would likely be made next week.

After what was a difficult evening for the Jam Tarts support, no one wanted to hear that confirmation of the successor to Craig Levein was going to be prolonged further.

The prospective appointment of Daniel Stendel has been held up by a compensation claim from his former club Barnsley.

It led chairwoman Ann Budge to describe the process to get a new man in the door as “torturous”.

The English Championship side are believed to be keen on a six-figure fee for the German, who also wants to take his former backroom staff Chris Stern and Dale Tonge with compensation on the duo understood to be waived.

According to the Daily Mail, Hearts have entered talks with they Tykes, albeit via letter, and the club’s chief executive Paul Conway is refusing to take the blame for the delay.

“I would be surprised if we were to blame for any hold-up,” he said. “It doesn't make any logical sense to me because if we were the only issue one of two things would happen.

“Either the club would just do it and say, 'we can resolve this post-signing.' Or we could just work it out over the phone. So I'm surprised that we are being cited as the issue because it doesn't make logical sense to me.

“It usually gets resolved reasonably quickly with a couple of phone calls, so that's why I would be surprised if it was just us who had to be taken care of.

“If Hearts want to engage in written correspondence then that's up to them.

“Is compensation to us an issue? For sure. But we are not negotiating a trade accord - if they want to resolve this quickly we are here.”

Austin MacPhee is expected to be in the dugout on Saturday as Hearts, who sit second bottom in Ladbrokes Premiership, travel to Motherwell.