Ex Jambos star and Record Sport columnist Stevo has his say on the Gorgie striker making the headlines.
If I was Naisy, I’d be wanting the club to put a statement out right now about Lawrence. Today. Just to put everything to bed. Listen, clubs are going to come in for Lawrence so Hearts have to get this sorted right now. Naisy needs to get in a room with Lawrence and the club hierarchy, all sit down and say what it will take to smooth things over until the summer so there’s no disruption during the January window.
If Lawrence is going to go, come out to clarify the situation. Make it all clear. If there’s interest, put it to him and get a deal done quickly. Do the business on January 1 and give Naisy real time to get something sorted for a replacement. If they can reach an agreement that he stays until the summer, get it out in the open so there is no constant and troublesome speculation. Sit him down in that room and say: What can we do? Can we give you a bonus until the end of the season to stay and then you can go? What will make you feel better?
What they can’t do is let it fester. I’ve been involved in it and it wrecks a player’s head when there’s no communication. The player hears things, from agents, from press, yet you don’t know. I’ve been there. Have clarity. Yes there’s offers, here they are. Or not. All this: Is he going, is he not? It can seriously affect form and it can filter through to other players and affect them, too. I’ve seen it so Hearts need to be up front to make sure everything is done correctly.
The worst thing that can happen is no communication and Lawrence losing his focus and his form with his head spinning. Let me tell a story. I played with a boy called Alex Williams at Ayr United. What a player he was. He was one of the best goalscorers I ever came across and his career was ruined because Arsenal tried to sign him when he was at Morton. They knocked it back because they wanted an extra £50,000 and Alex was never the same afterwards.
Now I’m not saying that would happen to Lawrence as he’s operating at a higher level, but I’m just saying if he’s not spoken to on a human and personal level and things happen in the background that he finds out about later, it all ends negatively. Be up front, treat him like a captain, man-to-man. They can’t afford his form to dip.
If it got to the end of the end of January and Lawrence was then sold, I would be livid and so would the supporters. The board would need to have a long look at themselves.
I’ve never known another season like it where he’s on the 16 mark at this stage of a season and the second top scorer is own goals.
That’s an embarrassment to the rest of the squad. As I said in this column a couple of weeks ago, as a former midfield player, that’s an absolute disgrace. It’s unfair on Lawrence and the problem for Naisy is you look at the derby and you either lose it or draw before he comes up with an injury-time winner. He did it the week before against St Mirren with two unbelievable goals. He’s done it at Celtic Park and at Ibrox. Everywhere.
Lawrence’s goals are all massive and pivotal moments and it makes my blood boil just thinking about letting him leave at the wrong time. If I am the manager of Hearts, I am thinking: If he goes and I have a week or 14 days to get another signing, I’m getting bagged. The team has done brilliantly in recent weeks, but football is football. Lawrence goes, there’s a couple of bad results and it’ll turn to poison.
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