Hearts caught two short for Europe

ian paul

5 Sep 1992

AS THE first real test of Scotland's leading clubs outside the domestic arena approaches, the prospects for one of them, Hearts, grew slimmer yesterday with the news that their two main central defenders will be missing from the away leg of their opening UEFA Cup tie against Slavia Prague on September 16.

Alan McLaren, who has already been forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad to meet Switzerland next Wednesday in Berne, has very little chance of being ready to take his place in the Czech capital.

And manager Joe Jordan has discovered that Craig Levein has also had to be ruled out of that game because of bookings received when Hearts were last in Europe two seasons ago.

To have to tackle a European tie away from home without his two top defenders is a serious disadvantage for the Tynecastle manager, who has not had his problems to seek so far this season, and which makes Hearts' place among the league leaders all the more commendable.

The return of Neil Berry after a long spell off through injury is one silver lining.

The powerful and enthusiastic Berry has been playing in midfield since his come-back, but was a regular choice for central defence in his earlier days with the club and could be switched there with every confidence.

Jordan will be offering silent prayers that Neil, Graeme Hogg and Peter van de Ven, the two others who will asked to hold the fort in Prague, come through the intervening matches safely.

Although he is not ready to come back, McLaren is making good progress following the knee ligament injury he suffered against Hibs in the Edinburgh derby on August 22.

A more realistic target for his return might be the second leg of the UEFA Cup tie at Tynecastle.

Hibs are in comparatively better fettle as they look forward to their UEFA Cup meeting with Anderlecht but, if they already know how tough a task they face following spy missions by manager Alex Miller and his assistant, Murdo MacLeod, the message was emphasized by word from Belgium following the national side's 2-1 win over Czechoslovakia in the World Cup qualifying match in Prague in midweek.

Reports of the tie reveal that three Anderlecht players were very influential in securing an excellent result for the Belgians and consequently will certainly be as important to their club in the European game.

Two of their defenders, Philippe Albert and Marc Emmers, were in top form against the Czechs while striker Marc Degnyse was a constant threat at the other end.

Neither Hibs nor Hearts will have to fret about injuries today as the Scottish League has cleared the way for the start of the international World Cup campaign by rescheduling all of this afternoon's premier divison matches, bar one.

This means that Falkirk and Partick Thistle, two teams who have only become members of the division in recent times, are the only top league clubs involved in serious action on the sixth Saturday of the season.

Falkirk will be especially keen to do well, as a victory would immediately remove them from the bottom of the table.

Falkirk would argue that their form is not truly reflected by that position, anyway, but it is advisable to get points in the sack rather than debate the performance value.

Beating Thistle is not the easiest of tasks in any case.

The newcomers to the premier division have gone about their business in a refreshingly uninhibited style, climaxed by that remarkable 6-3 win over fellow newcomers Dundee last week.

George Shaw, who scored four of those goals and earned himself a holiday prize in the process, obviously needs to be curtailed, while his striking partner, Gerry Britton, the former Celtic player, gives the impression that he is revving up for good things to come.

Thistle are in seventh place in the table but that amounts to only a two-point advantage over Falkirk, such is the tightness of the grouping in the lower half.

On the evidence of both teams' league scoring records this season -- Thistle have scored 11 and Falkirk have lost 10 -- it could be an action packed afternoon at Brockville.

Taken from the Herald