Tynecastle men have built on experience

Rob Robertson

15 May 1998

Hearts' manager Jim Jefferies said yesterday that it was his cup final counterpart Walter Smith of Rangers who had predicted long before most that the Tynecastle club had the potential to challenge in both the league and cup this season.

Talking while he made last-minute preparations to his squad for tomorrow's match against the Ibrox men, Jefferies said Smith had commented on the potential of his team two years ago when the clubs faced each other in first the Scottish and then the Coca-Cola cup finals.

His comments came as senior Hearts players like John Robertson, Steve Fulton, and Dave McPherson talked of the confidence in the camp going into the final.

As they trained at Tynecastle yesterday the players said they felt they were hitting form at the right time and felt that winning the cup would cap a great season for their club.

Jefferies said that the Tyne-castle side had built on their cup final experience of two years ago and were focused on the challenge ahead of them this weekend.

''Walter told me he had seen enough spirit in our side back then to predict we would have a good season this time round and be up their challenging, and he has been proved correct on that,'' said Jefferies.

''Walter knows we are a better side than we were in the Coca-Cola Cup final.

We may not have beaten them this season in the league but I am not too worried about that.

What we have to do is learn from our performances against them.'' Jefferies said that everyone had forgotten that two years ago Hearts had beaten Rangers 3-0 and 2-0 in league matches and people had given them a great chance in the final of that year, which they subsequently lost 5-1.

''We knew talk about the cup final of 1996 would be brought up time and time again by people this week but it doesn't matter what happened then.

It's all about what happens on Saturday.

''People say Rangers are missing players with the inspiration of Gascoigne, and they have both Thern and Albertz out.

''However, they still have a good squad of players, some of whom can turn games for them.'' Jefferies said he had been heartened by his team's last few performances in games where he felt his players had been returning to the form they showed earlier in the season.

He said that was due in part to his decision to rest a few players once the league title was lost, a decision which allowed players like Stephane Adam to regain their sharpness.

Two strikers who will be keen to find a place in the starting line-up are Robertson and Jim Hamilton.

Robertson could well be playing his last game for the club and will want to go out with a winner's medal for the first time in his career.

He has made it clear he won't get sentimental over the game as he believed he had a future at Hearts and he hoped Jefferies would be offering him a new contract.

For Hamilton it will be a chance to get back into the side after a frustrating three weeks on the sidelines through suspension.

The former Dundee player, the club's top scorer this season, said he believed the enforced lay-off had done him good.

''The break has allowed me to recharge my batteries for the final,'' said Hamilton.

''I feel fresh and I have felt sharp in training this week.'' Veteran Dave McPherson, who has been playing right back for the Tynecastle side of late, said he was hoping to pick up a winner's medal which he would dedicate to his nine-year-old son, Christopher.

McPherson admitted that at 34 and in the twilight of his career cup finals did not come round that often.

''Of course, it had crossed my mind this could be my last final, so it would be nice to go out on a high.

''When I was at Rangers I felt that Christopher would become a supporter of them but he has become a red-hot Jambo instead.

''He is delighted we are in the cup final and will be there on Saturday cheering us on.'' McPherson said he felt that the experience gained by the young players in the last two cup finals and in big games this season would come in useful on Saturday.

''I will be giving advice to the younger lads if they ask but to be honest they are level-headed and they will cope well on the day.

''Many of them, like Paul Ritchie, have already played in cup finals and although they are still young they have a maturity and experience which will be important in such a big game.'' One of Hearts' most influential players this season, Colin Cameron, said he believed the club had set high standards this season and would not want to let themselves down at the death.

Cameron, who had battled back from a pelvic injury, will be one of the most important players for the Tynecastle club and looks likely to link up with Stefano Salvatori in midfield along with Steve Fulton.

Taken from the Herald