Another game to Levein but derby grips capital

MIKE AITKEN

IT’S a measure of how significant local rivalry has become since the spending power of the Old Firm put Rangers and Celtic beyond the reach of the rest of the SPL in the late Nineties that not even the prospect of contesting their most important European tie in years at Tynecastle against Bordeaux next week has distracted Hearts from the challenge of overcoming Hibs in tomorrow’s Edinburgh derby.

When the potential for winning honours has been all but snuffed out - no Scottish club outwith Rangers and Celtic has paraded a trophy since Hearts collected the Scottish Cup in 1998 - it’s hardly surprising if domestic squabbles assume the status of global conflicts in the minds of supporters.

If you can’t be the best in the country - and 15 successive honours for the Old Firm must be as close to a closed shop as exists anywhere in club football - then the importance attached to being the best in town soars.

Having played in any number of Edinburgh derbies himself, Craig Levein was unwilling to attach any greater kudos yesterday to the fixture in his capacity as a coach but did acknowledge the game against Hibs was now firmly established as carrying more weight than any other on the club’s fixture list.

"Every league match is important for us at the moment and, in that sense, it wouldn’t matter who we played on Sunday," insisted Levein. "I’m sure our concentration and focus would have been the same. The ‘D’ word hasn’t been mentioned yet.

"Thinking back to my own days as a player and I remember the rivalry being just as intense then as it is now. What I would say is that when someone spoke to me last week about how the Old Firm derby is so much bigger than our game, my response was, well, it isn’t to our supporters.

"Just because there are more people at the Glasgow derby doesn’t make it more important in the minds of those who support other teams. I feel our supporters want us to win the game against Hibs even more than they do the matches against Rangers and Celtic. This is the big one as far as they are concerned."

Given the meaning invested in the match, it’s hardly surprising the Edinburgh derby rarely produces a classic, free-flowing game of football. It’s more often an occasion when the physical aspects of the game carry more importance than touch or imagination.

"Sometimes you get good games between us but it’s true they don’t happen that often," Levein added. "I thought there were one or two good ones last season - but maybe they were just good from my point of view! The fact is these are often tense, nervous affairs and the players appreciate that if they lose the game it’s a huge disappointment for the supporters.

"The pressure put on the players is enormous so there will be tackles, the odd late challenge and a bit of pushing and shoving. You can get reactions from both sides - but it’s the aggressive nature of the game which makes the derby such an intense match.

"If you look at the last one at Easter Road, the tempo of the game increased after Hibs went down to ten men and our problem was we didn’t have cool enough heads to keep possession of the ball. That was what cost us in the end. If you want to win these games then you must take advantage of the assets you have. There’s more to it than just a scrap and forget about everything else. You also need your good players to play well. When you have the ball, you have to stay calm."

As someone who had the legend of 7-0 dyed in his hair to mark the New Year derby held at Tynecastle last season, it was no surprise to hear Ian Murray, the Hibs captain, argue that those involved in the game as players approach the contest with the same intensity as those sitting in the stands.

"The game means just as much to the players, if not more, because it gives us a chance to get one up on our rivals," he said. "Winning the previous derby when we were down to ten men was a great result for us but we didn't get carried away by it.

"I think we were underdogs for the last game and it’s the same this time - Hearts are above us in the league and they’re at home. But we can’t forget that derbies are one-off games and what matters is what happens on the day. Actually, Tynecastle is probably my favourite ground to play at away from home because the crowd are on top of you and the atmosphere is tremendous."

Interestingly, Bobby Williamson, who said talks on his new contract were "getting there", agrees with his captain that Hearts go into the televised game as favourites. And he insists he’s not just indulging in gamesmanship.

"If we don’t compete and let Hearts dictate the play then we'll suffer," he said. "We have to be motivated for the match, but that shouldn’t be a problem for us in a game as big as this. I’m not trying to play any psychological games with Craig Levein, but it’s a fact Hearts are more of an established team and higher up the league than us."

With Phil Stamp suspended and Scott Severin doubtful with a groin strain, Levein may view Williamson’s comments with a pinch of salt if he has to tweak his selection in midfield. Stephen Glass is again available for Hibs. As ever, mark you, personnel will count for less in the Edinburgh derby than mixing the elusive cocktail of tenacity and talent.

Taken from the Scotsman