Maybury fears he's a jinx for the Jambos

GRAEME CROSER

ALAN MAYBURY admits it has filled him with pride to skipper Hearts over the past few weeks - but he’s scared his captaincy might just have jinxed the Jambos!

The Irish full-back has led out the Tynecastle outfit for their last four games and on each occasion he’s ended up on the losing side.

Not that he’s been an entirely unsuccessful on-field leader. When regular skipper Steven Pressley pulled up with a thigh injury just 22 minutes into the recent Edinburgh derby, he handed the armband to Maybury who helped ease the team to a 2-0 victory.

With Pressley remaining a major injury doubt for Saturday’s clash with Kilmarnock it looks like the former Leeds man will get one last crack at leading the Jambos out before serving a two-match suspension. And after successive losses to Bordeaux, Dundee United, Dundee and Dunfermline he’s determined to mark the occasion with a victory.

He said: "It’s been brilliant to captain the team and a great honour, but to be honest I can’t wait to give the thing back!

"When Elvis got injured in the Hibs game he came over to me and gave me the armband and the manager has let me keep it since then. The next match was against Bordeaux and it really was a proud moment for me. My family were there for the game and to lead the team out on such a special European night was something I’ll always remember.

"I’ve enjoyed being captain but we haven’t been able to buy a win over the past few games so it does start to make you think. To be fair to ourselves, though, we’ve not been playing too badly. Luck hasn’t been with us and we’ve not been getting the breaks at all."

Pressley’s lay-off has had an undoubted effect on the side’s fortunes, but Maybury is careful not to use the Scotland internationalist’s absence as an excuse for their results.

He continued: "I think it would be unfair on the other defenders to say the loss of Elvis has been the main reason for the results.

"We’ve defended reasonably well in all the games, with the exception of the first half of the Dundee United game. Elvis has been missed, though. I think it’s true that when he plays well the team plays well and he has a big influence but since he’s been out others have stepped forward and taken on more responsibility. Andy Webster has grown in stature and I’ve been asked to take on more myself which I’ve been happy to do.

"I’ve never captained a team at this level before but I did it in my younger days and know what’s required."

Maybury insists that confidence in the camp has not suffered as a result of the recent run.

Boss Craig Levein’s regular video analysis sessions which focus on the Jambos’ performances in detail have helped put each match into perspective.

The Irishman believes the side is playing well enough without getting the reward for its efforts.

And he revealed that Levein had left them under orders to secure a win this weekend no matter what adverse circumstances they find themselves in.

He added: "The video sessions have been a help to a lot of the players since the gaffer introduced them. It helps you see where you’re going wrong, collectively and as an individual, and it also allows you to see each match from different angles.

"We were beaten at Dunfermline last time out but when we watched the game back and viewed some of the saves their keeper made and the shot that came off the bar and also all the half-chances we made we realised we hadn’t played badly at all. We’re going into the Kilmarnock game confident of getting a result but we know we’ll have to fight for it. The manager has already told us that even if the refereeing decisions are going against us or if those little bits of luck aren’t falling for us we have to keep going and make sure we get the three points.

"We’re determined to do it and end this run that we’re on."

Maybury concedes that overall this season the side’s performances haven’t been quite as polished as a year ago, but believes heightened expectation could be to blame.

He said: "Last season we were written off before the start and maybe felt we had a point to prove.

"We started quite well and played some good football early in the season but it was after the defeat to Falkirk in the Scottish Cup that we really went on the run which got us into Europe.

"This time round there’s all this talk of us being the third force and people seem to expect a bit more.

"Well, we’re third in the table just now and if we could get into the UEFA Cup again that would be another great achievement.

"The fact we’re in that position shows that even if our football is not quite as entertaining we’ve, on the whole, been good at getting the results when required."

Taken from the Scotsman