Levein warns of Rangers backlash

MARK BONTHRONE

HEARTS boss Craig Levein today warned his players to expect a Rangers backlash at Tynecastle this weekend.

The Ibrox outfit saw their hopes of claiming any silverware this season all but disappear when they crashed out of the Scottish Cup to Celtic at Parkhead last Sunday.

And Levein knows that Alex McLeish will have his players "fired up" for Saturday’s trip to the Capital when they will be hoping to bounce back.

He said: "Rangers are a good team and I never expect an easy game no matter when you play them.

"I’m sure Alex [McLeish] will have them fired up for this game. I would expect them to come out and want to make amends for their last defeat."

Captain Steven Pressley has yet to return to training for the Jambos after missing out at the weekend due to a virus and Levein has revealed it will probably be the latter part of the week before a final decision is made on his fitness. "Elvis is getting better but he hasn’t trained yet," said the Hearts boss. "He hasn’t completely shaken off the problem and is still feeling weak because he hasn’t been able to eat much.

"We are still not 100 per cent sure what he has so we will take things slowly and see how he is."

Meanwhile, Hearts chairman Doug Smith has admitted he has reservations over the club quitting Tynecastle for Murrayfield unless "the vast majority" of supporters and shareholders back the move.

The Gorgie chief insists that the move, which has still to be ratified at an egm, is not yet a done deal and says discussions with supporters groups and shareholders will continue. "There is a lot going on and plenty of dialogue about Murrayfield," said Smith. "What I appreciate, as we found at the agm, is we have a 51-49 majority for that move. Now, for such a momentous decision, do you want to go to Murrayfield based on that narrow a majority?

"A lot of football supporters are saying to me: ‘Doug, I’m worried about Murrayfield’.

"I am spending a lot of time talking to people and if we go forward with Murrayfield then the issue will have to be decided at an egm. When that happens, it must be something which the vast majority of the shareholders and the fans embrace. Right now, I don’t think we’re at that stage."

Taken from the Scotsman