League remains Levein's priority

BY PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS boss Craig Levein today claimed he wouldn’t swap finishing third in the SPL for a League Cup final place.

As arch rivals Hibs prepare to go into battle with Livingston at Hampden Park tomorrow in the CIS Cup final roared on by a remarkable 37,000-strong army of travelling fans, the Jambos were focusing on their clash with Rangers and the chance to consolidate their position behind the Old Firm in the SPL.

Levein has steered the Gorgie outfit into pole position for UEFA Cup qualification for the second season running, Hearts having beaten Bosnians Zeljeznicar only to see their great adventure brought shuddering to a halt by the classy skills of French aces Bordeaux in the second round last year.

The Tynecastle outfit went into this afternoon’s showdown against Rangers with a ten-point advantage over nearest rivals Dunfermline .

With just 11 games remaining of the current campaign, Hearts are odds on to complete what would be a remarkable feat considering the continued cost-cutting measures undertaken by Levein.

But while it remains his burning ambition to lead his team out at the National Stadium on cup final weekend, Levein takes more satisfaction from seeing his players perform consistently well in the league.

"I’d like to have our league position and play in a cup final. I’d like both," he said. "I’d love to get to a cup final, that would be something we have not managed to do since we’ve been here although it is not through lack of trying.

"To get to a cup final requires four or five good performances and playing well on the night - as Hibs have proved beating both of the Old Firm on the way there.

"But the league for me is a better indication of the strength of your team and for that reason, I would not swap our league position for the League Cup final."

He added: "As I say, I would love to have both. It is something which is still a great ambition."

His viewpoint was shared by defender Andy Webster, who also stressed that league position was the priority for Hearts rather than glory in the knockout competitions.

"A cup final is a good spectacle for the club as a whole: the fans, the players, the management, in fact everybody associated with the club," he said.

"It would be good to be involved in something like that but doing well in the league is more important.

"We have introduced more consistency into our game and I think that has been proven by us sitting third in the table at the moment.

"As a footballer you want to win things and it would be nice to reflect on something like a winner’s medal but we have suffered some recent disappointments in cup competitions with exits in the early rounds.

"It will good for Hibs if they win it tomorrow after defeating both halves of the Old Firm."

Taken from the Scotsman