Hand to get tough for Gough

GRAEME CROSER

JAMIE HAND has called on his Livingston team-mates to stand up and be counted as they prepare to face Hearts at Almondvale tonight.

The on-loan Watford midfielder was part of the Lions side which was crushed 4-1 by relegation rivals Inverness Caley Thistle on Saturday, a result which prompted boss Richard Gough to question the attitude and workrate of his players.

Tough-tackling Hand accepts the criticism was justified and has vowed to snap back with a gritty performance tonight.

And the 21-year-old hopes his colleagues react in the same way. He said: "The manager wants characters and players who are prepared to stand up and be counted. I’m a winner and I’ll be demanding better of myself.

Tonight’s game is massive for us but I’m glad it’s come along so quickly after Saturday because we’ve not had any time to mull over what happened.

We just need to go out there and put things right."

He added: "There was a lack of something on Saturday, I don’t know what it was but it’s got to stop now.

We were at home and should have been taking the game to Inverness but in every area of the park there was something missing.

We all need to give a bit more or we are going to struggle.

We must dig deep. We need to have a better attitude and give more in terms of effort."

Gough is set to make changes for tonight and could hand a debut to Mark Wilson, another loaned midfielder, who has been snapped up from Middlesbrough.

Rubio will also return from suspension to bolster the defence but David McNamee is still banned.

Meanwhile, Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood has expressed an interest in signing Burton O’Brien before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

The Lions playmaker has been in wonderful form this season and seems destined to quit Almondvale when his contract expires in the summer.

Calderwood knows he could wait and grab the player for nothing but, with Stevie Tosh departed for

Gretna, is keen to bolster his midfield options now.

He said: "I spoke to Richard Gough and the boy’s agent to see if he wants to come to Aberdeen and now we must decide if we try to get him now or do a pre-contract for the summer.

Richard doesn’t want to lose the player but I need to get in touch with the boy to see if he fancies it up here.

If the money is not too silly then we’d try to get him here right away but we’ll go the other route if
that’s what it takes to get him."

Hearts and Leicester have also been keeping tabs on O’Brien but the fact he has a sell-on clause in his contract which entitles former club Blackburn Rovers to 60 per cent of any transfer deal may prevent any deal being done this month.

Taken from the Scotsman