Burley anger at Jimmy jibe

PAUL KIDDIE

TABLE-TOPPING Hearts boss George Burley today hit back at Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood, insisting his team aren't long-ball specialists.

The Dons chief brings his side to Gorgie for tomorrow's sell-out clash and stoked the flames ahead of the Tynecastle showdown by revealing he has prepared his men for an "aerial bombardment".

Calderwood, who watched Hearts dismantle city neighbours Hibs in the recent Edinburgh derby, insists the Jambos haven't changed their style of the last couple of seasons when former boss Craig Levein deployed the long ball to good effect with the towering Mark de Vries as the focal point of most attacks.

Despite Burley having brought in strikers of the calibre of Edgaras Jankauskas and Roman Bednar and gifted midfield star Rudi Skacel as part of his extensive rebuilding of his first-team squad, Pittodrie boss Calderwood claims Hearts are again relying on a physical presence to get results.

Burley, though, refuted such accusations and insisted he is a manager who demands a passing game from his players.

"I have been a manager for 15 years and all my teams have had a reputation for getting the ball down and passing it," he said.

"I haven't been here very long and we're still working on the style of the team but just because we have big guys in the side doesn't mean we always hit long balls into them.

"I think my style of play as a manager speaks for itself."

With Burley's new-look Hearts blazing a trail at the top of the SPL having taken maximum points from their opening three games against Kilmarnock, Hibs and Dundee United, the Gorgie boss believes the Jambos are easy targets for people willing to take a pop.

"We have enjoyed a good start to the season and, when you are being successful and sitting at the top of the league, people do tend to want to have a go at you," he said.

"The players we have brought to the club have strength and ability. They have a presence on the park but their quality is there for all to see."

Burley is looking forward to another huge home support tomorrow afternoon for the Dons clash and he's been delighted with the enthusiastic response from the fans, Hearts having been forced to cap the sale of season tickets at the 11,000 mark in the wake of his recent arrival at Tynecastle.

The unprecedented demand for seats has prompted the club to accelerate its bid to research ways of redeveloping the famous ground and Burley said: "It's great that the fans appear to be enjoying what they are seeing.

"It's disappointing that a lot of them can't get a ticket for tomorrow but that's because the stadium isn't big enough to cope with the demand."

Burley has been boosted by the news that Paul Hartley will be fit to face the Dons, the midfielder having been forced to miss Scotland's 2-2 draw with Austria in midweek having been injured in the win over United at Tannadice on Sunday.

He has been receiving treatment on the thigh knock throughout the week and will be able to line up in his usual place tomorrow as Burley looks for his fourth successive victory.

Meanwhile, former Tynecastle star Phil Stamp is hoping to win a move to Scunthorpe.

The one-time Middlesbrough midfielder, released by the Jambos at the end of last season, is currently training with the English League One side.

Taken from the Scotsman