Beware Gers title charge

PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS boss George Burley today insisted that Rangers are favourites to win the league championship this season.

The Ibrox side visit Tynecastle tomorrow languishing eight points behind the table-topping Jambos. Celtic are three points above the Ibrox outfit while Kilmarnock and Hibs have matched them for points so far.

Yet Burley is still convinced Alex McLeish's side will be the team to beat. He said: "I'd say they are favourites to win the league. They are the champions after all and are a quality side," said Burley.

"They have strength in depth in their squad and have multi- million-pound players of the highest calibre.

"I know Alex McLeish well. He has done a very good job and had a tremendous win over Porto last week. He has gone on record as saying he has the strongest squad since taking on the job so it is going to be very difficult for us."

Hearts go into the lunchtime showdown desperate to bounce back from the shock CIS Cup exit at Livingston on Wednesday night and maintain their proud 100 per cent start to the league season.

The Jambos are seeking a victory to blast open an 11-point gap over tomorrow's opponents and, in the process, match their best opening to a campaign for 91 years.

Confidence in the Gorgie camp is still high despite the unexpected loss in West Lothian and Burley said: "There's a good spirit in the camp after Wednesday. We were going to get beaten at some point. The priority was always going to be the league and we'll be judged at the end of the season by our league position.

"Cups are bonuses. It would be nice to win one but the bottom line is how well we do in the league.

"At the end of the day, we didn't have enough goal threat to give Livingston problems and, on the night, they probably deserved to win."

That is something he hopes to rectify tomorrow, although first-choice strike pairing Roman Bednar and Edgar Jankauskas failed to train yesterday after missing the Almondvale clash through injury.

Left-back Takis Fyssas and midfielder Julien Brellier are also battling to recover from knocks and Burley is prepared to wait until tomorrow morning to make a final decision for a game which promises to provide his players with their sternest examination of the season to date.

"The injured guys received treatment yesterday and didn't train.

"We'll see how they are today and it could be a case of leaving it until tomorrow to decide," said the Hearts boss, who will again be without the services of the sidelined Michal Pospisil, Neil MacFarlane and Ibrahim Tall.

"We're looking forward to what is a big game for us. We're in the early stages of rebuilding but we'll give it our best shot.

"We know Rangers are a top European team and it is going to be very tough for us with the quality they have."

He added: "We treat each game as it comes and there are three points available tomorrow just like any other match.

"We are eight points above them which is pleasing and we'll be going out to win the game.

"It's a big occasion, it's live on television and there will be a capacity crowd inside Tynecastle again."

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon will start his 100th-consecutive game for the club when he lines up between the posts.

The young keeper has come on leaps and bounds since breaking into the club's first team - a point highlighted by his boss.

"This milestone will be a tremendous achievement for the lad," said Burley.

"The fact he is one of the top keepers in Britain at the age of 22 speaks volumes for him as keepers don't normally reach their prime until they are about 26 or 27 years old."

The Hearts boss indicated that contract talks over extending Gordon's contract, which isn't due to expire until 2007, are ongoing with nothing imminent to announce.

The Evening News can reveal that the club is planning a pyrotechnic display prior to kick-off (12.30pm) similar to the one which marked the first home game of the season against Hibs last month in spectacular style.

Taken from the Scotsman