Brellier not missing his Italian job

MOIRA GORDON

FANNING the flames of passion is different from allowing passions to inflame fans. Julien Brellier knows that for a fact. Introduced to Scottish football with an Edinburgh derby debut in August, he loved the atmosphere created by two sets of pumped-up supporters.

Smiling as he recalls the experience and the noise, the face soon creases into a frown when asked if he had known anything like it during his stint in Italy.

The Frenchman left his homeland for Inter Milan four years ago and while he only made one first-team start for them and spent the majority of his time on loan to Serie B sides Salernitana and Venezia, he agrees that, yes, as in Scotland, football is integral part of Italian culture but that is where the similarities end. The style of play is different and the vitriol which spews from the stands during Italian derbies is something he is happy to have left behind.

Tales of fireworks and fights, trouble on field and off, are not exaggerated, according to the 23-year-old and there is a sadness in his expression as he struggles to find a word to describe the idiots responsible for the chaos and mayhem. He is taking English lessons twice a week and given his progress, he must be a star pupil but obviously the topic of hooliganism has not yet appeared on the syllabus. He acknowledges that 'crazy' is as good an adjective as any.

"Next week we play the Hibs but I like the atmosphere very much," Brellier says. "That was my first game so it was a very important game for me and for Hearts. Everyone wants to win that game but it was a very good atmosphere. It was better than I expected. I have played in some big games but never one like that. I have never been at the San Siro for a derby - I only saw it on TV. It is crazy. And maybe if a father was taking his children to these games it would be dangerous. On Sunday it is Roma v Lazio and the fans there are a very big problem.

"But it is different here. For the players it is better for us here when you see fans shouting for us but they are with their family. In Italy players sometimes do not feel safe on the pitch. That is crazy. We only want to play football."

As a team, Hearts have been doing that with emphatic eloquence. Still top of the table after more than a quarter of the season, they have made a mockery of those who claimed the form would not last. But if Hearts have stunned those on the outside looking in, it has also surprised those taking a starring role.

"I knew a little [about Hearts, before signing] because of Gilles Rousset and Stephane Adam and I had heard of Celtic and Rangers. But I didn't expect to start so well. I didn't expect us to be winning the title and I am a bit surprised but very happy. It was a big surprise when we played Celtic and Rangers but now we know we can play against them. People know we can do that because we are a very good team."

The fact is no longer in dispute, but the realisation is that the title ambitions could still be hamstrung by a lack of strength in depth - not to mention the managerial turmoil yesterday. When goalkeeper Craig Gordon was sent off against Falkirk there was a collective groan from Hearts fans but injuries to both Brellier and international left-back Takis Fyssas caused just as much consternation.

With the next game at Celtic Park it was accepted that their defensive qualities would be hard to replace. In the end both made it but it was a pivotal moment for the former French youth international. An unsung hero, whose worth to the team had been overshadowed by the likes of headline-grabbers such as Rudi Skacel, the fans had a moment of enlightenment and he justified their faith in him with a stalwart performance in the heart of the midfield. It is an area that will be fiercely-contested again at Easter Road.

"I think with any team you need the right balance and the players really appreciate Julien for what he does for the side," said George Burley before his shock departure yesterday. The Frenchman was one of the players the Hearts owner and manager clashed over when Vladimir Romanov asked him to explain in writing why he felt he should get a starting berth ahead of others.

Burley felt it was obvious. "That's the key to a team, having players who respect and appreciate each other's strengths and what they can bring to the team.

"If you ask Andy Webster and Steven Pressley who is a very key player to us they would say it is Julien. He gives us that defensive midfield role and does the work and the tackling for the more creative players and it's important to have some one like that in every side."

A team imbued with quality and the kind of tough mentality needed if nerve is to be held and the top spot retained, the added bonus is the quickly cemented team spirit. At the Riccarton training ground, bonhomie abounds and their is laughter and jibes. But there are also compliments. Club captain Steven Pressley seems delighted to see the Frenchman getting well-deserved publicity for his exploits. Like his former manager he appreciates the value of the man who patrols the front of the defence, offering protection when backs are to the wall and an outlet when the ball needs worked forward. Having operated in the sweeper role for the French youth team, he reads the game well and is also not afraid to put in a meaty challenge.

The physical side to the Scottish game was one of the reason's he wanted to join Hearts. A fan of British football, he enjoys the more physical side to the game here.

"I like that because that is my game. I play this football all my life so that means I am very happy here. Football in Italy is very difficult but more defensive and for the fans it is not so exciting. But British football is better because you can see some very good games. They are a good spectacle and for the fans that is very important."

The influence of the British game is evident when he lists the men he admires. First up it's Roy Keane, a player who, on initial comparison, seems to have the desire, the hunger and a similar playing style to the Tynecastle wannabe.

Then there is Barry Ferguson, who he has already come up against and nothing the Rangers captain did in that game demeaned Brellier's high opinion of him, despite the fact that Rangers lost that day. Another is Frank Lampard. None of which are terribly bad choices when it comes to players midfielders should want to emulate.

Off the pitch, however, and he is a different animal. Quiet, he leads an unobtrusive life. A few fans have spotted him out and about and he is delighted that they have all been so positive, but he shuns the limelight.

"For me Edinburgh is very good because it is not too big but there is lots to see. I was in Milan and it was too busy and, for me, that is bad. When I was in Italy, I knew I did not want to stay another year, I wanted to see another country and play different football. And for me it was British football. But I like travelling and speaking with new people and for me that is a good experience."

He hopes that will be the case when he runs out at Easter Road for the first time. Having sampled the backing of the crowd in the first derby of the season, he accepts it will be different on Saturday but is unperturbed. "At Celtic it was very noisy but that was because there were 60,000, but when we played we could still hear our fans and that was very good for us. It will be the same against Hibs."

A man with faith in the supporters, it may have taken them a few weeks to fully appreciate him, but they now have faith in his support work too.

Taken from the Scotsman