Pospisil ready to accept Rix challenge and regain place

HEARTS striker Michal Pospisil and first-team coach Graham Rix were both singing from the same song-sheet yesterday as they insisted there was no rift between the pair, despite the latter axing the former from last weekend's match at Motherwell.

Pospisil's failure to claim even a place on the bench at Fir Park led to speculation that the player had fallen out with Rix. The feeling was strengthened by the fact that Hearts were so short of strikers last Saturday that they had to adapt their system to 4-5-1 for the first time this season.

Rix, who had hauled an unimpressive Pospisil off at half-time the previous week against Aberdeen, said he took the decision to leave the Czech out for "footballing reasons."

While the coach denied that there had been a bust-up and dismissed a story that the striker was agitating for a move away from Tynecastle, it is clear frank words have been exchanged.

"It was my decision to leave him out on Saturday and to a certain extent it's up to Michal now," Rix said yesterday. "If he's going to go away and sulk it's up to him. But if he's going to be positive and roll his sleeves up then he has to show me he wants to play. He scored in the reserves during the week and that was pleasing."

Pospisil, who was signed for Hearts in the summer by former manager George Burley for £300,000, also refuted the claim that he is looking to quit Hearts in January. "I heard about those stories, but I don't know where they came from as nobody spoke to me about them," said the Czech Under-21 international.

"I have to admit that it is frustrating at the moment," Pospisil added. "But I believe in myself and my ability and it's up to me now to show the manager that I can play, and that's my intention.

"I wanted to play against Motherwell, but we have a lot of players and sometimes these things happen in the game. The manager spoke to me yesterday about what he wants from me and what I must do better. I now know what he wants and that's what I'll be trying to do. Hopefully I can make him happy.

"I have a three-year contract with Hearts. I like Edinburgh, but I want to play football. I don't care about what people are saying about my future. I care about Hearts and doing well for the team and the supporters."

With fellow-Tynecastle striker Edgar Jankauskas still struggling with a hamstring injury, it will be fascinating to see if Rix relents and picks Pospisil against Livingston tomorrow. Calum Elliot, 18, played up front on his own in the 1-1 draw with Motherwell but Roman Bednar is close to returning to full fitness and may come into contention.

Rix knows he badly needs a win in what will be his first home game in charge. His team have struggled against Aberdeen and Motherwell in the last fortnight and need to rediscover their early season form if they are to maintain their place with Celtic at the top of the SPL.

Taken from the Scotsman