Strachan's expecting Tynecastle fireworks

ARTUR Boruc didn't give much away at his press conference on Thursday, though it wasn't for the lack of effort on the part of his inquisitors. Turns out he misses home this time of year, poor chap. The Scottish Christmas has left him cold in more ways than one, he says, and the lack of some hootenanny in his Hogmanay last night would not have cheered him any. On the not inconsiderable achievements of his club leading the SPL, his country qualifying for the World Cup (he's first choice for Poland at the moment) and having Roy Keane in his midst Boruc's expression never went beyond gloomy. News-wise, only one morsel fell from his table.

He told us of a piece of folklore from his homeland - those who wake up early on New Year's Day wake up early for the rest of the year. We're guessing it's a parable of sorts. In Poland, those who start the year well have good times for 12 months. Has it been that way in his career? "Yes," he replied, "until I had the accident."

Whoa, back up there, big man.

Only he wouldn't. Nothing more to add, he said. So, one crumb to feed the multitudes. It's not nearly enough but it was useful all the same. The mishap turned out to be an incident with a firework that left his hand in plaster. Fireworks then and fireworks now. The redtop boys were elated since it leads us into the sparking potential of today's match at Tynecastle, one that could rocket Celtic seven points clear of Hearts. It is, in so many ways, an explosive fixture.

Gordon Strachan is not surprised by that. "I knew after about six games that they (Hearts) could keep going," he said. "They have strength, good players, experience - so they've got a lot. I look at them and I don't see much of a difference (since George Burley's departure). If he stayed they might have lost four on the trot. I don't know. I can only deal with the team that played last week and the team that played last week played very well. That's all I deal with. My opinion on what happened with George Burley doesn't count. That's for a pundit.

"If I was still a pundit on Match Of The Day I might give you an answer on that but I cannae. It's not my position. I can only deal with reality. I still see a good side, full of energy and a team that's going to be hard to beat. I keep repeating myself about how professional they are and how physically strong they are. The game (the 1-1 draw at Parkhead earlier in the season) could have gone either way."

If it is anything like the original it will be volatile, Hearts' aggression against Celtic's cunning, the best defensive team in the league against the best attackers. "The occasion can't be as big (as an Old Firm game) because you get 60,000 people here for those," said Strachan. "You've got two sides with a huge history. But this today is a big important game. How big it's going to be we won't know until the end of the season. Our biggest game of the season could have been against Livingston last week. You never know.

"I said at the beginning of the season that I thought there was going to be a lot more big games than just Rangers and Celtic. I've been proved right. Celtic and Hearts, Celtic and Hibs. Big games now. Instead of four good ones, we've got a lot more."

Hearts' form under Graham Rix may have fallen away, but their ability to protect their own goal remains a key feature and even the free-scorers in Celtic's frontline may find the going heavy. They have conceded just two goals at Tynecastle all season, a remarkable statistic. In Rix's six games in charge they have given up just four goals. Amid all the criticism heading his way it's as well to remember that his team is still doing certain things right and that they are still in contention for the league - if only just.

Celtic are warm favourites to win it, but they have not been playing like champions, a point Strachan made himself.

"At the moment we're not playing as well as we played last month and we're striving to get back to that," he said. "There's no doubt that if you look at a team over the course of a season they can't keep up the same level of performance. We just have to roll up our sleeves and work. If we can't be really great players at the moment then we've got to be really great teammates and that's what we are. I'm not unhappy. I'm not going about growling. I'm just looking for some things to be done better. I'm happy with loads of things. I'm not walking around with a face trippin' me."

It's a nice bonus for Strachan that Rangers have been such an embarrassment domestically. Strachan's team have already dropped 12 points in the first half of the championship, they've conceded 18 goals and haven't kept a clean sheet in five games yet they have not been punished for any of it. Rangers have been cut adrift, left panting and wheezing by a side that has had many dicey days of its own. By comparison, Celtic finished 2004 with four straight clean sheets, dropped only 10 points in those months but were just one clear of Rangers. That, though, was a genuine race.

This could turn out to be a procession if Hearts don't build quickly on their impressive dismissal of Falkirk on Boxing Day. It's a huge ask, but nothing that Celtic have done in the last month should scare them and the antics of some of their defenders (mainly the absent minded Bobo Balde) should give them plenty of encouragement. Until, that is, Balde departs for the African Cup of Nations and is replaced at the centre of defence by Adam Virgo (Strachan's little-used £1.5m man) or Due Wei (who is apparently progressing steadily) or Keane. Stan Varga, yet another alternative, is still a little short of fitness.

Strachan has the kind of options that Rix could only dream about. Would Rix willingly send Didier Agathe out on loan? Would he contemplate doing the same with Stephen Pearson? Whatever the truth of it would there even be the slightest speculation about Hearts parting company with Chris Sutton or Alan Thompson if they were earning a living in Edinburgh instead of Glasgow? In fairness to Strachan he has rubbished most of the stories surrounding these guys. He has love-bombed Sutton in particular and found time to heap praise on Pearson, who has been the subject of interest from other clubs.

"There's been lots of speculation about comings and goings but speculation isn't a problem. It can't become fact unless I make it fact. Didier Agathe goes until the end of the season because I'm happy with Paul Telfer. It doesn't scare me losing one because at the same time I've young players coming through. Stephen will be here unless something dramatic happens. He trained very well today and, to be fair, at a lot of clubs he'd probably be playing now.

"Didier is different. His contract is up in the summer and that can be confusing for a player. Is he going or staying? It can have an adverse impact on the training camp. Six weeks ago he told you (the media) that he was fit but he got injured again straight afterwards. He told you he was fit and then got a groin strain and his groin strain has kept him out for five weeks. He's back on the training field this week so he's made a good recovery. Five weeks out with a groin strain and this week, suddenly, he's fit again."

Is it mere co-incidence that he'd rise up off the treatment table as soon as Leeds and Middlesbrough asked about him? Strachan thinks not. "Ability, hunger and fitness determines what the team is going to be. It's not because you've been here six years or seven years. It doesn't work that way."

It doesn't work that way at Hearts either. At Tynecastle, resources are fairly threadbare but they can still field a team that can beat a Celtic side with a vulnerable streak. In the first match between them Paul Hartley was the dominant figure, making Neil Lennon look every day of his 34 years and outclassing the very classy Stilian Petrov. How engrossing it would have been to see Hartley face Roy Keane today but this contest will be enticing enough without him.

Learn a lesson from Boruc's blunder. Stand well back. There's fireworks coming.

Taken from the Scotsman