Skacel refuses to take his eyes off the biggest prize
AMAL DAHER

SEVEN points adrift in the league following Sunday's 3-2 defeat by Celtic, Hearts might now be expected to see the Scottish Cup as their best chance of silverware this season. Rudi Skacel, however, declared yesterday that the Edinburgh club still believe the cup is not the only trophy they may have their hands on by the end of the season.

"For me every game is important," said Skacel, who is expected to take his usual place on the left side of the Hearts midfield for this afternoon's home tie in the third round of the competition against Kilmarnock. "I like winning, I don't like losing. The Scottish Cup is very important. We want to win the league, the cup, everything. We want to win every game."

The build-up to this fixture has gone by almost unnoticed due to the fallout from the defeat to Celtic, a match in which two late goals cost Hearts a precious victory. Skacel himself was keen to draw a line under that game and look forward to a run in the Scottish Cup and, he insisted, challenging for the league. "Everybody was upset after Sunday's game as there are not many matches like this in your career, but Kilmarnock is another game and we want a victory."

Skacel, currently midway through a year's loan from Marseille, has been baffled by continued speculation that he may leave Hearts before the end of that deal and described his time in Edinburgh as the most enjoyable chapter of his career to date, insisting he had no desire to cut short his stay.

"I don't want to talk about my future because we will see. I am happy in Edinburgh - it's a fantastic place. Jambos supporters are fantastic - the best supporters in my career. I have played at some big clubs and Scottish fans are the best. The last four months have been the best in my career.

"The dressing room is the best in my career and I am enjoying it. Why would I not stay until the end of the season? We have a chance to win the league, a chance to win the Scottish Cup."

Skacel retains hopes of winning a place in the Czech Republic's World Cup squad this summer, but admits it will be difficult. "It's very difficult for me, the last two games I haven't been in the national team. I don't know why, I was disappointed. I have played well, scored some goals and Hearts were top of the league. I hope I have a chance for the World Cup, but Hearts must win the league and I must help.

"I don't know if me playing in Scotland is a problem for the Czech manager. You have to ask him. The Czech team is a very good team and has many perfect players. Nobody has come to see me in Scotland. No problem for me, I will wait. It's important for me to play well and help my team."

Hearts last won the Scottish Cup in 1998, and, while the playing staff is now entirely different, one connection to that 1998 victory does remain at the club in the shape of John McGlynn. Now Hearts' assistant manager, McGlynn was the then under-16s coach in a backroom staff under the command of Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown. The pair are now at Kilmarnock, where their record against their old club has proved little to write home about - Hearts have in fact lost only one of the last 17 encounters between the two sides.

That's a record McGlynn is hoping Hearts can maintain. He said: "It always adds a bit of spice when Jim and Billy come back to Tynecastle. They had a very good record when they were here and obviously they won the cup, which was a major thing. No doubt Jim would like to do a similar thing at Kilmarnock, but we also have ambitions and aspirations to get to Hampden and win the cup."

Like Skacel, however, the assistant coach was adamant that, whatever the appeal of the knockout competition, Hearts still believe they are fighting on two fronts. "The team that won the cup became legends overnight and I think it would be a similar reaction if the team were to win again.

"We won't give up on the league situation, there is a long way to go, but the cup to a certain extent brings relief. It's something new, something different and we are very much focused on winning something this season, whether it be the league or the Cup, we would be delighted to win anything."

Taken from the Scotsman