Pressley has his eyes on the prize
BARRY ANDERSON

STEVEN PRESSLEY'S return to the Hearts defence tomorrow is perhaps not quite as exciting for Tynecastle fans as the prospect of witnessing debuts by the likes of Mirsad Beslija and Juho Makela.

However, the captain's presence and influence over the side should never be underestimated no matter the glitzy names who may surround him. The Scottish Cup fourth-round meeting with Aberdeen is possibly the most appropriate occasion for such a central character to return, particularly one so hell-bent on landing a trophy for the Tynecastle cabinet.

Jimmy Calderwood, the Aberdeen manager, already has his recent signing from Hearts, Neil MacFarlane, pictured below, cup-tied due to SFA administration madness as his side travel to Edinburgh tomorrow for the first of two successive Saturdays in Gorgie. The return of Pressley's leadership for the opposition is likely only to compound his misery. The fact that MacFarlane's backside graced the Tynecastle bench in the previous round of the Scottish Cup renders him unavailable, according to competition rules. Whilst the midfielder sits as a frustrated main stand onlooker, Pressley will be reclaiming the Hearts captain's armband from Paul Hartley and taking his place afront his colleagues for the stroll onto the pitch.

The Scotland internationalist has cut an often-agitated figure in the stands at Rugby Park and Tynecastle over the last fortnight as he obeyed a two-match suspension for an extensive accumulation of bookings. Defeat for Hearts in Ayrshire preceded a rampant Edinburgh derby victory during that period, but Pressley's return in the cup is guaranteed as he seeks the first trophy of his captaincy.

"Eight years ago I came to Hearts with the intention of winning things. Unfortunately, I've not had that opportunity," lamented Pressley. "I've never even played in a cup final with the club, and that is a real disappointment and something that nags at me a bit. Over this season and the coming seasons it's an issue I intend to put to bed.

"We can take a massive step towards that this weekend. It's an extremely big game in our season and I think people believe that we genuinely have the capabilities to win something this year. Come Saturday we must prove that we can handle the pressure.

"We've had some great results, great European nights and generally consistent league form in my time here. But the cup form has been disappointing. Last season we had an opportunity in the CIS Cup against Motherwell at Easter Road and we didn't play to our potential that night.

"We have come a long way in such a short space of time, even in the six months since the summer. The important thing is progress and if we continue the way we've been going I'm sure the trophies will come."

Even the most hardened cynic would find it difficult to ignore the quest for silverware in Gorgie given events earlier this week. Eight players recruited in one astonishing 24-hour period, added to the previous signings of Lee Johnson, Neil McCann and Nerijus Barasa, effectively saw Vladimir Romanov hand head coach Graham Rix an entire new team.

Pressley welcomes the influx despite perhaps requiring to carry a notebook around with him at Hearts' Riccarton training base to remember the names of every new colleague. At 33, he is sufficiently mature to recognise that the greater the depth and quality of a squad the more apt it will prove when days of reckoning arrive.

"Martin Petras and Ludek Straceny trained with us for the first time yesterday," continued Pressley. "They seem to have settled in. My only concern is being able to get all the players tickets for their families because we now have a first-team squad of 35 players.

"In past seasons, everyone would agree that the Old Firm have been the major players in terms of transfers so I think it's refreshing that another club have emerged and shown they are able to attract quality players and pay them good money.

"There has been a monotony about the Scottish game in the last ten years and it's great to see another club bringing in players with a real pedigree. I was actually surprised so many came in. The players expected a number of new recruits but certainly not an entire team.

"One of my roles as captain is to help new players settle in and I don't foresee any problems. We didn't only sign foreigners, there were a couple of English-based guys plus Neil McCann, so the adjustment won't be as big for them.

"We'll try and get a night out organised with everyone soon to help with the bonding, although it'll be a pretty big night and I think we'll have to hire a double-decker bus to ferry everyone around.

"The club have brought all these players in for the long term. Last season we had a magnificent run in Europe but found ourselves thin on the ground when we returned to play domestic football. We're certainly not thin on the ground now, and all the new boys have a quality about them."

All of this week's arrivals, with the exception of winger Chris Hackett, who has an ankle injury, are available to Rix tomorrow, forcing the Englishman to confront arguably the most taxing team selection of his managerial career. With Pressley back, at least he is assured of a steadiness from his on-field lieutenant.

"It's been a hard couple of weeks looking from the outside in. A couple of seasons ago I used to go a full season without a booking, but I think old age is setting in now and that leads to mistimed tackles and the inevitable suspensions. Andy Webster hasn't been booked this year, though, so I must be doing his dirty work."

Curiously, while Romanov spent January hunting and eventually pinning down players to compete for every position in the Hearts side, the centre-back area has been largely ignored. Jose Goncalves is able to assume a central role if not required at left-back, but the Portuguese ace aside, there seems little threat to Pressley and his long-term partner Webster.

The pair have this week been lending an ear to the defensive preachings of Jim Duffy, brought in at Rix's request until the end of the season to help marshal Hearts' now gargantuan squad.

Pressley revealed: "Jim has already made some pointers to the back four. Just small things, but things we can improve on nonetheless. Many small things can make a difference and I think it was a very good appointment bringing him in.

"I think the fact that the club didn't go for central defenders is a big compliment to Christophe Berra as much as anyone else. They [the Tynecastle hierarchy] obviously believe that, in the absence of myself or Andy, he's more than capable of stepping in."

Having put one foot in the first-team door this past fortnight to compensate for Pressley's absence, Berra will take it back out again tomorrow to make way for the captain's return in the Scottish Cup. The youngster will stop short of doing the hokey-cokey, you suspect, but continued progress towards the final of Scotland's national cup competition would have the Hearts supporters dancing with joy.

Taken from the Scotsman