Fyssas: 'Hearts need time but will definitely be best team in Scotland'

TAKIS Fyssas, who already has cup medals from Greece and Portugal, hopes to add a Tennent's Scottish Cup honour to his collection this season with Hearts, and believes success in the national knockout competition should help the Tynecastle club become the dominant force in Scottish football by 2008 or 2009.

"Hearts will definitely be the best team in Scotland, but we need time," he said ahead of today's clash against Aberdeen at Tynecastle.

Although the left-back reckons the removal of Celtic from the competition and the meeting between Rangers and Hibs makes Hearts the tournament favourites, Fyssas argued that the breathtaking acquisition of 11 new players during the transfer window should be interpreted more as a marker for the future. "Everyone can see if we want to be a big club then we must have enough players to compete in the Champions League," said the European Championship winner. "I have experience of this and when you chase the championship and play in Europe, you need a lot of players in the squad."

A former Benfica and Panathinaikos defender, Fyssas recalls being part of squads at those clubs which numbered 35 players. Now with competition from Jose Goncalves for the left-back spot, Fyssas was sanguine about the raising of standards and insisted he has the right mentality to retain his place.

"You don't become a very good squad and play fantastic [football] after two or three days or two or three weeks. But if we can keep going then I believe Hearts can be a very big team in Scotland and Europe."

On a personal note, Fyssas says he feels more at home in Edinburgh than he did in Lisbon, where he lived in Estoril. Touched by the sight of Greek flags appearing in the stands at Hearts' matches, he offered thanks to all those who had supported him since his move from Benfica.

With so many different nationalities jostling for space in the dressing-room, the defender praised the accommodating nature of the home-based players.

"The Scottish guys at Hearts, especially Steven Pressley, have been very kind to all the players [from abroad] and try to make them feel welcome here," he said. "Now I also feel it's part of my job to make all the new guys who came in January feel at home. On the pitch, of course, football has only one language."

Fyssas, who has cup winner's medals with Panionios and Benfica (he scored in a 2-1 win over Jose Mourhino's Porto) wants to add to his collection in Scotland. "Benfica took confidence from winning their first trophy in eight years and went on to win the league the following year," he recalled. "So, my dream is to win the Scottish Cup ... and if we keep on progressing, I'm sure something is waiting for us."

Graham Rix, Hearts' coach, wouldn't be drawn on his team selection. Pressley will return at centre-half and Lee Johnson could fill the suspended Paul Hartley's place, while Mirsad Beslija is available to make his debut in right midfield while Juho Makela may join Calum Elliot up front.

Meanwhile Aberdeen captain Russell Anderson has urged Jimmy Calderwood to forget about moving to Derby County, or anywhere else for that matter, in the foreseeable future and concentrate on reviving Aberdeen.

Anderson admits results this season have been disappointing but the fact that the Coca-Cola Championship club are interested in their manager is a mark of his calibre.

Calderwood is the sixth person to occupy the post in the nine years since the Scotland defender made his breakthrough in to the top team under Roy Aitken, the last Aberdeen manager to win a trophy.

Anderson is certain the continual upheaval caused by the revolving-door policy has been a major factor in Aberdeen's failure to add to their triumph in the Coca-Cola Cup final in 1995.

The lifelong dream of someone who was on the Hampden Park terraces when they last lifted the Scottish Cup in 1990, is to become the first skipper since Stewart McKimmie to collect one of the game's major prizes.

As far as Anderson is concerned the best hope of that happening is if Calderwood remains at Pittodrie long term.

He said: "I asked Jimmy why he was still here when we were at training and he just laughed but I am hoping that it is no more than speculation as the club have made their point of view clear.

"They want him to stay and so do I because he has stabilised things here a lot since taking over and last season we did really well even if we are still working to get back to that level.

"The overall picture is brighter and there is a better feeling about the place than I can remember for a long time. I know it doesn't help a club changing managers too often. It has been a bit of a merry-go-round for some of my time here."

The Aberdeen captain knows their signings pale into insignificance compared to those made at Tynecastle but is ready for what could be the decisive week of their season.

He added: "It's a massive week for the club with Rangers and Hearts again in the league but the Scottish Cup is our best chance of European football and we are looking forward to that. What we need is a positive frame of mind by going out for the win because if we sit back they will try to bully you into submission with the crowd behind them."

Meanwhile, Calderwood has appealed against his one-match touchline ban for an altercation with former Tannadice assistant coach Billy Dodds in last month's Scottish Cup tie.

Taken from the Scotsman