Gers planning another bid for Webster
MARK BONTHRONE

RANGERS will try again in the close season to lure star defender Andy Webster from Tynecastle.

The Hearts and Scotland star will have just a year left on his current contract after the summer and has pulled out of talks on an extension.

Now Rangers will reportedly try to tempt Hearts - who could lose the centre back for nothing if he lets his contract run out - with a new bid.

Rangers are without a manager for next season as Alex McLeish is leaving in May and top target Paul Le Guen has yet to give owner David Murray an answer. But Murray is apparently determined to land Webster regardless.

With a crucial game at Livingston tomorrow in their bid to stay ahead of Rangers in second place, Hearts head coach Graham Rix is hoping that Czech ace Rudi Skacel can shake off an ankle injury.

The fans' favourite picked up the knock playing for the Czech Republic's 'A' team in midweek and received treatment on it yesterday. With Paul Hartley and Julien Brellier already suspended it would leave the Tynecastle team short of several key midfielders should Skacel not be declared fit.

"Skacel is a slight doubt as he took a wee knock on his ankle but I'm hoping he'll be fine," said Rix. "Other than that everyone else is available really." And the coach has urged his side to start reproducing their impressive home form this season on their travels.

Hearts have lost just twice at home this term but have stuttered on the road at times and Rix knows they must improve on that.

"It would give everyone a real lift if we could string three positive results together," he said. "All of a sudden it gets that momentum going again and for that reason we would like to win against Livingston, although we know it will be hard.

"We weren't impressive against Partick Thistle last weekend and the players know that so we'll be looking for much better." Rix also rejected suggestions that his side would have an unfair advantage if their Tennent's Scottish Cup semi-final with Hibs was played at Murrayfield.

The Hearts boss was responding to comments made by Hibs counterpart Tony Mowbray who suggested the venue may favour the Jambos as they played three UEFA Cup ties there last season.

The SFA has yet to make a decision on where the clash will be played, the first time the clubs have met at this stage of the competition since 1901.

With the game being moved to a 12.15pm kick-off on Sunday, April 2 for live television coverage there have been fears of traffic chaos should 50,000 fans from the Capital clubs try to descend on Hampden at one time.

Rix said: "I feel a little bit sorry for the supporters of both Hearts and Hibs if they have to travel to Glasgow when there is a super stadium just down the road but it's not me that makes these decisions I'm afraid.

"I certainly don't think we have an advantage from having played there. I mean we have a lot of lads who play on Hampden regularly so you could say the same about there I suppose."

Taken from the Scotsman