Mind games begin as both sides talk up their chances

Alex McLeish remains confident Rangers will finish second in the Bank of Scotland Premier-league and secure a place in the Champions League qualifying draw for next season. Although Rangers trail Hearts by six points after the draw at Tynecastle, McLeish believes they can claw back the deficit with eight games to go.

"We were 16 points behind Hearts but we have cut that to six and that is a brilliant comeback considering the draining effects of the European campaign this season," said McLeish. "I feel strong about where we will finish this season."

A magnificent save by Craig Gordon from Thomas Buffel and a bad miss by Chris Burke cost Rangers victory in a match where Hearts had taken the lead through Edgaras Jankauskas before Buffel levelled.

"The way the second half went, I was disappointed not to have won," said McLeish. "We had fought back really well, passed it better and made chances but a draw is not a disaster. The points gap can be bridged. Absolutely. There's enough points left to play for to do it and there were a lot positives in my team's performance. I can see the race for second spot in the league going all the way to the wire."

Kris Boyd, who was relegated to the bench for yesterday's match, cranked up the pressure on Hearts by suggesting the experience in the Rangers ranks would be vital as the race for second spot intensifies.

"Few of them have been in that position before so it is up to them to finish it off," said Boyd. "They have to come to Ibrox so we will see how they handle it from there.

"We had a taster of Champions League football against Villarreal and we would like to experience it again. Mentality plays a big part in games and we have to keep winning and put pressure on Hearts."

Not surprisingly, Jim Duffy, Hearts director of football, and Steven Pressley, the club captain, believe Hearts will hold on to the advantage.

"We are still in the driving seat," said Duffy. "We are in a very good position. I think there was a wee tinge of disappointment at the end of the game because we were 1-0 up and let them equalise but you're up against the current champions and a team who have done remarkably well in Europe this season. It's still a six-point lead and another game gone against one of our main challengers so we can't be too unhappy. We're not going to make rash statements like we can close it out, we're just going to keep working hard. The closer you get to the line, the more tense each match becomes so we've got to keep battling away."

Pressley felt the mix of youth and experience in their ranks was the perfect blend needed to beat Rangers to second spot.

"We are still in pole position, no question about that," said Pressley. "We have a six-point lead with eight games to go. Whose position would you rather be in?

"I accept Rangers have been over the course before and for us it is new territory. However, we have experienced players in our ranks as well as hungry young players who can help us continue to win games. I believe we are mentally strong enough to keep going and beat Rangers to second place."

The Hearts captain said the draw between the clubs had been short on decent football, partly because both sets of players realised how important a match it was.

"There was a definite nervousness from both sets of players," said Pressley. "Nobody wanted to make a mistake as we all realised how important the match was in terms of securing second place."

Pressley said he hoped that Graham Rix, the Hearts head coach, would be retained next season regardless of where the side finished in the league. Roman Romanov, the club chairman, said finishing third in the SPL would be regarded as failure and Rix's future would be decided at the end of the season.

"We have great belief in our coach and he has a great rapport with the players," said Pressley. "If we can achieve Scottish Cup success and make the Champions League that would be fantastic for everybody at Hearts."

Alex McLeish remains confident Rangers will finish second in the Bank of Scotland Premier-league and secure a place in the Champions League qualifying draw for next season. Although Rangers trail Hearts by six points after the draw at Tynecastle, McLeish believes they can claw back the deficit with eight games to go.

"We were 16 points behind Hearts but we have cut that to six and that is a brilliant comeback considering the draining effects of the European campaign this season," said McLeish. "I feel strong about where we will finish this season."

A magnificent save by Craig Gordon from Thomas Buffel and a bad miss by Chris Burke cost Rangers victory in a match where Hearts had taken the lead through Edgaras Jankauskas before Buffel levelled.

"The way the second half went, I was disappointed not to have won," said McLeish. "We had fought back really well, passed it better and made chances but a draw is not a disaster. The points gap can be bridged. Absolutely. There's enough points left to play for to do it and there were a lot positives in my team's performance. I can see the race for second spot in the league going all the way to the wire."

Kris Boyd, who was relegated to the bench for yesterday's match, cranked up the pressure on Hearts by suggesting the experience in the Rangers ranks would be vital as the race for second spot intensifies.

"Few of them have been in that position before so it is up to them to finish it off," said Boyd. "They have to come to Ibrox so we will see how they handle it from there.

"We had a taster of Champions League football against Villarreal and we would like to experience it again. Mentality plays a big part in games and we have to keep winning and put pressure on Hearts."

Not surprisingly, Jim Duffy, Hearts director of football, and Steven Pressley, the club captain, believe Hearts will hold on to the advantage.

"We are still in the driving seat," said Duffy. "We are in a very good position. I think there was a wee tinge of disappointment at the end of the game because we were 1-0 up and let them equalise but you're up against the current champions and a team who have done remarkably well in Europe this season. It's still a six-point lead and another game gone against one of our main challengers so we can't be too unhappy. We're not going to make rash statements like we can close it out, we're just going to keep working hard. The closer you get to the line, the more tense each match becomes so we've got to keep battling away."

Pressley felt the mix of youth and experience in their ranks was the perfect blend needed to beat Rangers to second spot.

"We are still in pole position, no question about that," said Pressley. "We have a six-point lead with eight games to go. Whose position would you rather be in?

"I accept Rangers have been over the course before and for us it is new territory. However, we have experienced players in our ranks as well as hungry young players who can help us continue to win games. I believe we are mentally strong enough to keep going and beat Rangers to second place."

The Hearts captain said the draw between the clubs had been short on decent football, partly because both sets of players realised how important a match it was.

"There was a definite nervousness from both sets of players," said Pressley. "Nobody wanted to make a mistake as we all realised how important the match was in terms of securing second place."

Pressley said he hoped that Graham Rix, the Hearts head coach, would be retained next season regardless of where the side finished in the league. Roman Romanov, the club chairman, said finishing third in the SPL would be regarded as failure and Rix's future would be decided at the end of the season.

"We have great belief in our coach and he has a great rapport with the players," said Pressley. "If we can achieve Scottish Cup success and make the Champions League that would be fantastic for everybody at Hearts."

Taken from the Herald