Season goes on and so will we

HEARTS coach John McGlynn insists the club's players have worked too hard to let the events of the last week have a detrimental effect on their League and Cup ambitions.

The Tynecastle side go into this weekend's game against Falkirk with Valdas Ivanauskas at the helm after Graham Rix was sacked on Wednesday.

Ivanauskas becomes Hearts' fifth manager inside the space of a year but takes over at a time when the Gorgie side's Champions League and Scottish Cup hopes are still well and truly alive.

One of the reasons given for Rix's departure was the dropping of vital points, but Hearts still sit second in the SPL table - six ahead of Rangers, their rivals for that Euro spot - and know that a victory over Hibs next Sunday would book them a place in the showpiece final at Hampden in May.

With so much to play for on both fronts, McGlynn is convinced the Hearts players have the mental strength to deal with the numerous off-field changes which have taken place in recent times.

That apart, McGlynn feels the squad deserve something to show for their hard graft at the end of the season, not least for the effort and attitude they have shown in training and on the pitch.

He said: "The players have put in a lot of effort all season and, although things have been a bit disrupted off the park, we have got to keep on track.

"They deserve to take something out of this season. It's not their fault there have been some changes.

"They have always tried to maintain their focus and they will want to show in the game on Saturday that they have been able to do that again.

"They've been up at the top end of the table all season and they don't want to let that slip away now.

"The cup is a massive game for us next weekend, for the players and the supporters and everyone involved will be determined to get the right result.

"But before that we have to concentrate on the game against Falkirk because it is important that we stay on track in the league first of all."

McGlynn has been the one constant throughout all of the comings and goings which have taken place during the Romanov reign at Tynecastle. He has been involved with the club in a coaching role for the past ten years and a familiar figure both at the stadium and at the club's Riccarton training academy where he is clearly a popular figure among the players.

Despite the now expected ups and downs of life at Tynecastle, McGlynn is loving life at the club and admits he would be happy to fulfil any role the Romanovs ask him to undertake.

He won't, however, be pushing his case to become the next Hearts manager, but revealed he would be more than happy to take over the reigns if the job was offered to him.

He added: "I am happy to be called upon to assist Valdas.

"Through choice I am not going anywhere and whatever job they want me to do, if I am capable of doing it, then I will do it.

"I won't be approaching them about the job, but don't get me wrong, I am not going to disappear if it is offered to me.

"Hearts are a great club and just to be part of it is fantastic. You don't realise how big a club and how good a set-up there is here until you speak to people who have left to go elsewhere."

Hearts get back to the business end of things tomorrow at the Falkirk Stadium and they are -hoping for a victory that would provide the perfect tonic to what has been a roller-coaster week.

Deividas Cesnauskis and Takis Fyssas were both back in training yesterday after suffering from a dead leg and a bug respectively earlier this week, although Cesnauskis only managed part of the session.

Those worries apart though, McGlynn revealed that the squad were in an upbeat and determined mood after a disrupted session on Wednesday morning when Rix and Jim Duffy's departures were announced. He continued: "The boys were fine at training and that's nothing less than we would expect.

"They still had Valdas and myself at training so in that sense there was some continuity.

"Obviously they have had this happen to them before so they have been over the course and know what to expect and maybe that actually helped them a bit.

"They are a very professional bunch of lads and they have worked extremely hard this season, in spite of the circumstances."

John Hughes' side have yet to win a game on their new home pitch in the league this season and, in fact, have taken just four points from their 14 games there so far.

Their 2-1 defeat to Kilmarnock last Saturday leaves them second bottom of the SPL table, although they do enjoy a nine-point cushion over relegation favourites Livingston.

Despite those statistics though, McGlynn insists Hearts won't be taking anything for granted against the Bairns, who held the Gorgie outfit to a 2-2 draw on their last visit to the new Falkirk Stadium.

He added: "There are no easy games in the SPL and this one is no different. It is a big match for us because we still have two big issues to deal with, the SPL and the Scottish Cup.

"Falkirk will be looking to win their first game at home, so I'm sure it will be a difficult one.

"The boys are well prepared for it though and will want to get back to business on the park."

Taken from the Scotsman