Bednar: it's win or bust

CZECH striker Roman Bednar today urged his Hearts colleagues not to waste the hard graft of last season as they prepare to face Siroki Brijeg tonight.

Failure to overcome the Bosnian champions over the two legs of Champions League qualifying round two would see Hearts out of Europe after fighting all the way to the penultimate game of last season to secure their place in the competition ahead of Rangers.

Bednar recognises the need for Hearts to make their way through to the third qualifying round to ensure a continued run in either the Champions League or the UEFA Cup, and he is determined that the efforts of the previous campaign should not go in vain.

He said: "Last season we did everything for this because we wanted the Champions League. Now it's here and we must think back to our hard work last year and not get lazy.

"Everybody is prepared to work hard because we aren't generally the kind of people to be complacent.

"I think the players feel ready for tonight. We have had a good pre-season and everybody is glad to have finished all the fitness work.

"In Austria we were all so tired and wanted a day off but we weren't given one. That was a difficult time but now training is a little lighter because the games are starting. That's what we've been waiting for."

In a major boost for head coach Valdas Ivanauskas, French midfielder Julien Brellier's hamstring came through a training session unscathed last night and he is fit to start against the Bosnians.

Ivanauskas said: "Julien is ready for the game now. He has had no problems in training and is fit, so we have no other injury concerns."

Ivanauskas has spent a considerable amount of time researching Siroki Brijeg and believes he is thoroughly prepared for what they may throw at Hearts.

"They have a lot of dangerous players but we have full information on them," added the Lithuanian. "Our scouts were in Belarus and Bosnia for both of their games in the previous round and we know they have an experienced squad. They have some Brazilian players and some Bosnian international players and we must respect them.

"Their style is typical of the former Yugoslavia. Whether you play a Serbian team, Bosnian, Croatian or Slovenian, you always face a very technical side. They are also very emotional about their football. If we give them a chance to play they will hurt us."

Ivanauskas conceded that playing the match at Murrayfield could be detrimental to the atmosphere when compared to Tynecastle. However having watched his players overcome Osasuna at the home of Scottish rugby just last week he remains unperturbed.

"Maybe the situation at Tynecastle would be much better for atmosphere. The players like that because the surroundings are so tight. But we played against Osasuna at Murrayfield and it was okay. The pitch is perfect and it won't be a big problem for us."

Assistant coach John McGlynn also pointed out the foolishness of taking Siroki Brijeg lightly. "This team won't just roll over and let us steamroller them," he said, "Even if we are fit that won't simply be enough. I think we'll need to have craft, a guile and a cleverness about us to get the ball in the back of the net.

"They will try to hit us on the counter attack and we will be trying to open up a stubborn defence. That's what we have to conquer.

"We have trained very hard over pre-season specifically for this game. This is what it was all built for. We believe we've got it right."

Taken from the Scotsman