We'll keep our cool

HEARTS boss Valdas Ivanauskas today insisted he has high hopes for the Champions League final qualifier in Athens.

The Tynecastle side trail 2-1 to AEK from the first leg after two late goals, but Ivanauskas insisted that his side must go into the match in a positive frame of mind.

He said: "We must be optimistic because if you are pessimistic it's not good for yourselves and only good for the other team.

"I am optimistic and know why that is. It is going to be a very difficult game in a high-intensity stadium.

"We didn't play well against Rangers but in the championship we have a chance to change things. This is our last chance in the Champions League. The players understand that.

"I hope AEK Athens believe they are through already but they are a clever and experienced team with a lot of national players."

And Ivanauskas' hopes of complacency at AEK were boosted after the Greek side's coach, Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, admitted that his side believe they have already qualified.

"We are confident going into the game," said Ferrer.

"We must continue the work that we started in Scotland but we must also respect Hearts.

"We know that we don't have to score a goal but we will still try to press and put them under some pressure in midfield and in defence."

Nikos Liberopoulos, who scored the second of AEK's goals at Murrayfield a fortnight ago said:

"When we learned that we would be playing Hearts we thought that we had a 50-50 chance of progressing but now we have the advantage.

"Hearts are a very good team, they have very good players, and two of them are Greek so we know them well."

Calum Elliot may have to lead the line for the Jambos in the absence of the injured Roman Bednar.

The Czech striker did not travel to Athens after suffering an ankle injury at Ibrox on Saturday and strike partner Michal Pospisil is also struggling after a dead leg in the 2-0 defeat in Govan.

Elliot has been linked with a loan move to either Falkirk or Motherwell this season as part of Ivanauskas' plans to increase the player's first-team experience but he could be thrown into the starting line-up tonight.

The Hearts coach said: "Calum has a big chance of playing.

"Our other strikers are not 100 per cent fit and Calum is.

"Discussions about him moving to another club are not good for the player - but he has to forget about these discussions because we have big games.

"Afterwards we will talk about the discussions because he is a young boy and he must understand the situation.

"He is a good player but he is still young and could go forward or go down which is normal for a young kid. Calum has big character so it's not a problem."

And on his own future, the popular coach brushed off speculation about what may happen to him if Hearts are eliminated after club owner Vladimir Romanov's stated goal is to reach the group stages

He said: "Yes there is pressure but before every game there is pressure.

"Okay, it is difficult pressure but I will stay calm. Security is not in the manager's job description.

"I am ready for anything - that is normal for the manager. We did not get a result in the first game but my situation is not news. I am not newsworthy."

Taken from the Scotsman