I'LL SEE YOU SAME TIME NEXT YEAR

HEARTBREAKER Emerson has tipped the Jambos to wreck the Old Firm's domination of Scottish football AGAIN this season by making the Champions League two years on the trot.

The Brazilian played a huge part in sending the Tynecastle outfit tumbling from the qualifiers and down into the UEFA Cup with AEK Athens' 5-1 aggregate triumph.

But he was so impressed with their gutsy display he's certain they'll at least split Rangers and Celtic in the SPL and be back for another taste of Europe's elite event next year.

And Emerson reckons with Paul Hartley firing on all cylinders it will take take someone special to stop them THIS season in the UEFA Cup group stages as well.

The former Rangers, Atletico Madrid, Porto and Middlesbrough star said: "Hearts have the ability to do well domestically this season and have another shot at the Champions League.

"There's no reason why they can't be in the next group stages.

"They were much better than in the first game. That wasn't what we expected although we went into that match playing a strong and powerful game from the start - we made it hard for them.

"But last week was different. They started lively and had two good chances in the first 10 or 15 minutes.

"They scared us in the first half but then we had a bit of luck with the sending off of Julien Brellier." One of Emerson's biggest scares was the return of Hartley to his role driving the Jambos forward from the middle of the park.

In the first leg AEK's playmaker had the run of the park with Bruno Aguiar and Chrostos Karipidis sitting well off him and giving him the space he needs to dazzle.

This time, with Hartley sitting flush up against him, he knew he was in a contest for half an hour.

Again though Brellier's red card wrecked the game plan and with Hartley (below) shuttling back to fill the hole his lack of match fitness was cruelly exposed.

Emerson said: "There's no doubt Hartley's injury was a big factor.

"We knew how important he is to this team and they missed him badly in Edinburgh. You could see what a big difference he made in the first 30 minutes here.

"He became tired but when he is back and they have a full, fit team on the park with him Hearts will be strong again.

"They still have the UEFA Cup and I wish them all the best. They can get into the group stages and also do well in the SPL.

"Circumstances have been against them but they have the ability to progress in Europe." Hearts campaign without red card sinners Brellier and Neil McCann.

But Emerson insists ONE of them was the victim of an injustice and said: "It was no shock with Brellier who had already been booked. He went in with the elbow and deserved another yellow.

"The second sending-off was unlucky for McCann. He made a tackle but it did not deserve a red so we were lucky there."

Emerson reckons Jambos can live without the pair though. He said: "The players who impressed and surprised me were two of the younger ones - Jamie Mole and Deividas Cesnauskis.

"For his first ever European game Mole looked confident and was prepared to run at our defenders. I was impressed."

As was Mole's mentor Edgaras Jankauskas. The Lithuanian's injured toe gave the 18-year-old only his second game for Hearts, the first being in the defeat by Livi in last season's CIS Cup.

Jankauskas insists that despite firing a blank in Athens the English born hitman has a big future.

He said: "I was 16 when I played my first game in Europe and didn't score either.

"Maybe Jamie doesn't have the experience at that level but he played really well. He gave all he had and fought for every ball."

Taken from the Sunday Mail