Mirsad says Bes way to beat Sparta is to go for the jugular

MIRSAD BESLIJA knows precisely how to beat Sparta Prague. He just has to convince the Hearts management that he warrants the opportunity to do so.

The Bosnia-Herzegovinan winger was a central character for his former club, Racing Genk, four years ago as they ousted Sparta from the Champions League qualifying rounds. Playing and scoring on one of the finest nights in the Belgian club's history, Beslija would have considered the nonessential role he currently endures at Tynecastle to be an impossibility.

Yet as Sparta arrived in Edinburgh today, their slayer of 2002 is not even guaranteed to make the Hearts bench for tomorrow night's UEFA Cup first round, first leg. It is, indeed, changed days from Beslija's last confrontation with the Czechs.

Genk's bullish approach to their final Champions League qualifier four years ago afforded them the vital initiative over a luminary Sparta side containing Karel Poborsky, Jiri Jarosik and one Michal Pospisil.

The 2-0 first-leg victory secured in the Fenix Stadium proved pivotal and had an intimidating effect on the visitors. Ultimately, it had much to do with Genk's progression to the lucrative group phase on away goals after they suffered a 4-2 reverse in the Prague return leg.

Both Valdas Ivanauskas and John McGlynn have visited the Czech Republic in recent weeks as they construct a dossier on Sparta, but Beslija could very well possess the most pertinent information of all if Hearts are to sample the UEFA Cup group stage once again.

"Winning 2-0 at home was a great result for us because four years ago Sparta were a very formidable side," recalled the 27-year-old. "Michal was playing against us and they had Poborsky too. They had lots of good players.

"In the first game Sparta were happy to wait. Their players sat back and played on the counter-attack but Genk played very well that night and we scored two goals quickly in the first half. I think that surprised Sparta."

Bernd Thijs' header from a corner was supplemented by Beslija's cool finish five minutes from half-time, rendering Sparta and their head coach Jozef Jarabinsky unable to inhibit the attacking instincts of a Genk side in full flow.

Given the potency contained in the Hearts squad, regardless of what involvement Beslija is permitted, a similar approach at Murrayfield tomorrow may be the ideal token for dispensing with the despondency of Saturday's defeat by St Mirren.

"I expect them to sit and wait to see what Hearts will do tomorrow. I am 100 per cent sure of that," said Beslija. "They will sit in and try to go forward on the break, so maybe it will be a similar game to the one against St Mirren."

The message is clear then: If Sparta are to be overthrown, then Hearts must take the bull by the horns and return to the kind of swashbuckling and dominant approach that served them so well last season. For there will be nothing reserved about the Czechs when they welcome the Edinburgh club to the compact Toyota Arena in a fortnight's time.

Despite Genk finishing bottom of Champions League Group C beneath Real Madrid, Roma and AEK Athens four years ago, the most distressful memory for Beslija is the near capitulation against Sparta in the second leg.

Beslija continued: "We saw an entirely different Sparta. It was like a completely different team and we recognised just how good they were at home. It stayed 0-0 for the first 20 minutes or so, but after that Sparta took control and dominated everything."

Poborsky equalised Belli Dagano's opener in Prague before Jarosik's double and a fourth from Pavel Mares dismantled Genk. The Belgians progressed by virtue of Wesley Sonck's second away goal but jetted out of the Czech Republic fully aware that they had come tantalisingly close to having their first-leg advantage overturned. "They won 4-2 but Genk still went into the Champions League. That was a beautiful experience," Beslija went on.

"The supporters are very good over there and I love that side of Sparta. For 90 minutes they gave it, 'Sparta, Sparta'. It was a tremendous atmosphere but now their team is not the same as four years ago. They will be less of a problem for Hearts than they were for Genk because four years ago they had a great team.

"It's difficult for Scottish clubs when they step into the European environment because it's not the same level. This presents a different kind of problem for Scottish teams but I believe Hearts can have very little problems with Sparta Prague."

The only problem for Beslija might be getting a game. In almost eight months at Tynecastle he has yet to appear in consecutive matches, forcing media and supporters alike to query why a club-record £800,000 fee was agreed for a player who can apparently offer such paltry return.

The lack of fulfilment that goes with being denied first-team exposure is, understandably, rankling with the Bosnian with his international prospects beginning to suffer as a consequence. Six-minute outings like Saturday's against St Mirren aren't what Beslija requires approaching the supposed peak years of his career.

"I only played a few minutes but it was a poor game. Maybe the referee had something to do with that because we had a real penalty claim when Roman was pulled down. But we also had plenty real chances and didn't score. Because we were all pushing up near the end of the game we were caught by the counter-attack, so it wasn't a good day really."

It seldom is for Beslija right now. How he must yearn for the Champions League days of yore back in Belgium.

Taken from the Scotsman