Laszlo calls for Hearts to treat Rangers game as one-off

BARRY ANDERSON
CSABA LASZLO wants Hearts to forget their four-game winning run when Rangers visit Tynecastle on Saturday and treat the match as a one-off.
The Edinburgh side currently sit third in the SPL table after consecutive victories over St Mirren, Hamilton, Inverness and Falkirk, however, Laszlo stressed today that second-placed Rangers offer an entirely different proposition.

Hearts enter the match in their most consistent vein of form since Laszlo's appointment in July, and the manager believes confidence can be the key to a vital victory on Saturday. He said: "We must think about the next game and forget what has gone before.

"Rangers will be a different game. We lost 2-0 against them before, now we must look to win. The players will need to give 100 per cent if we are to get a victory
but we must have confidence after winning our last four games.

"We have a young team and the spirit and confidence is there, you saw this last week when we came back from 1-0 to win the match. The team is playing well but there is still some room to improve. If we continue like this I think we can have a nice Christmas.

"Playing Rangers is the most easy game. You know why? If you win, you win a lot of sympathy and you are the hero.

"If you lose, everybody says 'okay, it was Rangers'. But we would like to win."

Meanwhile, 18-year-old Hearts youth goalkeeper Mark Ridgers has been called into the Scotland Under-19 squad for next month's gathering in Largs. Coach Billy Stark has included the former Ross County player in his pool alongside his Tynecastle colleagues Gary Glen and Jonathan Brown.

"This will be the first time Mark has been involved with Scotland and it's great news for him," said John Murray, director of Hearts' youth academy.

"He suffered a very bad knee injury while playing for Hearts in the Milk Cup in the summer and he has had to battle his way back. He has done well since getting back into the under-19 team and I'm delighted for him.

"This will be good for Gary's confidence," added John. "He has had problems with injuries this season and has to try to push on for the under-19s. He will enjoy the experience of being away with Scotland and it can only be good for him.

"Jonathan is another who has earned his chance. He hasn't really been involved with the under-19s and has been playing mostly for the reserves and in recent weeks has been on the bench for the first team. He is another whom we have high hopes for."

Taken from the Scotsman