Copy Hull formula and Hearts will go far, says Christophe Berra

Nov 27 2008 By Gary Ralston

HEARTS skipper Christophe Berra hopes his team can earn their stripes by copying the winning formula of Hull.

The Scotland defender has led his team to four wins in a row, conceding only one goal in the process as the Jambos moved up to third in the SPL.

They aim to underline their Euro credentials on Saturday lunchtime when they take on Rangers in the Setanta clash at Tynecastle.

Berra has admired Premiership new boys Hull this season and reckons success will soon beckon if his Gorgie boys follow in their footsteps.

Berra said: "Clubs don't always need millions to be successful and a lot of sides in England have been surprised at how well Hull have performed.

"All credit to their manager for the work he is doing and the players for sticking together. They've played some hard games and emerged with flying colours.

"Money is such a big factor in the game. I know the Old Firm don't pull in a lot compared to Premiership clubs but it's still sizeable in relation to the SPL.

"Hull have shown what can be done if you work well for each other and we hope to do the same at Hearts.

"We are a big club but unlike Rangers we haven't spent millions. We don't have the money to compete with the Old Firm but if we stick together we can do well.

"If we win on Saturday there will only be seven points between us and Rangers. We'll have a lot of ups and downs to come this season but it's how we react that will be most important."

The sound of silence off the field has been music to the ears of Hearts' players and fans in recent weeks.

Controversy over the delay in the payment of staff salaries has been forgotten and Csaba Laszlo is building a team that looks capable of challenging for a place in Europe next season.

Berra is refusing to talk up their potential at this stage but he is pleased with the way Laszlo is delivering his message.

Berra added: "It's not just me, he helps a lot of players. Andy Driver spoke about his one-to-one dealings, but he can also boost the confidence of individual players by speaking about them in front of the whole squad.

"The manager comes from a different country but we've adapted well to each other and hopefully we'll continue to make progress."

Berra admitted their tame 2-0 surrender to Celtic has been one of the most disappointing performances of the season and doesn't want a repeat against Rangers.

He said: "We let ourselves down against Celtic but we are determined to come out the traps flying and force the game on Rangers. I'm sure we'll give them a test."

Taken from the Daily Record