Hearts changes egg Jonsson on

YOU could lock Csaba Laszlo and Eggert Jonsson in the board room at Tynecastle from now until kick-off tomorrow and they still wouldn't be able to agree on what is the Icelander's best position on the park.
However, the 20-year-old is willing to give up on his midfield berth to keep his boss happy – and keep his place in the team when they take on Inverness in Gorgie.

Jonsson has proved himself to be one of the most versatile players in Laszlo's locker this season – and admits that he's willing to play anywhere for the Hearts manager, as long as he continues to get a regular game.

Having made his breakthrough to the first team at the beginning of last season, he has played in the centre of midfield, centre of defence and filled in at both left and right-back this season, applying himself admirably to each of the tasks that he has faced.

Laszlo has told the youngster that he sees him more as a defender than a midfielder and Jonsson has hardly put a foot wrong when he has been asked to play out of his preferred position, even playing on the left side of defence at Parkhead last month to help Hearts to come away from Glasgow with a share of the spoils.

Mairus Zaliukas is suspended for this weekend's clash with Inverness at Tynecastle so Jonsson is likely to be given the nod at centre-half again for his 20th appearance of the season.

While midfield is the position he feels most comfortable playing in, Jonsson is just happy to be involved in the first team on a regular basis and acknowledges that being forced to play out of his comfort zone can only help him to develop his game even farther.

He continued: "Ideally, I would like to play where I did for most of last season and that was in the centre of midfield. When the new manager came in he saw me more as a defensive player than a midfielder and I will play wherever he wants me to play.

"I will just continue to work on the defensive qualities in my game and I think that, in the longer term, it will definitely help my all-round game.

"I don't know where I will be playing this weekend but the most important thing is that I am involved and that I get to go out and play and help the team. I just want to do whatever I can and hopefully add something to the team."

Jambos boss Laszlo has been forced to make a number of changes to his defence in recent months with Robbie Neilson and Jason Thomson both picking up injuries, and Zaliukas and Lee Wallace having to sit matches out because of the suspensions they incurred after their sendings-off against Aberdeen at Pittodrie at the end of last year.

However, Jonsson insists that making changes to the back line shouldn't disrupt the side as there are a number of players at the club now who are more than comfortable with being asked to slot into various different positions when they are called upon.

He added: "We work quite a lot on our defence in training, on set-pieces and tactics, obviously. But also if we need to change the defence around a bit then we do a lot of shape work in the build-up to games and things like that which all help to increase the understanding between us. It means that if anything needs to be changed around during a game or a short notice, then everyone knows exactly what they need to do.

"Because we've had the preparation, the guys coming into different positions have all got the qualities that are needed and can show the manager that they are capable of playing.

"It's good for competition to have players who are capable of playing in more than one position and it is good to see players come into the side and do well." No matter where he plays, Jonsson knows one thing for sure – that Caley will provide a stiff test despite their lowly league position.

The managerless Highlanders are rooted to the foot of the SPL table and still looking for a replacement for the sacked Craig Brewster, who parted company with the club earlier this week after a string of seven straight defeats.

The likes of Terry Butcher, Ossie Ardiles and former Hearts boss John Robertson have been linked with the job and Jonsson knows that the Caley players will be going all out to make sure that they impress any prospective new manager.

Hearts have had their fair share of new managers in recent seasons and, having experienced for himself the uncertainty which envelopes a club and its players when they part company with a coach, he continued: "It will be a hard game, particularly with them sitting at the bottom of the table.

"Their manager has just gone so I think that the players will be really up for it – and they really need to win as well. I think there will be a lot of fight.

"When a manager leaves, the players are kind of in limbo because they don't know if the new man who comes in is going to like them or not.

"They need to show the new manager when he comes in what they are all about and that they want their place in the team.

"We just need to make sure that we do our best to win the game."

The fact that Caley are running out of time to string together results that will lift them away from the danger of relegation, means that the visitors will be fighting tooth and nail for points over the next few weeks.

They have taken just 17 points from their 22 league games this season and sit 18 points behind tomorrow's rivals.

However, Jonsson warned: "They are a hard side to play at any time but I think they will play better away from home than at home.

"They need to scrap for every point and we are probably playing them at a bad time but we want to keep our good run going and get some results in the league."

Taken from the Scotsman