Hearts 2 Aberdeen 1

Feb 16 2009 By Anthony Haggerty

LET'S get one thing straight. Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo has been a breath of fresh air since he arrived in Scottish football. One of his players, Andrew Driver, revealed that the biggest problem the Jambos squad have with their manager is trying to get him to take a breath to allow them to go to training.

Laszlo is a unique character in football management. His press conferences and post-match question and answer sessions are fast becoming a weekly spectator sport.

No matter the subject matter - life, Hearts, Scottish football, the Old Firm, even Africa - Laszlo has an opinion on it. Usually a long-winded one.

Listening to Laszlo, though, is like panning for gold - the nuggets are there.

So, too, is humour - and in great abundance. And, as Gorgie wideman Driver explained, Laszlo has been known to keep the players back from training to offer them the benefit of his wisdom - whether they want to hear it or not.

Driver even joked he is sometimes too lazy to take on board any one-on-one tuition. He said: "The manager tries to keep his team talks short but he gets so carried away with himself.

"There have been a few instances this season when we were due on the training pitch at 10.30 but still haven't started by 11.15 because Csaba has been talking so much.

"That's the kind of stuff he does. He likes to come in and talk about life and his experiences. He likes the feedback from the players as it is his way of finding out the mood in the camp.

"He talks a lot so he can find things out. The players haven't told him yet that he talks too much so he'll only find out about it when he reads the papers.

"But there is a lot more banter flying about in the changing room and the players are friends. It is a nice environment to work in and you are happy going into the training ground as you want to be with your mates.

"Last year we were going into training but the players couldn't wait to get out and go home. The difference this year is that you tend to want to learn more and stay back and do things. Csaba is the kind of manager who gives you a word in your ear on how you can improve things. We are not doing anything extra or out of the ordinary.

"He will sometimes take a couple of players after training and spend between 20 and 30 minutes working on stuff that he feels you can improve on.

"He has given me a few tips but I am not very good at doing them or listening to them as I'm a bit lazy."

So a wind of change is blowing through Tynecastle and it matters not a jot that most of it belongs to Laszlo.

It's not an ill-wind, though. Far from it and so far it's on course to blow the rest of the SPL opposition away in the chase for a Europa League spot. Take Saturday as case in point.

The Jambos turned adversity into victory to come up smelling of roses on St Valentine's Day when they rallied from a goal down to win the match.

They trailed to a thing of beauty against Aberdeen after 19 minutes when Charlie Mulgrew's magnificent crossfield diagonal ball was met by a superb volley from Darren Mackie.

The home side roared back courtesy of two headed goals - one on the stroke of half-time from Christian Nade and the other from Driver after 66 minutes.

Reds substitute Chris Maguire almost snatched a point at the death but his low drive smashed back off a post. The win saw Hearts leapfrog Dundee United to move two points clear in third spot.

Driver insists that Laszlo is solely responsible for the new-found togetherness within the dressing room at Tynecastle and revealed the squad are desperate to reward the manager with a lucrative berth in European football next season.

He said: "We know that if we are to qualify for Europe by finishing third or fourth then we must be more consistent. We possess that fighting spirit but need to be more consistent against the teams in the top six.

"We have come away with good results against the sides in the bottom six but I think that's only the second time we have beaten a side in the top six and it does give you a confidence boost.

"Csaba has the team going in the right direction and playing for each other.

"Everybody wants to do well for him and he's the kind of manager who will do things for you if you perform for him.

"He has even given us two days off for beating Aberdeen."

Hearts are firmly in the driving seat for a Europa League spot now but heaven help us all if they do manage to make it into Europe.

Rest assured Laszlo will grab the microphone - and then we would all have to listen to him.

Although, to be fair, MC Csaba has quite a nice ring to it.

You can almost hear "You Can't Touch This" belting out from the Tynecastle tannoy as the main man goes centre stage and gets ready to lap up the adulation of the Gorgie faithful.

Taken from the Daily Record