Csaba Laszlo accuses John Hughes of inflaming situation after derby red card double

Published Date: 04 January 2010
By STUART BATHGATE and ALAN PATTULLO
HEARTS manager Csaba Laszlo criticised his Hibernian opposite number last night for his actions in a double sending-off in the Edinburgh derby, which ended 1-1 at Easter Road.
Darren McCormack of Hibs and Ruben Palazuelos were dismissed for violent conduct after an off-the-ball clash, and Laszlo argued that John Hughes then inflamed a tense situation.

Leaving the pitch after McCormack, Palazuelos began to run towards the tunnel in the direction of his opponent. Laszlo and other members of the Hearts staff moved to restrain their midfielder, but as they did so Hughes moved in the direction of the Hearts player and the two appeared to exchange angry words.

"We managers must have the personality to calm our players down," Laszlo replied when asked about Hughes' behaviour. "Take your player, I take my player. Calm down.

"It is our responsibility to show for the player which is the right way. In derbies at this level if you lose your head you put oil over the fire.

"I don't think this is good for anybody. Everybody must have responsibility."

Having said that, Laszlo also stated that he would only criticise his own player, and would leave it to Hughes to decide how to deal with McCormack. "In a game, you have emotion. But excuse me, you must also have self-discipline.

"I was angry not about the Hibernian player – I was angry with Ruben. You must not jump all over my player, but he was punished by the referee."

Laszlo added that his annoyance with his midfielder had been caused by the sending-off in itself, whatever had been the root of the trouble. He said he had not seen the incident, in which Palazuelos first made contact with McCormack by pushing his head into the Hibs defender's head. McCormack then retaliated with a head-butt.

"The referee gave two red cards but I don't know why," said the manager. "I'm always angry if a player from my team gets a red card for indiscipline.

"Ruben is normally a very disciplined player. I don't know what happened."

Hughes expressed his "disappointment" that McCormack had allowed himself to become involved in the incident. He claimed the referee had been aware of Palazuelos' initial push of the head towards his opponent, and would have left Hibs with the advantage by red carding just the Hearts player.

It did not need any further input from McCormack, Hughes argued. However, he did sympathise slightly with his defender. He remembers being drawn into retaliation himself when a player, although he did not condone it.

"I am disappointed with the sending off," he said. "First of all I am disappointed for Darren. You say all these things about controlling your emotions, and leaving 11 men on the park. If he'd just taken it. The referee had seen it. But Darren is a kid.

"It's a natural instinct. It's stupid, but we have all been there. I have been there myself. You don't want to take it lying down. But I said to him: 'The referee has seen it'. If he just stepped back off it. You want that spirit and fight but it needs to be done in the right manner. Not stupid like that. You need to harness it and get the best out of him. And I will make sure I get around him and pick him up."

Hughes was more amused than anything else by Palazuelos' subsequent attempt to chase McCormack down the Easter Road tunnel.

"Palazuelos was trying to get down to get a hold of Darren," smiled Hughes. "He (Palazuelos] would not win a fight in a chip shop, by the way. I get my kill. But the hard boys were in and I got myself across too, to cool his jets."

Hughes insisted there was no problem between himself and Laszlo, despite the on – and off-field – dramas.

"Me and him get on great," he said. "Absolutely fantastic. The two of us do a lot for clubs in the community, and we are always bumping into each other. We get on great."

Taken from the Scotsman