Gary Mackay: Never write off the Jambos - just remember Bayern . .

Published Date: 15 August 2011
By Gary Mackay
WE have to be very realistic here. Tottenham Hotspur aren't just one or two steps above Hearts, they are quite a few levels above. But Bayern Munich in the 1980s were regarded as a few grades higher than Hearts, so you just never know what you're capable of on the night.
That night against Bayern, when we beat one of the best teams in Europe 1-0 at Tynecastle, was one of the club's greatest European occasions. Thursday will be just as high-profile, if not more so because it's a tie between two British clubs. Hearts will come up against some of the best players in not just British football but European football in the Europa League play-off tie.

On Saturday, against Aberdeen, the team only seemed to venture forward twice in the first half and got two goals from it. So from that point of view let's be happy with the victory and be happy with the first three points of the season. Thursday is a different challenge, a wonderful challenge that should be grasped with both hands.

The new manager wants to play a certain way and he will make a judgment himself on who should play against Tottenham after seeing what confidence these lads have taken from Saturday's 3-0 victory over Aberdeen. He can see that for himself in training. I would expect Ian Black to come back into the team and I wonder whether he will use the experience of Rudi Skacel.

I would be hugely surprised if he started with a 4-4-2 formation. If he doesn't play 4-5-1 or 4-4-1-1 on Thursday I'll be gobsmacked. Maybe he will want to go at Tottenham with youngsters who are playing without fear and see what happens. Maybe that's the way to allow these lads to get an experience that they might only get a few times in their careers. The manager made a judgment on who to play on Saturday, that proved correct. Now he has to decide what to do on Thursday.

I don't think there's pressure on any Hearts player going into this match. The pressure will come from within. The crowd will be there, the desire will be there and it will be a huge atmosphere. I'd advise them just to savour the whole occasion.

One man certain to play is David Templeton. From a Hearts perspective there are so many positives from Saturday's performance and Templeton is as big a plus as anyone. Our youngsters look like they are coming of age. In Saturday's Evening News, Templeton was talking about decision-making and, in a creative sense, he is becoming a very important player for Hearts. He is one you really hope can stay fit and continue to develop. His progression will be measured by how many games he is able to play because he is a hugely important player going forward.

He was a big player on Saturday, and John Sutton was another.

He got goals last year at Motherwell due to the likes of Jamie Murphy getting beyond defences and getting balls in. That's how he got his first on Saturday because Templeton skinned his full-back, got to the byline and cut the ball across goal. Ultimately that was great decision-making from David because he did lift his head and helped get Sutton off the mark.

Sutton then capitalised on good foraging from Scott Robinson and I'm delighted for him because all strikers want to score at a new club to get that monkey off their back. Credit to the lad for doing that and his confidence will be high going into the Tottenham match.

I'm hoping that, on Thursday, David goes and plays with the freedom he seems to have in his game just now. I hope all the players play with that. The importance of Saturday's victory can't be underestimated as regards confidence levels. It was massive to win comfortably against Aberdeen. But nor should the win be overestimated. Defensively, it was as woeful a performance from an Aberdeen team as I've seen in my life. They have been on a slippery slope for a number of years now and it must be galling for their supporters to watch. I hope they can recover soon.

But for Hearts, it can only be hoped the progress on Saturday can be carried forward into the one of the biggest European encounters in the club's history.

Taken from the Scotsman