Hearts can cure Euro hurt by beating Hibs, insists star Eggert Jonsson

Aug 27 2011 Gary Ralston

THE Euro hurt still lingers for Eggert Jonsson - but he is adamant Hibs can help him heal.

The Icelandic midfielder is preparing to swap London style for Edinburgh derby dig as the Jambos prepare to face their arch rivals at Tynecastle tomorrow.

Hearts went some way to restoring the faith of their fans at Spurs with a goalless draw in the Europa League qualifier at White Hart Lane on Thursday.

However, the damage inflicted in the 5-0 first-leg drubbing still drew them into the critical analysis of the Scottish game in light of our clubs' humiliations over the last week.

Jonsson reckons the Old Firm have more reason to be downbeat than Paulo Sergio's squad and although pleased with their performance in London, he knows it must be maintained against Colin Calderwood's strugglers.

Jonsson said: "Obviously you are always angry to lose and having lost 5-0 in the first leg, we weren't happy for a few days.

"It was game over straight away but we were determined to show we're not as bad as that first leg suggested and we restored some pride.

"Now we need to win against Hibs, simple as that, and if we keep playing like we did in London, I'm sure the good results will come.

"The manager has been introducing a new philosophy and we've been working on it and improving game by game. He likes us to play the ball and we're all getting the movement he wants and we're gelling.

"Hibs is a derby, though, and sometimes in derbies you have to fight first, win the battle and then start playing.

"They have not really enjoyed a good start to the season by any measure and I'm sure they'll be up for a fight. These games aren't about style. It will be a battle all over the pitch.

"They are always hard but we must make sure we get the mix right because we need the three points.

"The last week has obviously been really disappointing but we have to be realistic.

"We came up against a team with individual players worth more than our entire club.

"It was always going to be tough for us to achieve anything. Even so, we're disappointed with how we played in the first game.

"As for the other two teams, they have always had such high expectations. It's more of a disappointment for them, I suppose, than it is for us."

Taken from the Daily Record