It doesn’t come bigger than this, says Andy Webster

MOIRA GORDON
Published on Thursday 30 August 2012 00:00

THE rewards are clear to see, but so, too, are the pitfalls as Hearts run out at Anfield tonight.

A week ago they surprised many with a battling display which they felt merited at least some kind of scoreline parity as the Europa League play-off jamboree upped sticks and moved on south to Liverpool and its conclusion.

A year ago they had reconvened in London after an utterly one-sided affair against Tottenham Hotspur and all they had to play for was a modicum of pride.

This time, there is still the glimmer of glory, although only the brave would wager their house on them managing to overhaul the away goal advantage enjoyed by Brendan Rodgers’ stars.

Success in doing so would take the kind of individual performances likely to alert those on the hunt for a late transfer window acquisition, which means Hearts could be damned if they do tonight and damned if they don’t.

Already there are suggestions that Rangers are looking to snatch David Templeton away from the capital side, while the winger has also been singled out for praise from the Liverpool gaffer. Give the resources he has at his disposal, he is unlikely to make a move himself, but his plaudits are sure to have piqued the interest of others down south, who, as a consequence, will undoubtedly be paying closer attention than they might normally to tonight’s encounter.

“You want to play at the highest level and it doesn’t come much bigger than Liverpool at Anfield,” warned Andy Webster, a man who, having burst into the first team at Hearts, left to test if the grass was greener before returning unquestionably richer for his travels.

“That’s why you work so hard over the course of a season to get opportunities like this to showcase what you are all about. From that point of view there’s no bigger shop window than this.

“There’s not much time left in this window,” added the Hearts centre-back. “I think he [Templeton] has got huge potential. He’s very talented – it’s just consistency and doing it week in week out.

“But, even against Liverpool last week, I felt he did very well. It was a slightly different position for him, but one he’s more than capable of playing. Because of the talent he has as a footballer that can only add to his game.”

Templeton is again likely to start in behind John Sutton, with the likes of young Callum Paterson, continuing on his massive learning curve, on one wing and John McGlynn debating whether to go with Arvydas Novikovas or turn instead to Andy Driver.

With the team which started last week performing so admirably, the Lithuanian should get the nod. But while the evening’s conundrums will be more than enough to occupy the mind of manager John McGlynn, he will also be sparing a thought for where he could be once the dust settles on the tie and the transfer window closes.

For Webster, the opportunity to play in matches like this are worth taking into consideration when any player considers options elsewhere.

But first Hearts have to achieve what on paper is virtually unconceivable. While the £87 million worth of talent Liverpool travelled to Edinburgh with presented Hearts with problems, the quality of players like captain Steven Gerrard, Louis Suarez and even Andy Carroll will magnify the task – especially as the SPL side have very few alternatives to the players who started that match.

But no-one at Hearts is throwing in the towel, according to Webster. “It was the same with the first leg as well and I think with Liverpool and the standard of player they have got and, financially, everything that goes with it, they are always going to be huge favourites, but, from our point of view, last Thursday showed that we are capable of competing against them.

“It’s an amazing stadium and a great place to play football. It’s a great football club, with great tradition, so this is where you want to play.”

Up against players they are used to watching every week on Match of the Day, Webster knows the gulf in what they are aspiring to and the reality of what they are up against is huge, but he says that nothing is impossible, citing Liverpool’s own deeds against defending Premier League champions Manchester City at the weekend as evidence.

“We are watching these boys playing in the Premier League and seeing them play Man City who spent hundreds of millions of pounds on players and from that point of view you do realise, especially when you get a bit older, that while everything would indicate a massive gap, on a one-off occasion you just never know.”

The weekend viewing did highlight some frailties in the Liverpool defence as they conceded two to allow Roberto Mancini’s men to leave Anfield with a share of the points, but Webster isn’t getting carried away.

“We can take some encouragement from Sunday, although the difference is [Manchester City] have got Carlos Tevez running in to score!”

Hearts have their limitations, but they will focus on the positives and try to cling to them for as long as they possibly can.

Taken from the Scotsman