TAKE BACK THE CITY
HIBS v HEARTS Levein wants to be the Kings of Edinburgh after three years without win
Hibs managed it under Lenny. They had another good manager who didn’t manage to get them out of that division, that’s the first thing. So that’s a notable success and since then I think they’ve improved.
“They’re having a little bit of a barren spell just now but not through poor play or anything like that – they just haven’t managed to pick up the points.
“I’m fully aware of what their capabilities are. With them being in the lower division much was made of the Scottish Cup games.
“Basically we haven’t played very well or competed well enough in the recent derbies.
“But I’d argue we’re a stronger team now than at any point in the last couple of years. We have big characters in the team now which we didn’t have.
“I can count on one hand the amount of ‘cracking matches’ I was involved in! There is a lot of tension and the fear of making a mistake. It will be competitive, that’s for sure.”
Hearts could move up to third in the Premiership for 24 hours at least with a victory. But Levein said: “I wasn’t even aware of that. There’s enough at stake just in the game itself.
“The consequences of it one way or another will be what it will be. I’m not bothered about that just now.”
Levein knows Kyle Lafferty will be given a hot reception at Easter Road after snubbing a move to Hibs in the summer.
But the Hearts boss said: “Kyle and Christophe Berra are players who are not fazed by playing in these big games.
“That makes me feel good going into a game. We have also been pretty good defensively, although there’s more to come from us in an attacking sense. I feel fairly confident.”
Levein, who will be without Don Cowie, Arnaud Djoum and Aaron Hughes, admits he’d have no qualms about throwing some of his young kids into the derby.
He said: “We’re weak in the midfield, I accept that. I don’t have any options other than to think about the young players.
“They’ve all done really well for us – Jamie Brandon, Euan Henderson, Harry Cochrane and Lewis Moore.
“I’ve been doing some research on Hibs and trying to second guess what’s going to happen. Then I’ll make a decision on whether some of these young guys start.”