Grittybut thiswon’t bepretty
EASTER ROAD welcomes the capital derby and it would have been easy to call just weeks ago.
Hibs would be taking the bragging rights if Ian Cathro was still Hearts boss but under Craig Levein the Jambos have lost just one in five and don’t concede many.
They’re winning ugly so who triumphs tonight – the grittier or the prettier?
Neil Lennon’s men seem to raise themselves for the bigger games. Rangers were defeated at Ibrox and Celtic held at Parkhead.
Hearts beat St Johnstone 1-0 at the weekend and Levein admitted they’d have lost a scrappy one last term.
Bookies are happy to side with Hibs and Paddy Power go 11-10 on the home win which looks a little short. Hearts are as big as 14-5 at bet365 while the draw pays 5-2 at McBookie.
There’s no doubt Levein will try to stop Hibs playing and best bet could be under CRAIG LEVEIN has challenged his Hearts players to end Hibs’ recent Edinburgh derby dominance.
The Easter Road outfit are unbeaten against the men in maroon in the last seven derbies and last tasted defeat in the fixture back in August 2014.
Hibs also knocked Hearts out of the Scottish Cup in successive seasons in 2015 and 2016.
Now Levein, who lost just six out of 52 Edinburgh derbies as a player and manager, has called for the balance of power in the city to be restored to Gorgie – starting tonight in Leith.
He said: “These things go in cycles. It’s important we break the run of recent success for Hibs. Then the pendulum can start swinging the other way again.
“Our recent derby record is sore for everybody. If you don’t win it’s bad and if you don’t win and don’t perform it’s really bad.
“It has been difficult and it’s a tough place to go. Our best results against Hibs have generally been at home.”
The former Scotland boss admits he missed the joy and despair of the derbies most during his spell away from the technical area.
Levein said: “I’m looking forward to it. It was one of the big things I missed. It’s just the all or nothingness of it – the complete joy or despair. The thought of that makes me quite excited.
“I’ve been there with the despair before. You just have to deal with it.
“I don’t feel extra pressure. The game itself brings pressure which is greater than some other matches. It’s the whole occasion, it’s a joy to be involved in.
“I thought that as a player and as a manager last time, probably because we had notable success, so hopefully that can happen again.”
Levein admits he admires the job Neil Lennon has done at Easter Road after steering Hibs back into the top flight.
He said: “Lennon has done really well. You only have to look at Dundee United just now. Getting out of that league’s the important thing.
“We did it at the first attempt but it was tough for a while.
“Rangers were still in there and did it the second year then