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Fergie: Tynecastle no place for faint Hearts on Sunday with Gers flying and Jambos in turmoil
DEREK FERGUSON insists there will be no place to hide when the two clubs closest to his heart go into battle at Tynecastle on Sunday. The pressure will be on for hugely different reasons when Rangers head across to M8 to take on Hearts. Steven Gerrard’s side will be desperate to bag the three points that will keep them top of the Premiership pile while the Jambos will be out to avoid being dragged further into a relegation battle. Ferguson, who started his career at Ibrox before moving to the capital in 1990, can’t believe Hearts are languishing in ninth place, just two points off the bottom. But he’s thrilled to see Gers leading the way and reckons their title credentials will be laid bare in Gorgie. The BBC pundit said: “I have looked at Rangers since they lost 2-0 to Celtic at Ibrox and they have been outstanding. “It just goes to show they did not let that defeat affect them. I thought it may have demoralised them a bit but fair play to Gerrard as he has the team playing again and firing on all cylinders. “They have that belief about them again.
“Their reaction to the Celtic defeat has been first class.
“The Rangers players are buying into what Gerrard is selling en masse. When you have a big squad then some big-name players don’t play but they don’t seem to be spitting the dummy. “The players when they are on that park are producing as they want to be in that starting XI. “Whatever Gerrard is doing is clearly working. It has become a quest, almost a crusade now, for Rangers to end Celtic’s dominance at eight in a row. “I also like the fact Gerrard is refusing to get ahead of himself and I thought he handled the Sheyi Ojo situation well.
“Ojo came out and said Rangers were the best team in the country and I am sure Gerrard would have told the more experienced players to have a word, not slap him down, but just remind him to keep that kind of talk in-house.
“There is a quiet confidence about Rangers now.
“But this is another hard place they are visiting on Sunday.
“Hearts at Tynecastle is never an easy venue at the best of times and this will test Rangers’ title mettle to the full.
“Rangers are flying and Hearts are in turmoil but it is certainly not a gimme.
“There is also the added pressure that Rangers, having now hit the top spot, will want to remain where they are.
“What Rangers have in the squad are players who will enjoy that and thrive on it.
“They are now there to be shot at and they know it.
“Celtic are a wounded animal at the moment and with the experience they have they are not going to fold.
“The Old Firm games are going to be crucial as they will decide the outcome of the Premiership this season because it is going to be nip and tuck all the way.”
The 52-year-old was expecting Hearts to be sitting just behind the Old Firm at this stage. So he’s shocked they are stuck at the wrong end of the table after winning just once in their eight Premiership games.
But Ferguson launched a staunch defence of under-fire boss Craig Levein, claiming injuries to key personnel have hurt the Jambos more than any other top-flight side in the last 18 months.
The former midfielder said: “When I look at the league table it is just bonkers.
“Nobody would have predicted after eight games that Rangers would be two points clear and Hearts would be two points off the bottom in ninth.
“You just always expect to see Hearts contesting third spot.
“It is still surprising to see the Jambos where they are.
“There is a lot of pressure on Levein and the Hearts fans are unhappy with results. “You can’t get away from it but injuries have played a huge part in the club’s fortunes or misfortunes as it turns out. “Their injury list has been horrific. When you take John Souttar, Jamie Walker, Peter Haring and Steven Naismith out of any team then that is difficult to contend with.
“Fans don’t take things like that on board as they just want instant results and they are fickle that way.
“If Levein can get Naismith back then that would be a major boost to Hearts as he makes them tick.
“Naismith is a pivotal figure in the Hearts side and he gets them playing. He also has that added bit of quality because he is a clever cookie.
“He’ll be a huge player for Hearts when he finally returns to full fitness.”
Ferguson reckons that if Hearts are to go toe-to-toe with Rangers this weekend they will have to get in their faces from the get-go.
He is adamant the Jambos need to take a step back in time and recreate the days when Tynecastle was a fortress.
He said: “When I played for Hearts, I was used to the fact that any team coming to Tynecastle, irrespective of how well or how poorly they were playing, we would get at them.
“That is the most disappointing thing for the Hearts fans right now as their team have not been on the front foot at home.
“In terms of the teams that Craig has picked then they have been defensive and that has to change. At Tynecastle the Hearts fans want their team to have a go and put the opposition under pressure.
“They also have to be physical against Rangers. I’m not saying sink the boot in and kick people but go in and get close to the opposition and compete.
“If you give good players, like Rangers have in their ranks, time on the ball then they are going to hurt you.
“If Hearts stand off Rangers on Sunday then they will get picked off and battered because they have too much quality.”
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