Neilson backs Budge’s prudent plan for Hearts
ROBBIE NEILSON has welcomed the pragmatic approach of Hearts owner Ann Budge regarding financial matters and the return of supporters, insisting that is preferable to the gung-ho strategies of certain other clubs.
Budge painted a pessimistic picture of Scottish football when she addressed the assembled media on Wednesday, suggesting that around three years of belttightening will be required before the Jambos are back to pre-pandemic prosperity.
She also posited that fans may not be back in stadiums in any great number before the tail-end of 2021, with capacity crowds remaining a pipe-dream until the 2022/23 campaign.
While acutely aware that targets and timeframes are fluid during the Covid crisis, Neilson has no problem with the Tynecastle chief planning for the worst while hoping for the best.
He said: “It’s important to take a long-term view. A number of teams — certainly last summer — took a shortterm view on hoping there would be full houses within two or three months in
October.
“That hasn’t panned out and you’re seeing a lot of them now having financial problems.
“We always took the view that there would be no fans until the end of the season and, the way things are going, I still don’t see full houses coming in for the start of next season. It’ll be a while before we get that.
“Everyone should be tightening their purse strings this summer to make sure they don’t get caught out.”
Budge also found herself asked whether Neilson was safe in his position as head coach following three successive draws, in spite of the Jambos being 12 points clear at the summit of the Championship.
However, Neilson says that exhibits a lack of respect to the other sides in Scotland’s second tier — and reckons Saturday’s opponents, Dundee, have also suffered from the unfair expectation that they should sweep aside all they face this season.
He continued: “It’s part and parcel of football, nowadays. You just have to take it on the chin. People ask questions.
“We’re off the back of six undefeated — three wins and three draws — so, although it’s not been the best of periods, we’ve picked up a number of points and are sitting in a good position.
“People from the outside looking in expect ourselves, Dundee and, to an extent, Dunfermline to win week-in, week-out and it doesn’t work like that.
“There are good teams with good coaches and I feel like there has to be respect given.”
Meanwhile, Neilson has revealed that central defender John Souttar has resumed full training and could return to action before the end of the season.
The Scotland internationalist suffered a devastating third ruptured achilles last August and was expected to miss the remainder of the campaign.
However, his progress since undergoing surgery last year has been consistently ahead of schedule and he was back on the grass, carrying out fullcontact sessions, this week.
Neilson said: “John Souttar’s back in full training which is brilliant to see.
“We’ll be pushing in the next couple of weeks to hopefully get him back up to full speed.
“The main plan was to get him back for pre-season but the likelihood is that we can get him back a bit earlier — but the timescale will be based on how John feels.
“At this moment in time he’s doing really well and he’ll keep pushing forward.”
A number of teams took a short term view
JOSE Ramirez has warned Josh Taylor that he is in no doubt that he will become undisputed super lightweight champion on May 22.
The date for the long-awaited bout was finally released on Tuesday, with the fight due to take place in Las Vegas.
The clash brings together WBA and IBF champion Taylor and WBC and WBO belt holder Ramirez in a mouth-watering contest between two undefeated pugilists. And MexicanAmerican Ramirez, the winner of 26 straight career bouts, is adamant that all four belts will be staying on US soil after the fight with Edinburgh-Taylor.
Ramirez said: “I’m staying focussed and believing in myself like I always have. I’m pushing myself to the limit and I truly believe if I go there and give my best there will be no doubt that I will be undisputed world champion.
“He will be on paper the toughest fighter in my career but things change in that ring.
“I’ve been in tough fights but I’ve never been hurt. Every time I step in a fight there is always more concern for opponents than there is in me.
“The will, determination that I should provide that night will be very important for me to take it to another level, show my boxing skills and really try to overwhelm Josh Taylor by showing him something different.”
California-based Ramirez admits he is also driven by the prospect of making history.
Speaking to the Pug and Copp Boxing Show, he added: “Not too many boxers do this, I would also become the first Mexican-American to become undisputed in any weight class in the history of boxing – so it’s a big fight. It’s a fight that could open up doors to become part of the Hall of Fame like other great fighters.”