GERRARD’S BIG DAY HIT BY HEARTS
Bellingham is now rated at £35million and Blues don’t know if they can keep him from United before the transfer window closes
STEVEN GERRARD laid into his RANGERS players after HEARTS new boy Liam Boyce ruined the boss’s 100th game in charge.
Boyce marked his debut with the 83rd-minute winner to seal a 2-1 win at Tynecastle (above).
The former Burton striker completed the home side’s comeback after Jambos skipper Steven Naismith had levelled Ryan Kent’s 47th minute opener.
The result puts Gerrard’s side five points behind SPL leaders Celtic, who have played a game more.
The Gers manager (below) said: “I didn’t recognise us from the start of the game to the finish.
“Hearts deserved the win. They brushed us off the pitch, they rattled us, they’ve dominated us in the ugly side of the game so they certainly deserved the win.
“There’s no complaints from us but I didn’t recognise us.
“I’m a little bit shocked as I didn’t see that coming. You can lose a game, of course you can, but when you don’t recognise your players or you don’t recognise anything you work on a daily basis it’s a bit of a shock.”
Hearts boss Daniel Stendel was full of praise for Boyce.
He said: “It was a great debut for him. I’m very happy for him and for us he scored the second goal.
“We fought until the last minute, all of our players.”
ABERDEEN missed the chance to close the gap to third-placed Motherwell to two points after being held to a scoreless draw at ST MIRREN.
Ref: Tim Robinson Att: 21,193
RIGHT, it’s all back to our place.
For Birmingham’s players it means they can park their cars at St Andrew’s and not have to get on the bus at the training ground and be ferried in.
For Coventry it means they are turfed out of their dressing room, which is actually Birmingham’s home dressing room, and moved to the away one, which is where Birmingham were on Saturday. Confused?
It’s the result of the tenants (Coventry) drawing at their temporary home with the landlords (Birmingham) and having to do it all again in a replay a week tomorrow.
The chaos does not end there because Birmingham manager Pep Clotet does not know whether his star player, 16-year-old Jude Bellingham, will still be at the club.
Manchester United’s interest has risen to £35million for one of the brightest young prospects in Europe ahead of the transfer deadline on Friday.
There is yet more confusion as Clotet isn’t sure what Bellingham’s best position is. Blues used him as an attacking central midfield player in this derby but the youngster has also played wide.
“I don’t know where he’s going to end up but I think a central position suits him,” said Clotet (right).
One thing is certain, Bellingham is still growing. He is nearly an inch taller now than when he kicked off this debut season, taking him over 6ft.
“Jude is a remarkable athlete for his age,” said Clotet. “Tactically smart as well. Very competitive, and he’s a winner.”
Not in this tie he wasn’t, with League One Coventry missing the chance to knock out Championship Brum because Callum O’Hare did not take a simple chance in the 92nd minute. O’Hare just had to steer Amadou Bakayoko’s downward header past goalkeeper Lee Camp to win the tie. “The lad missed a sitter,” said Camp. As a result, they do it all again – only the other way round.
“It was a good test for us to see how close we are to the Championship. We didn’t look out of place,” said Coventry defender Michael Rose.
But Birmingham will be favourites now they are at home for the replay, won’t they?
Clotet joined in the general madness of it all: “You always want to have the second game at home,” he said, laughing.
MOTM
KYLE McFADZEAN (COVENTRY)