HAMPDEN HAS TO WAIT
HEARTS v RANGERS TODAY, 12.15PM
STEPHEN KINGSLEY is adamant Hearts can’t contemplate Hampden during part one of their epic end-of-season Rangers duel.
The Tynecastle team meet next Saturday’s Scottish Cup Final opponents today in the last game of an excellent Premiership campaign.
There will be crucial elements of the contest that will require major thought for the National Stadium. Managing priceless game-time for returning key men such as Craig Halkett, John Souttar, Cammy Devlin and Michael Smith will be high on the agenda.
But, for a couple of reasons, Kingsley has warned eyes must stay on the job in hand.
He recognises taking a foot off the pedal carries a health risk.
And he knows the effect a win could have given the lift beating Hibs in the league gave the squad going into the following week’s semifinal against the Easter Road side last month.
Kingsley said: “On paper, I get that it looks a strange fixture. But as players the last thing you want to be doing is thinking about next week or about getting injured.
“You need to be completely at it. One, because you can’t afford to not be as it is Rangers and two, it could be actually worse if you hang back a bit and don’t go fully into challenges.
“There is a massive boost if we do go and win, no matter what team they put out. If it is their strongest team or a weakened team, it is still all about getting that winning feeling back.
“We’ve now lost two on the bounce so it is about getting that momentum back ahead of the final.
“Next week is huge and there might not be as much on the line. But we want to put in a performance we can be proud of and that can lead us into the final in high spirits.”
Robbie Neilson will have to juggle the desire to get the right minutes into his comeback stars with giving a fitting send-off to a successful term in front of their fans.
Toby Sibbick is also fit and the boss said: “Yes, there is a bit about Souttar coming back, Halkett coming back, about getting Smith game time.
“But it is important with it being the last game at Tynecastle that we try to win it. We can’t go into these games and put out a lesser team because we are expected to win, especially when it’s an Old Firm team at Tynecastle.
“The last game of the season is important at any club – it can bring that momentum that can carry on into next season as well.
“The fans have been brilliant this season. We’d like to think we can give them a good send-off and that gets us ready for the final and for next year.
“There is a feelgood factor that you can take into these games.”
Neilson, who confirmed new deals have been offered to Smith and Peter Haring, added: “Rangers could go really strong to keep the momentum going or go really weak to rest players. There will be a wee bit of both.
“If they went with guys who didn’t play at the weekend, they’d still have Scott Arfield, Aaron Ramsey and guys like that. It would still be a very strong team.”