EAST OR WEST A WIN IS BEST

Neilson hails Hearts’ consistency on eve of ‘physical’ battle

TRASH talking, tough tackling. A tempo likely to make the wildest thrash metal effort feel like a particularly dreary power ballad. And, before a shin is kicked in anger, the inevitable playground squabbling over who has the better squad, greater strength in depth, more medal-winning experience, bigger dad, cooler bike...

Some of those arguments are likely to be settled, at least for five minutes, amid a frenzy of flying feet and feudal flailing at Ibrox tonight. Away from all of the guff and nonsense that continues to draw attention away from the football and towards the Rangers board, genuine drama is all but guaranteed out on the pitch.

For the home side, a last chance to offer up even a pretence at a title challenge. For the unbeaten league leaders, a glorious opportunity to effectively neutralise any remaining threat posed by the pre-season Championship favourites.

As for whether even a convincing victory either way will persuade the true believers on either side of the other’s supremacy, Hearts coach Robbie Neilson says simply: ‘At the end of the season, the league will tell you who is the best team. End of story.

‘There is a long way to go. Medals are not handed out in January, they’re kept until May. If we’re at the top in May, we’ll be recognised as the best team in the league.

‘We’re the most consistent team in the league. That’s important. On their day, Rangers, Hearts and Hibs can beat each other. But the crucial thing has been our consistency.

‘We’ve consistently won games away from home at difficult venues, overcome teams at home as well. So, over the course of the season, it’s about consistency.

‘Any team can beat one of their rivals on the day. The biggest thing is how you follow that up, going to Dumbarton and Cowdenbeath to pick up points.

‘Our guys come in and work hard every day; they train two or three sessions a day if needed.

‘We’re dedicated to the point where the players are in here every Sunday morning, watching videos of the opposition so we know what to expect — whether we’re playing Rangers on Friday night or Dumbarton away on a Saturday afternoon.

‘We prepare the same way, we train and do our analysis consistently. It’s important to maintain that for the players, make them realise every three points is precious, be it against Rangers or any other team.’

Admirably focused and relentlessly professional though they may be, the Hearts camp accept that winning at Ibrox — again — would represent a significant psychological blow in a campaign that has put them 13 points clear of their nearest rivals.

Midfielder Morgaro Gomis said: ‘Obviously with where we are in the league, because they are so far behind, they are going to try everything to win this game.

‘So I think there is more pressure on them. We don’t feel pressure at all.

‘We know where we are going and where we’ll be at the end of the season. We’re happy and there’s a positive vibe all around the place.

‘Are some games bigger than others? I think so, especially when you play Rangers and Hibs because they are our two biggest rivals.

‘I expect a hard game, just like the other two against them this season. They are going to come out and obviously, try everything to win the game — just like we are.

‘But we are just going to go there and play our own game. We can’t sit back, we need to try to win.

‘The manager has said we’re going to play attacking football, so that is what we will do. I expect a physical game. They are a really physical team and they are going to try to stop us playing from the back.

‘It’s not going to be easy — but we’ll still try to play our own game.’

Gomis insisted he had not seen Fraser Aird’s declaration of Rangers’ superiority, though he said: ‘ It’s a compliment in a way. Maybe they are trying to play mind games.’

Having beaten Rangers 1- 0 at Ibrox and 2-0 at Tynecastle, Hearts should be feeling confident of achieving whatever they want f r om t onight’s game. Even if, despite all the talk of attack, a battling draw would feature high on Neilson’s wish list.

The rookie head coach does not anticipate an opportunity for his team to turn on the tiki-taka style, warning: ‘It’s going to be a physical game, we know that — and we need to be ready for it.

‘There will be tackles going in and it’s up to the ref to make a decision. We’ll put tackles in, they’ll put tackles in. That’s part of football.

‘When you are playing at a high level, there is a lot at stake — and people can sometimes cross the line. We need to make sure we don’t do that. Keeping 11 on the pitch gives us a chance.

‘I expect a tough game. It is two teams of, probably, Premiership standard coming together. Two teams desperate to win. It will be a physical game, a high-tempo game — and probably quite tight.

‘We’ll set out to win. But we’ll have a strategy flexible enough that, if we need to change it, we can.

‘The implications are that, if we do win, we get another three points. It’s another step towards the title.

‘But it would by no means be over. There will still be 15 games left, that’s 45 points.

‘Win or lose, we’ve still got a good lead — and we’re in good form.’