Houston: I don’t have a problem with Hibs foe Stubbs
AHOT reception awaits Alan Stubbs on Saturday as Hibs seek victory at bogey side Falkirk to e nsure a second-place finish in the Championship.
The Liverpudlian became the bête noire of the Bairns after becoming involved in a public fallout with opposing manager Peter Houston following the Edinburgh side’s 1-0 Scottish Cup semi-final loss at Hampden a fortnight ago.
Stubbs’ post-match declaration that only one team deserved to be in the final drew accusations of ‘disrespect’ from Houston, whose side has won three and drawn once against Hibs in four games this season.
The irate Falkirk manager went on to issue the stinging rebuke that since all six of his team’s goals this season against Hibs had come from crosses, perhaps Stubbs’ energies would be better served coaching his defence.
Despite exchanging verbal rockets, however, Houston does not have a problem with Stubbs and on Saturday he will offer his rival a pre-match handshake and a post-match drink in his office; win, lose or draw.
‘I’m not expecting a war of words with Alan this week,’ said Houston, whose Bairns could help Rangers finish second if they do not lose to Hibs and the Ibrox side win at Tynecastle.
‘I was just a bit annoyed after the semi and I said my piece. End of story. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I just said what I believed. It’s happened a million times before.
‘I don’t for a minute expect Alan to come out and have a go at me in the press this week. Maybe I’m wrong, he might do, but I’ve no intention of saying anything else. I’ve not spoken to him since the semi-final but it’s over now, done and dusted.
‘When I see Alan on Saturday I won’t be walking away in the opposite direction. I would expect Alan and myself to act like adults and to shake hands and get on with it.
‘In football, you can’t be the best of pals all the time but Alan will be more than welcome to come into my office afterwards for a cup of tea, coffee or a beer.’
There are those who would say Stubbs’s comments after the final were naïve and will stoke up Falkirk players for a match that is otherwise meaningless. But Houston does not expect that to be the case.
‘I’d expect a competitive match but not a game with an edge,’ he said. ‘The players all shook hands at the end of the semi-final and there was no animosity.
‘It’s a huge game for Hibs but we want to sign off before the Scottish Cup Final with a win.
‘If the Cup Final had been the following week, maybe I’d have rested some players but I have to keep them playing because there’s a long break until the Final.
‘Before we played Rangers at the weekend, I had to warn the lads about the dangers of getting a red card for violent conduct because a two-game ban would see them miss the final. But that didn’t stop us being competitive at Ibrox in our 2-2 draw.
‘If anyone is on a yellow card and looking in danger, then I may have to act but I don’t plan to be fielding half a dozen young boys.
‘We want to be competitive and finish our last home game of the season on a high. But we know it will be tough because Hibs are a good side and I’ve actually praised them a lot this season.
‘ They’ve got talent i n the middle of the park in Fraser Fyvie and Scott Allan, who has been sensational, and they’ve got goals in Dominique Malonga, Jason Cummings and big Farid El Alagui. These boys are good players and they play some really good stuff and it shows you just how well Falkirk have done to be unbeaten against them so far this season.’
Houston insists the play- off race is too close to call, but if put on the spot he believes Queen of the South will be the first fallers.
‘Queens are an excellent side, and they are really strong down at Palmerston,’ he noted.
‘They have a strong defence and midfield and talent up front in Derek Lyle and Gavin Reilly.
‘But they have a smaller squad and they face six games if they are to make it up to the Premiership.
‘My gut feeling is that it will be between Rangers and Hibs for a place in the play-off final because they both have the squads to cope with the run of games this late in the season.’