Cathro can’t compute another big title bash but vows to compete
THE SPFL fixtures computer has turned out to be so cruel to Hearts this season that it might even test Ian Cathro’s famed relationship with devices.
Nowhere on the Hearts head coach’s laptop calendar was there a warning, back in November, that his club would be enduring two Celtic title parties before the summer.
Yet the rampant form of Brendan Rodgers’ side dictated that Celtic were able to wrap up the Ladbrokes Premiership with eight matches to spare if they won on Sunday, April 2.
Hearts under Cathro were the easy prey for a 5-0 victory and Tynecastle was the venue for hosting the celebrations.
They are reluctant invitees, once more, to a big bash thanks to the post-split slate of games booking Hearts for a trip to Celtic Park on the day the trophy is presented.
Celtic could be toasting an historic unbeaten campaign, too, at a time when just one, sorelyneeded significant victory for Hearts would be such a blessed relief for Cathro and his embattled crew.
‘We feel there’s a lot of these moments of people enjoying themselves against us,’ sighed Cathro. ‘That’s not very enjoyable so, yeah, there’s motivation in that for us.
‘But we need to have our own motivations from the inside of us. I think there’s a number of ways we can get motivation.
‘I’m sure they have quite a well-orchestrated plan of events from early in the morning.
‘And we just happen to be there to kick a ball. It’s not an enjoyable thing.
‘These days are, naturally, all about the home team. But Celtic deserve to have that day for the quality of their work and their consistency throughout the season. So we respect that.
‘But we care more about us. So we need to make sure that we go and are ready to compete and respect ourselves.’
Rory Currie, meanwhile, hopes that the desired close-season improvements to come will not contrive to stall his progress.
The 19-year-old striker’s emergence has been a rare chink of light in the dismal scene of Hearts sinking from second to fifth since Robbie Neilson left for MK Dons in December.
Currie, who featured with and against Kieran Tierney as a Celtic and Rangers youth player, could make his 12th appearance of the season at Parkhead.
He scored against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup after being handed a first start by Cathro in January and has shown an appetite and application all too lacking among others.
‘I’d love to be playing against Celtic, that would brilliant, but obviously that’s the gaffer’s decision,’ said Currie. ‘We were devastated when Celtic beat us to win the title at Tynecastle, it wasn’t a good feeling. All the lads were frustrated on the day.
‘But you’ve obviously got to take that on with you.
‘And you can use it as motivation to try to get better results so that, hopefully, we’re the ones lifting a cup next year.
‘The unbeaten run is a massive thing for them but we’ve got to try our hardest to make that not happen because obviously it would be a massive thing for us if we became the ones to stop it.
‘The season has been brilliant from my own point of view. I only joined the team as an Under-20s player at the start of the season and I’ve broken through to the first team.
‘I feel I’ve improved in many ways. Hopefully I can be part of it next season and keep being involved with the team.’