Hearts v Liverpool: Wingers key to breaching Liverpool defence, says John McGlynn

Published on 23/08/2012 12:00

HEARTS manager John 
McGlynn will entrust his wingers with the task of unlocking Liverpool’s defence tonight as Hearts seek the goals which would cause a major upset in the Europa League play-off.

Andy Driver and David Templeton are expected to start in wide areas, and McGlynn is eager to exploit their pace as Hearts’ main attacking weapon.

There may be a change of 
formation for the match, but McGlynn was today giving little away regarding team selection. It remains to be seen if Arvydas Novikovas can be accommodated in the starting line-up.

McGlynn believes Hearts can unsettle Liverpool by beginning tonight’s match at a frantic pace and denying their guests a chance to play their way into the game. He will instruct his wingers to drive at the opposition defence and supply striker John Sutton with scoring opportunities to ensure the Tynecastle club take some sort of lead to Merseyside fo next week’s second leg.

“We will try to unsettle Liverpool. We don’t want to let them get comfortable or get time on the ball,” said McGlynn. “We want to get in their faces and make it difficult for them. We don’t want them having a nice night in nice surroundings playing nice football and enjoying themselves. Our effort has to be 100 per cent, working really hard, putting their players under pressure and making them feel nervous. When we have the ball we have to be good in possession and create opportunities to score.

“Our wider players are our flair players who will cause a threat. That’s what we’ve got to look for – any threat from our team has to come from the wider areas. We want players getting in contact with John Sutton and getting things in and around the edge of the penalty box. That’s definitely where our threat will come from.

The wingers are massively

important to us.”

Goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald is odds-on to play in goal for Hearts after his partner gave birth to a baby girl yesterday

afternoon, although recent signing Peter Enckelman

remains on standby.

Liverpool are expected to start with Andy Carroll up front, although they have left captain Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez, Martin Skrtel, Glen Johnson and the injured Jose Enrique out of their squad for tonight.

Related Articles

• Hearts v Liverpool: Hearts winger David Templeton is fresh and ready to turn it on against Liverpool

  DAVID TEMPLETON is expected to return to Hearts’ starting line-up this evening, and the timing could not be better.

  10 Comments