Sergio admits his youngsters were ‘nervous’
HEARTS manager Paulo Sergio believes his young charges will only improve.
The Portuguese has predicted a difficult month, with player sales inevitable in order to ease the club’s finances and satisfy the Scottish Premier League’s demands over the payment of player wages, which were delayed in each of the last three months.
On the evidence of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Auchinleck Talbot at Tynecastle, the outlook on the field appears concerning if Hearts will be forced to rely on youth. However, Sergio has confidence in his young talent. “I believe in our young players and I believed it was a game in which I could give a chance to them,” said Sergio, who made eight changes from the team which beat Hibernian a week ago. “If they can’t deal with a game like this, they can’t deal with an SPL game. They have to live those kind of experiences to get ready, because the future of Hearts is with them.
“Step by step we’re going to put them in place. If you saw some of them training you’d see what I mean. Some of them were nervous. I said to them play the way you train every day.”
Fraser Mullen had a penalty saved after 20 minutes and Hearts squandered numerous further chances before Gordon Smith’s 84th-minute winner. Smith told Hearts TV: “I was delighted to get my first goal at Tynecastle. The most important thing is we’re in the next round.”
Hearts have now won four in a five-match unbeaten run and return to SPL duty at home to St Mirren on Satrurday. Smith added: “St Mirren will be a tough game, but we’re looking for the three points.” Auchinleck goalkeeper Andy Leishman denied Hearts on numerous occasions.
His manager, Tommy Sloan, said: “He’s got a huge presence and can come for things and make it look easy at times. He’ll get better.”
Sloan would not be surprised if approaches are made for Leishman, but the manager believes the 23-year-old goalkeeper would only be persuaded by a move into professional football and not the lower reaches of the Irn-Bru Scottish Football League.
He added: “We’ve a lot of players who could play in the bottom couple of leagues. Most wouldn’t move for that It’s got to be at a decent standard. If it was the First Division or the Premier League they might think about that.
“I’ve always said we’d do well in the bottom two leagues and I think we maybe proved a wee point (against Hearts).”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Monday 28 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 42 comments to this article
Page 1 of 3
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 03:29 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 03:29 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:35 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:25 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:23 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:15 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:11 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:06 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:04 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 02:01 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 01:25 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 01:20 PMComment removed by moderator
tommy-tommy
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 01:19 PMComment removed by moderator
Hen Broon
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 12:39 PMTT...... although you put a question mark at the end it is a statement not a question you post. It is an extremely subjective statement devoid of common sense. Firstly....there are no HEARTS young players for sale not contracted (think about it!) . Secondly for it to merit a definitive response you would have to define the player & nominal. EG TEMPS is a young player £10k is a 'nominal' sum.....if you think VR would sell him forthat then you are devoid of any knowledge of the subject matter. If you mean a young unestablished player eg Jamie Walker ....then I can tell you VR has already turned down £100k for him from Celtic. Further as the young players with their significantly lower remuneration is who VR says we are going to rely on then why would he sell any of them for a nominal sum. Think you will find that JAN will come & go ......several players will leave....none will be our current group of talented but inexperienced youngsters. Can you also talk us through your opinion as to why why Ryan S confirmed his intention to return but changed his mind the next day? Do not let the civil & detailed nature of my response confuse you and try and answer with the same level of maturity in a manner devoid of vitriol.
Hammy1874
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 12:04 PMMR JAFFA.... you are 100% correct. Our media are the most insular in the planet................................................... BTW... does anyone actually bother reading anything that TOMMYTOMMY posts anymore? I dont, he has shown himself to be an idiot of colossal magnitude. He does not wind me up in the slightest, and if that is his intention, then hopefully he will waste hours and hours every day repeating the same old rubbish. Alternatively, EVERYONE could report his posts as being unsuitable, with the hope that the powers that be bar him forever..... just a thought.
Page 1 of 3
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.