Laszlo fears for Hearts players as U2 render Zagreb pitch a hazard

Published on Wednesday 19 August 2009 22:43

HEARTS manager Csaba Laszlo is concerned that the state of the pitch for tonight's Europa League play-off tie against Dinamo Zagreb could cause injury to his players.

The new surface at the Maksimir Stadium, required after a U2 concert was held there earlier this month, was only laid 24 hours before Hearts trained on it last night. Its uneven appearance is unlikely to be conducive to flowing football, and groundstaff used hoses in an attempt to water the surface ahead of tonight's first leg match.

"The problem I saw was that it is not so stable," said Laszlo. "The grass moves and my worry for both teams is that the possibility of injury is at a high level.

"We will train today and then decide on things but not about the tactics, I have my team in my head. We must play the game, if Uefa tell us it is okay then we must play football. At the moment the pitch doesn't look too good. I know there was a U2 concert here and I like U2, they are my favourite band. But the pitch is damaged for both teams now.

"Our pitch is a little bit different but the weather is also different in Scotland and better for green grass. I hope after the game we don't talk about the quality of the pitch, hopefully we talk about the quality of the result."

He added: "The pitch is a little bit damaged but the problem is it's very hot. I think you must put some water over the pitch, but it's not the most important thing. The most important thing is to put the ball in the opponents' net and not lose any goals."

Hearts captain Michael Stewart also has concerns about the pitch but is confident Hearts can keep the tie alive ahead of the second leg at Tynecastle.

"The pitch isn't the best but it's the same for both teams," he said. "We will approach it in the right way in terms of preparation. The manager has spoken to us at length about what can be expected from the opposition and what we can do to counter that.

"There has been no stone left unturned in terms of getting the right result and taking the tie to Tynecastle and winning the tie."

Krunoslav Jurcic, the Dinamo Zagreb coach, has identified Spanish winger Suso and the Ugandan David Obua as the principal threats to his team. Addressing the media at Dinamo's Maksimir Stadium, Jurcic outlined a fierce desire to participate in the group phase of the inaugural tournament and stressed that countering Hearts' two most dangerous players was central to his aspirations.

His concern has perhaps been magnified by the fact that he will be without three regular defenders, Dejan Lovren through suspension and Robert Kovac and Luis Ibanez through injury. Jurcic and sports director Zoran Mamic yesterday paraded the experienced Argentine international defender Leandro Cufre as a new recruit, however he cannot face Hearts having arrived after Uefa's signing deadline for this tie.

Defensive reshuffling was conducted with consummate ease last weekend as Dinamo administered a 5-0 thumping to Osijek, but Jurcic admitted he is wary of Suso and Obua. "I don't want to talk a lot about details but after watching some matches I would like to mention two players, Obua and Suso. They are the strong points," he said.

"Hearts is physically a very strong team, very disciplined and very strong at tactics. Maybe this is not something typical of a Scottish team but they have a Hungarian coach to thank for bringing the discipline and tactics into the team. Last year they finished third in the Scottish championship, that was no accident.

"They play typical English football, with long passes, good heading skills and they are strong in reaction. I can only say that I hold the Scottish nation and their football in high esteem. I feel a great respect towards them. It's a very proud nation which shows in its football."

Jurcic said his ideal is to win tonight's tie whilst keeping a clean sheet. "We would be pleased at winning the match without conceding a goal," he continued. "This, of course, is a European match which means more responsibility for the players. Maybe this is not always welcome but it doesn't change anything. The team will stay more or less the same, maybe one or two different players."

Asked if he had identified weaknesses in the Hearts team, Jurcic replied: "Of course I have, but let's leave it for my players. I don't have custom to talk about tactics the day before the match."

Hearts are boosted by the return of Lee Wallace. The full-back is back in contention after recovering from a hip injury.

Marius Zaliukas is also available for selection for the European outing despite currently serving a four-match domestic ban. However, Andrew Driver and Calum Elliot remain sidelined, with Laryea Kingston also likely to miss out through injury.