Christian Nade cast as unlikely danger man for cup tie

THE weather has done its worst, but the survivors are among the best. There is nothing like a Scottish Cup Saturday when, with the big clubs in the competition at last, every tie goes ahead.

• Hearts striker Christian Nademayhave found goals hard to come by since his move to Scottish football but he has been a match winner for his club twice against today's cup opponents Aberdeen. Picture: SNS Group

And, with only a handful of ties having survived the big freeze, there will be nothing like it today.

But the fourth round will at least get under way this afternoon, and some of the most attractive ties will still go ahead. Aberdeen versus Hearts, for example, was one of the most appealing matches when the draw was made, and it has the potential to become the pick of the bunch.

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Hearts are the last club outwith the Old Firm to win the trophy, having triumphed in 1998 and 2006. Somewhat further back, Aberdeen had the best cup record in the country, having won it five times between 1982 and 1990, including a final victory over Hearts in 1986.

Both sides have fallen short of their expectations so far this season in the SPL, but Aberdeen at least had an inspiring win at Tannadice last weekend, while Hearts won three matches in a row last month and are currently unbeaten in five. Lying fifth at present, the Edinburgh side look to have a better chance of claiming a place in European competition, but the home team are just as capable on their day of turning in a big performance.

The sides have met just once so far this season, drawing 1-1 at Pittodrie back in October, and in the five previous meetings going back to the start of 2008 there has not been more than a goal between them. With both sides having played more impressively in defence than in attack so far this season, another close match is highly probable.

Implausibly to some, Hearts' danger man in recent fixtures has been Christian Nade. The Frenchman was on the mark in the last high-scoring game between the clubs, a 4-1 win for Hearts in late 2007, and also scored on the last two occasions on which the Tynecastle side got the better of Aberdeen.

Given his relative lack of goals, that tally of three suggests the burly striker knows how to get the better of the Aberdeen defence, and with his form having improved over the past couple of games he is a reasonable bet to make the difference today. His problems since joining Hearts have been well documented, and he may have had himself to blame at times, but he also believes that manager Csaba Laszlo's tendency to play him as a lone striker has not helped.

"Personally, it is really hard for me as a striker to play alone all the time," Nade said. "Being the one in front, in this kind of tactic you have to know you can't play for yourself, you have to play for the team.

"I can't understand why people wait for me to score more goals. They want me to, but they have to understand it's really hard for me to play alone.

"When you do, you have to ask for every kind of ball, run for long balls, short balls, wide. You have to cross the ball and when you do you can't be in the box at the same time. You have to pass out wide, but you can't then be in the box."

No matter his complaints, Nade has had some success in the role recently. Against Hibs, for instance, Gordon Smith's goal came about when Nade collected a pass deep inside the box and tapped it back to Ruben Palazuelos, whose cross was volleyed home by the teenager.

Nade was more effective, however, in Hearts' previous game against Motherwell, and he admitted that his agent had berated him on the phone after the derby for not doing as well. "I think I played well against Motherwell. Against Hibs, I think no, I didn't play (so well].

"My agent called me after the game and just shouted at me. For 26 or 27 minutes, I didn't say one word!"

The point about that conversation was that Nade has just begun talks with Hearts about a new contract. His agent, who is also speaking to other clubs, is aware that the better the form the player shows now, the more likelihood there is of being offered a deal somewhat close to his present one.

"The new (sport] director talked to me after the Motherwell game and asked me if I wanted to extend my contract," Nade said. "I said we have to talk about this. To stay depends on the contract.

"(My agent has been talking] with other clubs. Nobody put a contract on the table and said 'sign now'.

"I have an ambition to maybe try another country, why not, why not? If I have an opportunity to go to a league with a good reputation and a club with ambition, yeah. If I have got a good option to go somewhere else, I have to think about it.

"I'd like to go where there are two strikers," he added, laughing. "And somewhere warmer."

Finance will play a part, obviously, but Nade also hopes to hear that Hearts have serious plans for next season. If they do, he is more likely to want to stay. "Do they want to go for first or second place or just want to stay always in the top six?" he asked.

Such questions about the league will be put to one side this afternoon, for Hearts, Aberdeen and every other side who harbour hopes of heading to Hampden in May.

Who knows? In the intervening months it may even stop snowing.