Hearts striker Steven MacLean aims to stake claim for cup final place

There was little uncertainty for Steven MacLean ahead of St Johnstone’s 2014 Scottish Cup final, with the striker, an almost certain starter for that meeting with Dundee United.

Five years on, despite injuries to some of his fellow forwards, things at Hearts are not so well-defined as they prepare for their Hampden showdown with Celtic.

“At St Johnstone, we played the week before against Inverness and we weren’t great but we had a settled team,” said the 36-year-old. “There were maybe a couple that you wouldn’t be too sure about. We did a bit of work on shape on the Tuesday and although he [manager Tommy Wright] never named the team until the Thursday we knew on Tuesday what he was thinking and how we were going to play. At that time, we didn’t have a massive squad as well, it was kind of 13, 14 players vying for the 11 spots.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But MacLean knows that some poor results mean that few regulars could complain too vociferously if there was a major shake-up this time.

Hearts striker Steven MacLean says there is still plenty at stake for Craig Levein's players when they take on Aberdeen. Picture: Ross Parker/SNSHearts striker Steven MacLean says there is still plenty at stake for Craig Levein's players when they take on Aberdeen. Picture: Ross Parker/SNS
Hearts striker Steven MacLean says there is still plenty at stake for Craig Levein's players when they take on Aberdeen. Picture: Ross Parker/SNS

Which is why, while there is little left to play for in the Premiership and even his manager Craig Levein has admitted that the focus has switched to the 25 May fixture, the veteran frontman maintains there is still plenty at stake against Aberdeen tonight.

“Personally I’m playing for a cup final place and I think other boys will be similar,” said MacLean. “You can say there will be certain starters but I think the manager is clever enough to realise that if somebody is not doing their job he would leave them out. There is nothing guaranteed in football and if you don’t go about your business the right way you won’t get your rewards. You need to train properly and I’m using the two games and whatever game time I get to try to cement a place in the team or in the squad.

“Some boys will be doing the same and others will be trying to get a bit of form to prepare for the game on the 25th.”

The fact that Levein has thrust some youngsters back into the mix in recent weeks only serves as a reminder that regardless if certain established players are absent, with Uche Ikpeazu nursing a strained hamstring and Peter Haring recovering from a groin injury, there are hungry teenage upstarts waiting to impress.

“You look at Connor Smith coming in [for the derby]; he’s not scared to throw a young lad in or throw someone in,” said MacLean. “If the manager sees someone doing well in training or in a game then it will give him food for thought. I don’t think there are people nailed on to play and I think the manager will be telling us that as well. It’s up to the players to go and grab a place in the squad for the big day.”

Levein has been comfortable rejigging formations and personnel this term, with some enforced and others deemed pertinent depending on form and the opposition strengths and weaknesses.

If the changes are tactical, the manager tends to explain his thought process, according to MacLean, but he says he is far from sentimental if it is a consequence of a dip in performance levels.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Talking from personal experience, I think if he is leaving you out and you’ve been very good the week before he’ll speak to you but if you’ve been hopeless he just leaves you out,” said MacLean.

“Some players maybe need an arm around them and some need a rocket but if you’re playing in a game and haven’t been great you don’t really deserve an excuse. That’s my opinion. If you deserve an excuse or reason he’ll give you one but if you have been hopeless or not played to the ability you can do then he just leaves you to mull it over.” With the final looming large, there is little scope for half measures, with MacLean insisting it would be self-defeating to try to hold something back for the final or to try to prevent injury or suspension so close to the biggest game of the club’s campaign.

“No, if you start thinking about that you’re not going to do yourself justice and you’ll end up playing yourself out the team so you just have to give it your all. If you go into a game and think you’ll get injured you’ll end up getting hurt. You have to go in at full tilt.

“This weekend we’re up against big [Scott] McKenna and if you go in half-hearted in a tackle you’re just going to get hurt. You just go and play the game and see what happens.”