Robbie Neilson reveals two players he has full faith in ahead of Hearts' Scottish Cup final against Celtic

Confidence within the Hearts camp is more like quiet assurance than brash arrogance. You would expect nothing more before a Scottish Cup final with Celtic.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson with goalkeeper Craig Gordon.Hearts manager Robbie Neilson with goalkeeper Craig Gordon.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson with goalkeeper Craig Gordon.

The Edinburgh club are Championship underdogs against a Premiership team chasing a historic quadruple treble. Few give them an earthly hope of causing an upset on Sunday, yet there is detectable belief when you walk into Riccarton.

It is rightly understated, for manager Robbie Neilson knows the perils of presumptuousness before any game let alone a cup final. He won’t pay much attention to ructions and protests around Parkhead, his conviction stems from the lieutenants he will send out onto the field at Hampden Park.

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Neilson won the Scottish Cup with Hearts 14 years ago alongside Craig Gordon and Christophe Berra. Now, those two are bedrocks of a team he is gradually rebuilding. He has intrinsic knowledge of their capabilities and how to utilise them.

Gordon and Berra are 37 and 35 respectively and know the territory well, as do others like captain Steven Naismith and the Northern Ireland internationalists Liam Boyce and Michael Smith.

If Hearts are to pull off what would be a monumental shock and leave Celtic manager Neil Lennon facing the sack, those experienced protagonists will be key.

Berra is used to high-octane occasions as a former Scotland internationalist and English Premier League defender. Behind him, goalkeeper Gordon remains a part of the Scotland squad, enjoyed umpteen Champions League nights with Celtic and played a major part in their previous three trebles.

Make it simple

Neilson would dearly love to be out there with them forming part of the Hearts defence at Hampden. Placing his faith in them as manager is the next best thing.

“I have known Christophe for a long time. He’s a very good player,” explained Neilson. “If you play Christophe the way we’re playing him just now, where he is physical, he is strong, he wins his headers, he is organised, we make it simple for him.

“Pass the ball to the full-back and to the midfield. We don’t ask too much of him on that side of it. He shows his qualities and his qualities for me are that he is a leader.

“He’s a very, very good defender. One v one in the channels, there are not many better than him going about. I’ve been really pleased with the way he has come into the team.”

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One quality Neilson doesn’t mention when discussing Berra is resilience. Actions speak louder than words in that department. After being ostracised and loaned out to Dundee in January by previous Hearts manager Daniel Stendel, Berra’s recovery has been admirable.

“I wasn’t here last year but I think he got pushed aside and it hurt him a bit,” said Neilson. “He came back in really good condition. He had a wee injury at the start of pre-season but he has managed to get back in the team and I couldn’t be more happy for him.”

Lack of wisdom

Gordon’s capture from Sunday’s opponents was a genuine coup in the summer. Celtic’s own troubles in that position this season – they have used three different keepers so far – highlight the wisdom, or lack of it, in allowing him to leave as a free agent

“It’s good for him. He made a big decision to leave Celtic and come to ourselves in the Championship,” said Neilson. “The first thing was to try and play week in, week out and try to get himself in the Scotland squad. So he’s managed to do that.

“The opportunity to play in a cup final against the guys who have just let you go is a big motivation for him. So we need to help him make sure he gets a result.”

Lennon recently promoted third-choice goalkeeper Conor Hazard to the Celtic team after switching between Vasilis Barkas and Scott Bain since the campaign began. Hearts are fully aware that their opponents could use a shot-stopper as reliable as Gordon right now.

“Thankfully we’ve got him. He’s been great since day one and he will be a big part of the game on Sunday,” said Neilson.

“As a back four there is nothing better than having a guy like that behind you. He is very vocal and he organises behind you. If he is shouting for it, he is going to come and claim it. The defence has done very well this season and he has been one of the key aspects of that.

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“We have some experienced players in the team – Gordon, Berra, Naismith, Boyce. These are international players who have performed at the highest level. So they are going into this game without any nerves whatsoever. This is just something they have been involved in before.”

Devastating

Like Gordon and Berra, Neilson was a team-mate of the late former Hearts captain Marius Zaliukas. He died from motor neurone disease on October 31 – the day the Edinburgh club beat rivals Hibs at Hampden to earn their place in Sunday’s final.

The Hearts players will all wear No.26, Zaliukas’ squad number at Tynecastle Park, on their shorts for the final in tribute to the Lithuanian.

“I think it’s really important. Marius was a massive part of the club,” said Neilson. “I knew him very well and he lifted the cup in 2012. What happened to him in the last couple of years is devastating for everyone. It’s a little bit of a tribute to him. Hopefully we can win it for him as well.”

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