Cup glory is target for Levein

PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS boss Craig Levein today spoke of his burning desire to guide the Jambos into a cup final.

While the former Scotland internationalist has been a huge success since taking over at Tynecastle almost four years ago, he admits his cup record has left a lot to be desired.

The Gorgie outfit host SPL rivals Kilmarnock in the third round of the CIS Cup tonight, just days after crashing to Dunfermline at East End Park.

Levein will welcome back a number of first-team regulars who were rested on Sunday as he looks to book a place in the next round.

"Since I have been here I have been disappointed in our cup campaigns," he said. "We have reached a couple of semi-finals but with the squad we have got I would like to have done better. "Sometimes we have lost to stronger teams but a couple of times we have lost to sides who you would normally expect us to beat. So there is a determination this year to try to get ourselves all the way if we can.

"Cup football is obviously a bit of a lottery at times and you rely on a bit of luck but we want to get all the way if we can this season."

Hearts defeated tonight’s opponents 3-0 in the league earlier this season but Levein doesn’t think that comfortable triumph will be a factor in the outcome of the cup-tie.

"We may want to get into a cup final but first of all we have to get past Kilmarnock and that will be a difficult game," he said.

"They have had a reasonable start to the season and I don’t think there is a lot between the teams.

"We recorded a victory against them earlier this season but I do not think that will have any bearing on this match."

The likes of Alan Maybury, Mark de Vries, Paul Hartley, Joe Hamill, Patrick Kisnorbo and Paul Hartley should all return to the starting line-up after sitting out the Fifers clash to allow some fringe men to stake their claim.

Levein is mindful of the hectic schedule his players are facing, with next week’s UEFA Cup return against Braga in Portugal uppermost in his mind.

And to that end he is aware of the need to be as flexible as he can with the squad.

"I will try to keep the guys as fresh as I can until we get through and if we get into the group stages then I am not too worried about what happens then," he said.

"I will play players until they drop after that!"

Taken from the Scotsman