Harmony for Hearts and Saul

RAKING left-footers into the top corner and a clear willingness to inject some industry into his midfield beat: This is an altogether different Saulius Mikoliunas from the one we have come to know and either love or hate.

Tomorrow, the Lithuanian returns to Ibrox with a ghost or two to exorcise and recent form suggests he could not be better placed to do so. With a renewed workrate and confidence derived from net-bulging stunners against Hibs and Celtic of late, Mikoliunas hopes to banish sour memories of past meetings with Rangers.
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Two red cards against the Glasgow side in 2005 gained the winger an unwanted reputation for petulance, one he has striven for over a year to dislodge. Inconsistency of performance shredded his already fragile confidence as even his own supporters began booing his name when it was announced over PA systems across the country. Then would come further intolerance once he actually stepped on to the pitch.

But Miko has survived to restore his credibility in the eyes of those who, only a matter of weeks ago, were berating his very presence in a Hearts shirt. A player for whom the term "mercurial" seems to have been specifically coined, his continual selection has not always been justified. Another dismissal at Easter Road last October further blotted the copybook during one of the darkest periods of his career.

However, the recent increase in performance level means Mikoliunas' place in the side at present cannot be questioned. Only captain Craig Gordon has appeared more for Hearts this season than the Lithuanian, and the satisfaction of justifying the faith placed in him is allowing Mikoliunas to thrive. At Ibrox, the hope is simply for more of the same.

"For me, Rangers has been a difficult fixture," he said. "When we played at Ibrox last season [December 2005] I got a red card again. I remember that I didn't commit a bad foul but I still got a red card, which made me frustrated. It should have been a yellow, not red.

"I believe it's unfair that I was given the wrong reputation but referees can now see I am not a dirty player. I'm much happier now. I'm happy with the team because we have been winning games regularly. That gives me more confidence and it's a much nicer time."

It shouldn't be considered a coincidence that Mikoliunas' return to form coincided with Valdas Ivanauskas' re-appearance in Edinburgh last November following a period of ill-health. The head coach has been something of a mentor to his 22-year-old compatriot through their days together with FBK Kaunas, the Lithuanian national team and, now, at Tynecastle.

"It helped me a lot when Valdas came back," admitted Mikoliunas. "He coached me at Kaunas and has helped my career enormously. I will always be in support of him. We tried to improve the atmosphere when he came back.

"Eduard [Malofeev] is a good coach but things were difficult when he was in charge because he couldn't speak English. He had an interpreter with him and had to use him all the time.

"I could speak with him in Russian because I speak Russian, but a lot of the other players couldn't.

"Valdas can talk with all the players one to one, so it's better. We try to speak English all the time in the dressing room so that everyone can understand, even if I am talking to Valdas we will try not to talk in Lithuanian.

"I think it helps everyone in the dressing room if we all have one language. Of course, the Greek players will speak Greek to each other, the French will speak in French and the Scottish will use Scottish, but when we are sitting together during a pre-match meal, for example, we speak English."

What matters most to Hearts fans is that Mikoliunas is now communicating in the same on-field language as his team-mates, for at times this season he has seemed to be on a different wavelength.

"It's good to be playing and I am happy with my form," he said. " I just pray to God that I don't suffer any injuries. Football is not safe and at any moment you can find yourself injured, but at this moment I am very happy because I am fit. This will be such an important game tomorrow because, if we lose, Rangers are eight points ahead and it will be very difficult to catch them for second place. We will

try to win, although Aberdeen and Hibs are both involved in trying to get the second place and we will need to battle against them as well. It's not just Hearts and Rangers."

Mikoliunas will have additional competition for a starting place forced upon him after this weekend by the arrival of the Ghanaian internationalist Laryea Kingston.

Ivanauskas is unlikely to use either of his new loan signings at Ibrox - Georgian internationalist Gogita Gogua, pictured, has also joined the Hearts squad - but Kingston's ability to play in the centre or right of midfield brings yet more options for the head coach for the remainder of the season.

"New players can only help because they make you work harder in training and there will be a lot of choice for Valdas," said Mikoliunas. "He will look at who is working hard and who is playing at their best. There are very important games coming and maybe last season's experience can also help us. It was a great feeling, making the Champions League and then the victory in the Scottish Cup. What I saw after that game - all the supporters celebrating in Edinburgh - was brilliant."

At the time of the cup triumph, adulation from supporters was all too rare for Mikoliunas. Now, though, the revitalised Lithuanian is basking in the results of his new-found enthusiasm.

Taken from the Scotsman