Strachan delighted with capture of heart and soul

JUDGING BY the number of Hearts fans who have convinced themselves that Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley are spent forces, some people can spend a lifetime watching football and never understand what makes a player tick.

The less blinkered of Pressley and Hartley's new-found detractors will, of course, simply be justifiably disgusted that Hearts have practically donated a captain and vice-captain to Celtic. In proclaiming that the pair's best days are behind them they are attempting to soften the blow in their own minds.

But astonishingly, given how Pressley and Hartley performed last season, there are those who are truly convinced Vladimir Romanov has been astute in gifting them to Celtic. They point to the ages of the players, 33 and 30 respectively, as evidence of the veracity of this assertion.
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Oddly enough there were no such claims being made just nine months ago when Hearts, under Pressley, won the Tennents Scottish Cup at Hampden. The two players could well repeat the feat this season - but with Celtic.

Pressley had left the club before Hearts' third round win against Stranraer, and Hartley missed that match because he'd been sent off late in the final against Gretna. Both are therefore eligible to start against Livingston in the fourth round this afternoon, in what would be their first game in the same side since November 25.

At that point no pundit on earth could have predicted both would have been Celtic players barely two months later, and nor did Gordon Strachan believe for a minute such a scenario was achievable. Only one man made it feasible, and that was Hearts' owner.

Not only did he play Santa throughout the entire pantomime season, but Romanov's absurd behind-the-scenes machinations at Riccarton were the trigger for the undeniable dip in form suffered by both Pressley and Hartley in the first part of the season.

This, rather than the fact both were a few months older, was the only basis for claiming they were suddenly lesser players.

Some of the sniffier Celtic fans might believe that the two players are not up to Parkhead standards, but they too fall into the category of those who have eyes, yet cannot see or comprehend. Pressley and Hartley are not just footballers - they are leaders and winners whose very presence inspires their less driven team-mates.

Strachan can't believe his luck at nicking the players off Hearts. "Judging by the way Paul trained on his first morning, and the way Steven has been training since he joined us, we have done very well to get good results over Hearts in the past couple of years," the Celtic manager observed.

"Their communication and enthusiasm levels are terrific. They are great personalities and have great ability.

"Paul will bring goals, energy and 100% commitment. I don't think he's a big game player, as such. He is just a player. A player is someone who shows the same level of desire and ability in front of 123 people as in front of 123,000."

Even when Riccarton resembled a badly-run circus earlier this season, Hartley confirmed Strachan's assertion. If anything, the midfielder's desire spilled over into frustration as, hampered by constant team changes, including central defenders being deployed ineptly alongside him in midfield, his side lost all their high tempo rhythm.

Having escaped a breathtakingly incompetent regime, Hartley will again flourish. He is exactly Strachan's type of player, and those expecting him to play third fiddle to Neil Lennon and Thomas Graveson may soon be disabused of the notion.

Indeed, had he been wearing Celtic colours last season and turning in the kind of match-winning performances that he was for Hearts, the Scottish player-of-the-year polls would, I submit, have had different outcomes.

Shaun Maloney, who departed for Aston Villa and his old manager Martin O'Neill at the same time as Hartley was signing for Celtic, won the players' award last season. While obviously not wanting to lose him, Strachan's disappointment has been tempered by securing Hartley and the transfer values pretty much cancelling each other out.

"I tried to sign Paul when I came here at first," said Strachan, "but the deal didn't materialise. Thankfully, it has this time. I was talking to Garry Pendrey about it and, sitting back to consider things, I think we've done very well."

Pressley, unsurprisingly, concurred. "It's great business for the club and I'm delighted to see him here," he agreed.

"Over the past three years his performances have been of the highest level and he has matured into a fantastic midfield player. Hopefully, this club will benefit greatly from him. He has so many assets. He's a good passer and he is also very strong from set pieces. Between him and the others we have here, they'll probably be fighting over the ball.' Players with the attitude of Pressley and Hartley often actually improve their performances as they get older and realise their careers won't last for ever. The Scotland defender also gave another reason why Hartley is likely to have at least three years, and even more, of top class football in him.

"He was a bit of a late developer," pointed out Pressley. "He has always had many attributes, but I think in recent years he's brought it all together to become a complete player."

Pressley will have to overcome a back injury to play against Livingston this afternoon, but has better prospects than Craig Beattie, who is definitely out, and Kenny Miller and Maciej Zurawski who are doubtful.

There could be a debut for Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe, but Mark Brown, the fourth January transfer window signing, is cup-tied and doesn't make the squad.

Taken from the Sunday Herald