The Tynecastle Scottish Cup-winning captain says the silence around Gorgie outlines the excellence of Steven Naismith's work.
But the Tynecastle club’s Scottish Cup-winning captain reckons making big noise at Hampden will lift the boss to the next level. Pressley is adamant genuine belief holds the key to Hearts success against Rangers on Sunday. In Naismith, the ex-skipper sees an individual who can provide it.
“Hearts are in good form, better than Rangers are right now after the first period of uncertainty in Clement’s reign. The pressure is mounting on that side of the city, but there is a real calmness about Hearts. “He seems to have got his group together, but, equally, around that, I think you need to give Hearts credit as well. There is stability in general around the club.
Asked if he was surprised that Shankland didn’t move in the last window, Pressley said: “Yes, I was. Hearts biggest challenge now is to keep him. Every successful team generally has a 20-goal-a-season striker. If they can keep Shankland and add a sprinkling of players, then I think they can keep improving and moving forward.”
Naismith’s management has given Hearts a strong foundation, but defeating Rangers at the National Stadium for the first time will take it up a notch. Pressley says it’s about building and explained: “I always felt in my time at Hearts that the growth of the team was really important. “Steven can install that. You have to build and get results that create that kind of belief. Rangers are there to be gotten at, but it’s the belief in doing that. I do think in the dressing room they have grown.
William Hill Scottish Cup Steven Naismith Steven Pressley Lawrence Shankland Scottish Premiership
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