Robbie Neilson insists he can’t have sympathy for under-fire Gio van Bronckhorst ahead of tonight’s trip to Ibrox - because every top flight manager will feel the heat at some point.
The Hearts boss is hoping to inflict another damaging blow on his reeling Rangers counterpart as the resurgent Jambos look for a third win on the spin. Pressure has intensified on van Bronckhorst after Sunday’s defeat to St Johnstone saw them slip seven points behind Celtic in the title race. But Neilson said: “Every team is expected to win every game nowadays, it’s part and parcel. Everyone in the league is going to get it as some point and it moves about. I’m sure Gio will handle it, he’s an experience manager. He’s played and managed at the top level.”
The Hearts boss - who is without Craig Halkett, Peter Haring and Stephen Humphrys as well as long term crocks Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce - isn’t fooled by Rangers ropey form and is wary of facing a wounded animal.
He said: “We will just need to wait and see. When you go to Ibrox it’s always a tough game, it does not matter if you have won ten in a row or lost a couple of games. It’s a difficult place to go, good players, yes they lost at the weekend there but they bounce back regularly throughout the season.
“It will be a full house, it’s the Remembrance game for Rangers so it will be a busy place. It’s about us. We have to go there and play the game we want to play. Hopefully that will be enough for us.”
Neilson is delighted all three of his Australian internationals have been included in the Socceroos squad for the World Cup. Kye Rowles, Nat Atkinson and Cammy Devlin are heading to Qatar - but not until they’ve done their bit for Hearts against Rangers this evening and Livingston on Saturday.
Neilson said: “I’m delighted for the three of them, they took the chance to come over here, half way around the world and objective was always to get into the national team, or stay in the national team and they’ve managed to do.
“It’s great for them and the club. It’s amazing they’re all back fit now with a World Cup around the corner!
“It’s great for the rest of the boys as well, it shows the club can get guys to that level. I’ve spoken to the three of them. They need to be as fit as they can to give themselves a chance of getting in the team and staying in the team. All three are desperate to play as much as they can leading up to it.”
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