Rest cure for sleepless
Paco
McLeish shuffles the pack again
against Livingston - STUART CROWTHER
LIVINGSTON COULD NOT HAVE HAD a better start to life in the SPL,
sitting just a point behind Hibernian in fourth place. The West
Lothian club will welcome Hibernian to their stadium for the first time
ever on league duty tomorrow feeling confident, in particular given that
Hibs had a hard game on Thursday, and they may feel even more confident
should they be greeted by the sight of Paco Luna on the bench at the
start!
That
of course would be a mistake, as Alex McLeish is promising to shuffle his
pack once again but knowing that it does not matter who he puts in as his
front-two, with all five of his strikers now having had the
confidence-boost of scoring with a quarter of the season barely over.
"I am in the situation now where I have no doubts
about the guys I am bringing in,"
McLeish confirmed yesterday, and hardly surprising after seeing the
performances turned in by every player he has brought into his starting
line-up in recent weeks. Hibs are the team of the moment and the
driving force for McLeish and is squad must now be a return to European
action next season, there being no taste of failure from their tie against
AEK Athens nor any taste of injustice - more a taste of relish at having
another go!
Luna - likely to be rested against Livingston (sns)
Hibs
could well have still been in the UEFA Cup this season but for that
last-minute miss by Paco Luna, but the Spaniard knows that no player or
fan at Hibernian holds any blame in his direction. That did not stop
Paco from suffering a sleepless night as he replayed the moment over and
over in his head. He said: "I dreamed on
Thursday night about that chance I missed. I hardly got any sleep
during the night through thinking about it and it is very sad that we did
not go through after we played so amazingly."
Luna knows that these things happen in football, and the in-form striker
is very much a team-player which is perhaps the answer to those who remain
baffled by the team-spirit that never seems to leave Easter Road these
days! Paco said: "My responsibility is to work
together with my team-mates and do my best. I think everybody did
that on Thursday."
Luna
was fired up with the rest of the Hibs squad by the fantastic support they
received from the packed stands on Thursday, stands that will doubtless be
filled again when Hibs next appear at home on 21st October against city
rivals Hearts. Luna said: "We were really
motivated for the game and the atmosphere in the stadium on Thursday was
tremendous. I want to thank the Hibernian supporters because they
were magnificent and helped us with the noise they created."
That noise could well be evident again in West Lothian, and there could
indeed be problems for Livingston officials as the game is not all-ticket
and over 5,000 Hibs fans are expected to beat a trail along the M8.
Brewster - set to lead the line again? (sns)
McLeish is likely to start with Brewster and McManus, with the good news
for Hibs fans that skipper Franck Sauzee will play despite having stitches
in a face wound. Gary Smith remains on the injured list, and the
frustration continues as well for Frederic Arpinon who will have to wait a
little longer to make his first appearance of the season, having been
injured in a recent Under-21 match. "This week
we might change again against a team who have made a fantastic start to
the season," McLeish said, adding:
"It will be tough to go up against a very ambitious
and promising club on Sunday. I am looking for mental resolve.
It is hard to raise it again on the domestic scene but they have to do
it." The Hibs boss has
reported no further injuries from the AEK clash, and that could spell
problems for a
Livingston side who will be missing David Fernandez while Nathan
Lowndes and Carlos Aurellio are doubtful.
Summary: I went
against the flow and tipped Livi for a top-six place before the start of
the season, and I'm delighted to see Jim Leishman's side are doing so
well. Livingston have already given both Celtic and Rangers a hard
time this season, and will fancy their chances against Hibs. What we
have here is one of the most productive attacks in the SPL taking on one
of the meanest defences - for that reason I fancy this one could end
without a goal.
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