Source: Team_Talk
Hearts v Aberdeen reaction
Paulo Sergio acknowledged his Hearts side have much work to do to have any chance of surprising Tottenham in Thursday's Europa League clash.[LNB] John Sutton scored his first Hearts goals in today's 3-0 win over Aberdeen, which gave Hearts a first Scottish Premier League victory since March.[LNB]Arvydas Novikovas was also on target in the success, which provided a boost to morale ahead of Spurs' visit to Tynecastle for the Europa League play-off first leg.[LNB]Sergio insisted his Hearts side have work to do, but that "we have cards to play".[LNB]He said: "I'm afraid of nothing in life. I respect a lot all our opponents and we know the reality.[LNB]"We know it's going to be a big challenge for us - there is a huge difference between both clubs - but I'm sure we have cards to play.[LNB]"It's impossible to achieve perfection. We have to improve every day. I'm never satisfied with what we do. Never.[LNB]"There is always something we can do better and at the moment there are a lot of things we can do and we should do better."[LNB]With Tottenham's Premier League match with Everton postponed due to the rioting in London, Spurs assistant first-team coach Clive Allen took the opportunity to assess Sergio's Jambos from the Tynecastle directors' box.[LNB]Allen would have seen little to unduly concern Spurs boss Harry Redknapp as the scoreline suggested a dominance which was not really apparent in the contest.[LNB]With 10 first-team squad members absent through injury and Eggert Jonsson and Novikovas going off injured, Sergio was satisfied with the display.[LNB]Jonsson has a rib problem and Novikovas an ankle injury, with both set to be assessed early next week.[LNB]"Winning is always great," added Sergio, who has now won two of his three matches in charge since succeeding Jim Jefferies as boss.[LNB]"I saw some improvements in the performance too, but the result was the best thing today.[LNB]"Until now we didn't have a victory in the SPL so it was very important to win to get the players believing in what we are doing together.[LNB]"We are doing a pre-season in competition - it's not easy.[LNB]"I think when we scored the first one that changed the game. We improved, but there's a lot still to do."[LNB]Aberdeen's most recent previous appearance in Gorgie was the 5-0 loss the day after Craig Brown's appointment as boss last December.[LNB]If the Dons were short of confidence that day, they appeared deflated once again after a third loss from four games this season - and they are still to score after Kari Arnason was denied by the bar and Fraser Fyvie missed a good chance in the second half.[LNB]Brown denied confidence was the issue.[LNB]He said: "I'm hoping it's just a phase we're going through.[LNB]"It looked a fairly even game to me - I was maybe seeing it through rose coloured spectacles - but we didn't convert the opportunities that we had.[LNB]"I don't think Hearts missed a chance in the game and we must have missed five good chances, hit the bar and missed good opportunities.[LNB]"But goals win games and we've got to take it on the chin and accept we lost 3-0, which is not a good statistic."[LNB]Aberdeen supporters had spent the first half indulging in tasteless chanting in relation to Hearts' initial support of convicted sex offender Craig Thomson over the summer, the full-back having subsequently joined FBK Kaunas in Lithuania. Like Hearts, FBK Kaunas are owned by Vladimir Romanov.[LNB]However, the second goal quietened the away end and Brown criticised the chanting afterwards, while expressing his disappointment for the travelling support.[LNB]He added: "I deplore that kind of chanting - that's not acceptable. But the vast majority of support was terrific."
