Source: FOOTYMAD
Sergio in control
It is a brave man who jokes about his boss but Paulo Sergio appears to know how far to go. A relaxed Paulo Sergio was in a great mood ahead of tonight's Europa League clash with Tottenham - even suggesting owner Vladimir Romanov had already picked the team. Romanov has been known to get involved in naming who should or shouldn't play during his seven years at Tynecastle and is infamous for wielding the managerial axe. The owner was at the training base yesterday and met with Sergio afterwards with the manager joking: "I talked a little bit after the practice with him - and he told me the 11 players to play. No problem.'' A number of players absent through injury until this week, including influential defender Andy Webster, were involved in the training session and are in the squad for the game, eager to be part of the contest being tagged in some quarters as a `Battle of Britain`. Sergio is unfazed by the challenge posed by Spurs, who last season beat Inter Milan and AC Milan in the Champions League before being eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Real Madrid. Sergio said: "The game on paper is one thing - on the pitch is another. Nobody should be thinking we can't win, that we are defeated - we are not. Nobody's going to bet on us, but the guy that's going to bet on us is maybe going to win big money. We have our cards to play. We know the difficulties we're going to have tomorrow, but we're going to work, we're going to fight. We recognise Spurs are favourites - there's no doubt about that - but we want to compete with the best. We're in the competition, we can compete and that is what we're going to do. It's a different game. It's going to be in our history - I hope in a positive way.'' Spurs manager Harry Redknapp saw his side miss out on a Champions League place last year and fears the same may happen this year if new faces are not added due to the big-spending antics of rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. he said: "I want to get back in the Champions League but that's going to be difficult because three places are already taken probably. I can see a scrap between ourselves, Arsenal and Liverpool. We do need to get one or two in there if we are going to challenge.'' Despite his team being overwhelming favourites for tonight's game , Redknapp expects Hearts to pose his side some questions. he said: "It will be a very tough game. They are not a bad side and it's a difficult stadium to go to. It will be an intimidating place with a full house.''
