Darren Barr fully expects John Hughes to have his Livingston players fired up for tonight Scottish League Cup meeting. Hughes launched Hearts' defender Barr's first-team career at Falkirk and is is continuing to give youth a chance in the current Livi side. The West Lothian team lost 4-0 at Dunfermline on Saturday but Barr knows it is dangerous to underestimate a side managed by the driven former Hibs manager, whose side beat Stranraer 8-0 in the first round. Barr said: "He wants to play the right way so we know it will be a hard game. He had an absolutely massive impact on my career, he was the one who gave me my first chance. I can't thank him enough. He's a winner - he just wants to win. He instils that in his players and the way he wants them to play football. He has that mentality where he always wants to be the best. He's a top manager, he can get the best out of his players." Hearts manager is not about to underestimate Livingston and has promised to pick his strongest available team as he look to build on their William Hill Scottish Cup success and, more recently, Saturday's 3-0 win at Dundee United. Barr went on: "Cup football is massive for Hearts. For players as well, we love the cup and you've seen last year the occasion that we earned for both the club and the fans. It was absolutely brilliant and it means everything to us. I've experienced a few cup finals and I want more of them. We've got a few young boys in the side as well and the experience it will give them will be unreal." Barr was involved in the League Cup game Hearts lost to Ayr last season and does not want to suffer the same fate this time around. He said: "Ayr last year was a bad night. We don't want a re-occurrence of that. We had joy in the Scottish Cup but we want to prove ourselves in this competition as well. We need to apply ourselves in the right way. On Saturday it worked and hopefully we can kick on from there."
Source: FOOTYMAD
