Scottish Cup semi-final: Will revived Hearts add to Rangers’ woes at Hampden?

Scottish Cup semi-final: Will revived Hearts add to Rangers’ woes at Hampden?

The atmosphere between Rangers and Hearts appears to have changed in the five months since their previous meeting at Hampden as they compete for a spot in the Scottish Cup final.

When Hearts was struggling under Steven Naismith’s leadership, Philippe Clement had revitalized Rangers back in November during the League Cup semi-final.

So much so that, when new manager Naismith struggled to win over the supporters, Hearts fans had erected a banner that said, “We deserve better” a few months before.

The Jambos are currently 11 points clear in third place in the Premiership, have guaranteed European football for a third straight season, and are one game away from their second Scottish Cup final in three years.

That was helped by a remarkable run of twelve games without a loss from mid-December until the end of February, which was emphatically stopped with a 5-0 defeat at Ibrox.

In contrast, Rangers have only managed one victory in their last five league games and have given up nine goals, which is equal to the total of the 21 games prior since Clement’s arrival in October.

They are still pursuing a domestic triple, but they have left Europe and enabled Celtic to take the lead in the championship race.

Rangers enter the second Scottish Cup semi-final of the weekend as favorites because they have previously won the League Cup, are undefeated in 13 games against Hearts, and have scored 11 goals against them this season.

Clement has ‘200% belief’ in ‘hungry’ Rangers

The recent success of Rangers and the conflicting statements made by player Dujon Sterling and manager Clement regarding their play have received a lot of attention.

After just nine weeks in command, the Belgian won his first trophy with the team. He downplayed the notion that some fans were starting to lose faith in the comeback.

“I think this team since October did improve in results, in attitude and resilience, and in six months they proved it several times,” he stated. “They must repeat that action. Therefore, I do believe it 200%.”

Clement is accustomed to being scrutinized like this and understands that it is a necessary aspect of playing for Rangers, who defeated Hearts in 2022 to win the Scottish Cup for the 34th time in club history.

“Winning, becoming champion, is the only thing that counts,” he stated. But that’s just how I’ve always been. Because I want to win everything, no one can be more critical than me.

“You have more faith when you win ten straight games than when you lose two, but this is Rangers; you have to battle for your place in this club all the time.

‘Calm heads’ could create Hearts history

Hearts have already lost their last four encounters with Rangers, including one at Hampden, but Naismith thinks they have what it takes to defeat the Ibrox team for the first time in four years.

The Tynecastle team did win the 1998 Scottish Cup final at Celtic Park, but they have never beaten Rangers at Hampden.

“We need to be better in possession than we have been in games against Rangers recently,” Naismith stated. “We may cause them a great deal of trouble if we are.

That is the one area in which we have fallen short in the games. We think we’ll enter the game with a solid strategy to win since we’ve focused on how we do it.”

Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland, who is also the captain, will be leading the charge. The 28-year-old, who has scored 28 goals across all competitions, stated that leading the Jambos to the championship is his primary priority above earning a spot in the next European Championship. He possesses the calm, clear thinking that Naismith is requesting.

The head coach continued, “It took a lot of work to get here. “During the ninety minutes, there are several crucial moments that occur, including nerves, adrenaline, and a sense of opportunity.

“It’s about having calm heads at the right times to take advantage of those moments.”

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