After Hearts drew with Rangers in the Scottish Cup semifinal, Steven Naismith immediately said that his team may win the championship.
Despite giving up five goals in their most recent game, the Hearts manager expressed his belief that his team has been competitive against Philippe Clement’s and that they will provide a serious challenge.
He also mentioned the players’ desire to win the trophy following their defeat against Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semifinal earlier this season, a match that the Gers ultimately won.
On March 12, Naismith said in an interview with the Daily Record, “We have worked hard all season to get through the rounds to these latter stages.”
We hope to advance farther in the cup to increase our chances of winning, as we have made good progress since the previous semi-final.
“We are creating the desire and hunger that are need to win trophies. I’m hoping we can have a pleasant day.
“I believe we have competed well against the Rangers in the majority of our games.” We conceded five goals in the previous game, but it’s possible that we should have scored more. The Rangers have little work to do.
“We need to turn those setbacks into motivation to improve our performance and win the competition. Our team consists of exceptional individuals who are driven and eager to succeed both individually and collectively.
Scotland Cup semi-final: Hearts vs. Rangers draws
Rangers would be happy with the draw if it meant playing the League Cup semifinal again, especially because it means they will now escape facing Celtic in the Old Firm.
Rangers dominated the most recent match, and many of their players—including the powerful John Souttar—were praised for their performances. Now that he is back in the starting lineup, the center back may aim for a repeat performance in the semifinal.
This season, Rangers and Hearts have been embroiled in their own drama. Star striker Lawrence Shankland has been strongly connected to a move to Ibrox; although that trade never materialized, the rumors are still going strong.
Without a doubt, both teams will view today as a difficult tie, but Clement’s team will feel encouraged by their 5-0 win in spite of Naismith’s strong rhetoric and apparent willingness to correct their previous errors.
In other Rangers news, Clement amazed Graham Souness with what he heard.
GET MORE NEWS HERE