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Neilson – Put It Right By Killie’ing Them Off

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Head coach Robbie Neilson has welcomed a quick chance to put right the loss to Aberdeen in our last match as we face Kilmarnock in the League Cup.

With Wednesday evening’s encounter coming at a good time for Hearts to bounce back, Neilson explained to the Official Site that the game couldn’t come quick enough for the squad because everybody wanted to get back out there and prove a point after three losses on the trot.

‘It was a bit flat yesterday morning but we dealt with it and today the spirits are good. We`ve identified areas we need to improve on, so we`ll work on those aspects in training as well as the key areas that we continually work on. The focus is on winning tomorrow night, we`re fully focused on doing well in the cup and I`m expecting a tough game against an energetic and hard working Kilmarnock side.’

Neilson went on to say that Rugby Park’s artificial surface wasn’t a problem for us because we’ve played and conquered on pitches like that recently in the past and our own upgrades at the Hearts Football Academy will stand us in good stead on that front as well.

‘Obviously tomorrow`s game is on the astro turf, which our players enjoy as it enables them to play their passing game. We`re lucky to have astro facilities here at Riccarton, so we trained on it yesterday and today and hopefully we`ll reap the rewards tomorrow night.’

Ending his interview he also confirmed that we were still hopeful of completing the signing of midfielder Arnaud Djoum and he was expecting Morgaro Gomis to have been back before the end of the day following his compassionate leave following a family bereavement.

‘We`re not far away from having a deal done, but there’s still a wee bit to go. In any case, a move like this would require international clearance which means playing tomorrow night would be a bridge too far. As for Morgaro, he`s flying back today but I`ll have a chat with him and then we`ll both decide whether or not he should feature.’

Billy King was also interviewed ahead of the game and his focus was on bouncing back from the Aberdeen loss and recent defeats as well.

‘Sunday was obviously disappointing, but it`s important that we pick ourselves up and go again. We have to try our best to win the game on Wednesday night and get back to winning ways. If I start tomorrow I`ll look to try and influence the game as best as I can. I`m always waiting in the wings, ready to make an impact – be it from the start or by coming on as a substitute.’

With King and Hearts coming up against an ex manager and a number of former colleagues, he went on to say that he knew it would be a tough encounter though.

‘A few of the boys played with us before, they`re good players and they may even be looking to prove a point, so it`ll be all the more difficult in that respect. Hopefully, however, we`ll be able to come away with a win for the fans. They`ve followed us in huge numbers all last season and this season, so we`ll look to give them something to cheer about tomorrow.’

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