Former Hearts hero Ryan Stevenson has rubbished claims that Hearts 'roll over' when Rangers and Celtic come to town after the Jambos lost 3-0 to Michael Beale's men in midweek.
Alfredo Morelos' double either side of Malik Tillman's strike saw the recently rampant Gers tear Hearts apart, and it could have been five or six had VAR not intervened with tight offside calls. It was one of the first games of Michael Beale's tenure where fans really sat up and took notice of the returning locomotive after it lost its way under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
But claims after the game saw Celtic supporters claim that Hearts 'always roll over' for the Light Blues, with the Jambos having had a relatively poor record against their opponents in recent years. But Stevenson has refuted any claims of that happening, labelling it as 'absolute nonsense' and a 'myth' - adding that Hearts will look to give up the ghost in their next game against the Gers.
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He told the Daily Record: "It's probably a west of Scotland thing. Hearts lose to Rangers and it’s Celtic fans who make it out the Jambos always roll over to the Ibrox men.
"You get the same talk from the blue half of Glasgow when Aberdeen take on the Hoops. But, having been in that Hearts dressing room, I can assure you it’s absolute nonsense. It’s a total myth. It’s also a bit insulting. When I was at the club the games against the Old Firm were the ones you were desperate to do well in.
"It didn’t matter if there were Rangers or Celtic fans in the dressing room. Everyone knew they were playing for a big club and nothing else mattered. I was lucky to get a few decent results against them myself and there’s no better feeling than bloodying the noses of the big two."
Of course, this all stems from Rangers running riot at Tynecastle on Wednesday evening in their 3-0 win, to which Stevenson says he can understand the difficulty of the tie. But he has backed the Jambos to come back stronger in their next game.
"It’s not easy, that’s for sure. I know Hearts have not had the best run against Rangers of late with seven defeats on the spin. But I have no doubts they will be absolutely gutted at the 3-0 defeat the other night. They would have seen the game as a chance to make a real statement, back up their good form and take a major step towards narrowing the gap to second.
"Instead it was a major disappointment. Celtic fans might want to make it about them but Hearts will have been thinking about nothing but themselves and it will have felt like a setback. When both sides [Rangers and Hearts] were in the Championship it was Hearts who were top dogs. But you have to remember, it’s not just Hearts players who are up for it when Rangers and Celtic come to town.
"The Old Firm know they are in for a game when they go to Tynecastle. It’s a fixture they are wary of and they relish the chance to play in such a tremendous atmosphere.
"Rangers and Celtic fans talk about other clubs raising their games against their rivals but the truth is, the Old Firm raise THEIR game when they come to Gorgie. It’s because they know they will need to be at their best to get a result."
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