Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy believes Hearts will need to be patient in their UEFA Europa Conference League second leg against Rosenborg.
The Jambos return to Tynecastle looking to overturn a 2-1 deficit from the first leg last week in Trondheim and McAvoy believes the men in maroon have learned a lot from the first leg.
Speaking to the media at the pre-match press conference, McAvoy said:
“The big thing is, we know where we got done last week and that was with them hitting us in transition, so we need to make sure we are mindful of that.
“Firstly, we need to win the game. Whether that is in the 90 minutes, extra time or penalty kicks. It will be a tough game, but we know the task ahead.
“I think patience is going to be a big thing. Rosenborg are a good team, but what is important is that in the big moments, we make the right choices and pick the right passes to create more goalscoring opportunities. That was the disappointing thing last week and on Sunday against Kilmarnock.
“With the backing of the fans behind us, I think a full Tynecastle can be a daunting place for any team, but time will tell. I think managing our emotions is a big thing as we have a game plan and it’s important that we stick to it.
“The key is that we don’t go too gung-ho too early, and we get done on the counter again and before you know it you’re having to chase a two-goal deficit.”
Hearts will be without new signing Kenneth Vargas, who was registered after the first leg in Trondheim, but McAvoy confirmed Beni Baningime is back in contention for a start, however Austrian midfielder Peter Haring is a doubt.
“Peter Haring rolled his ankle at the weekend,” he explained. “We will give him every opportunity to see how he is. Everybody else is in contention. Beni is back in contention, but obviously we’ll be missing Kenneth as he was signed after we had submitted our guidelines."
You can watch Frankie's press conference in full on Hearts TV.
