Can revived Hearts compound Rangers' troubles?

In the final match of the 2022 Scottish Cup, Rangers emerged victorious against Heart of Midlothian. The game took place at Hampden Park on Sunday, 21st April, with a kick-off time of 3:00 PM British Summer Time. For those who couldn't attend the game in person, BBC Radio Scotland Extra provided live audio coverage, while the BBC Sport website and app offered text commentary. Highlights from the match were later broadcast on BBC Scotland's Sportscene program at 7:15 PM.

As Rangers and Hearts compete for a spot in the Scottish Cup final, something seems to have changed in the atmosphere of both teams since they last played at Hampden five months ago.

Philippe Clement had brought new energy to Rangers during their League Cup semi-final match in November, while Steven Naismith and Hearts seemed to struggle and falter.

The Hearts supporters were not satisfied with the performance of their new coach Naismith and they displayed a banner stating "we deserve better" some months ago.

Presently, the Jambos are close to obtaining a spot in their second Scottish Cup final within three years. Additionally, they have reserved a place in European football for a third consecutive season and are ahead by 11 points in third place in the Premiership.

A remarkable sequence of 12 games without defeat, starting from mid-December and lasting until the end of February, was unfortunately brought to an end in a decisive 5-0 loss at Ibrox. This impressive run greatly helped the team's performance.

On the other hand, Rangers have had a poor run with only one victory in their past five league games and have allowed nine goals to be scored against them. This is the same number of goals they let in during the 21 league games previous to Clement's arrival in October.

After leaving Europe, they have given Celtic the chance to regain their position as the top contender for the title. However, they are still in pursuit of winning three domestic trophies.

Rangers have already won the League Cup and have not lost in 13 games against Hearts. They have also scored 11 goals against Hearts this season. As a result, Rangers are still considered the favorites in the second Scottish Cup semi-final of the weekend.

Clement Is Confident Rangers Are 'hungry' With '200% Belief'

There has been a lot of talk about the recent performance of Rangers and the conflicting statements from both their manager Clement and player Dujon Sterling.

The coach from Belgium achieved his first victory with the team in less than two months, but he didn't give much importance to the idea that some fans think that the revival might be losing steam.

According to him, the team has made significant progress in terms of their attitude, resilience, and performance since October. In the last six months, they have demonstrated their capabilities on multiple occasions which is commendable. He firmly believes that they need to repeat this success once again and is absolutely confident about it.

Clement is okay with the close examination and accepts it comes with the territory of being part of Rangers. They recently won the Scottish Cup for the first time in 13 years by defeating Hearts in 2022, earning them their 34th victory in the tournament.

Being victorious and earning the title of champion is the main priority," he stated. "This has always been my mindset for as long as I can remember. Nobody is tougher on me than myself as I strive for success in every endeavor."

Winning 10 games consecutively boosts your confidence significantly, unlike losing twice. Nevertheless, when it comes to Rangers, struggles are inevitable as it is a club that demands a constant fight.

Losing a point can feel like a trip to a fiery inferno, but it's actually a thrilling journey because it opens up the possibility of reaching celestial heights when you triumph in games and earn trophies.

Hearts' Historic Moment May Rely On 'calm Heads'

The Hearts team has been defeated by Rangers four times this season, including a previous loss at Hampden. However, Naismith is confident that they have the potential to win against Rangers for the first time in four years.

The club from Tynecastle has never won against Rangers at Hampden, but they did manage to triumph over them in the 1998 Scottish Cup final held at Celtic Park.

According to Naismith, we must improve our possession game when facing Rangers in order to have a chance at creating difficulties for them. Our previous performances against them have shown that we need to step up our game in this area.

"We haven't performed up to par in that particular aspect of the games. We've dedicated time to improving our approach and are confident in our ability to enter the game with a solid strategy for securing a victory."

Taking charge of the team will be the Scotland forward Lawrence Shankland, who also serves as the captain. The 28-year-old has impressively bagged 28 goals in varied competitions and has prioritized his complete concentration on steering the Jambos towards the final instead of worrying about his prospects for the upcoming Euros. His poised demeanor and unwavering focus are precisely what Naismith has been hoping for from his players.

The coach mentioned that it takes a lot of effort to reach this stage. Throughout the 90 minutes, many essential moments occur, such as nervousness, adrenaline, and a feeling of opportunity.

"It's crucial to remain composed during the opportune moments to make the most of them."