Gary Mackay: Hearts can use Rangers’ approach to unsettle Celtic in cup final

How inept Celtic were against Rangers on Sunday should give Hearts a lot of hope ahead of the Scottish Cup final. I’d like to think we will have learned from how Rangers approached that game.

Rangers' pressing game gave them the edge over Celtic at Ibrox

Sitting off until a certain point in the pitch and then pressing with energy and legs could be a good tactic for Hampden. It’s actually very similar to what Hearts did when they beat Celtic 4-0 at Tynecastle during Brendan Rodgers’ reign.

We will need fit guys for that gameplan but also guys who can relax. If you are troubled by nervous energy, it takes a lot out of the legs. Winning the Scottish Cup has probably been Hearts’ aim since they drew Inverness in the semi-final. That means you are focusing on one 90 minutes.

I know this is as big a one-off game as we have had for a long time. However, we had one-off games trying to steer clear of relegation in the 1990s. I remember one game at Tynecastle against Motherwell which we had to win to avoid the play-offs.

This final is massive, there is a lot of pressure on Celtic and this Sunday is like a dead rubber for both clubs. I still maintain Celtic are under more pressure than Hearts because they are going for a Treble Treble, which has never been done before. We are also trying to do something unusual. We have been poor since March and are trying to lift ourselves for one game. It will take a momentous effort to do that.

The majority of fans at both clubs don’t seem convinced by the respective management just now. Who comes out on top in the final could determine how their club’s future looks.

Celtic have been over the course before having won the trophy last year and the year before. When you step on to the pitch and see the Hearts supporters filling their end of the stadium, it should be an inspiration. Hopefully the Hearts players all take it as a positive on the day and handle the environment.