The Edinburgh Derby. A bore draw or a classic with Hearts turning the form book on it's head or Hibs increasing their points advantage over their city rivals. Only time will tell.

hibs
Hibs visit Tynecastle tomorrow and manager John Hughes will be bursting with pride as he leads his side out for the Edinburgh Derby. While the Old Firm derby may be watched by more people in and out of the ground, the Edinburgh version is just as full of passion and desire to win on and off the field. Hughes will be focussing on how to outwit his opposite number, Casba Laszlo, but will steer clear of allowing himself to get caught up in the emotion of the day. He has made a decent start to his time in the Easter Road managerial chair and wants that to continue. Hughes was asked how being in charge of Hibs on derby day would compare to his other career highlights. he said: "

It's right up there. I always had the ambition to come back and manage the club, but I've played numerous derby games. I wouldn't let myself get caught up in all that. In terms of tactics and moving people about, you have to make sure you're focused on that game."

While Hearts have the advantage in numerical terms of wins over Hibs, there is an 11-point gap between the sides with the Leith side looking down on their Gorgie colleagues. Hughes knows that means nothing as both sides strive to give their fans the bragging rights in the city. League position means little when city rivals meet. When asked whether he would be happy with a draw, Hughes quickly replied: "No, I want to win. We want to take the game to them and we want to win the football match, simple as that. Bring it on. There's nothing to be fazed about going there. You're going to a great arena. We give Hearts all of the respect they deserve. Once that whistle starts, there is no quarter asked or given."

As a player, Hughes famously adopted a fire-and-brimstone approach to derbies. You would be guaranteed to hear his voice encouraging his teammates above the roar of the crowd. However, he insists there will be no rousing team-talks from him in the away dressing room on Saturday. He said: "You just have to leave the boys to themselves. Come Saturday, they'll all know what's required of them and hopefully they can go and produce. I've got Hibs supporters in there. But no matter if you've been here a week, or you've been here four years and you've supported the club, it's a special, special day. To go over to their own back yard over the other side of the town and to take their scalp, that's what we're looking to do."

heartsHearts manager is looking beyond the one game as he struggles to get his fans off his and his players backs. Having won just two of their 10 SPL games, Hearts need a derby win much more than their arch-rivals on Saturday. But  Laszlo rubbished suggestions it was the biggest game of his side's season. He said: "It's not the biggest game; every game is a big game. They're doing very well at the moment and they have had better results than us. But we'll go out at Tynecastle and we must win the game. We must not hide behind anybody; we're not afraid of anybody, even Hibs. We can give the confidence back with success against Hibs."
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