Hearts Women assistant manager Pascal Xanthos admits the group are well aware of the threat Motherwell will pose them on Wednesday night, as they look to build on Sunday’s Edinburgh Derby triumph.
The women in maroon came from behind to pick up a crucial three points at Meadowbank, thanks to strikes from Lisa Robertson and Emma Brownlie, but now attention turns to Paul Brownlie's side.
The Jambos are well aware of the threats Motherwell pose, having slipped up against them earlier in the season in a 0-0 draw at K-Park, something the assistant coach believes Hearts are determined to make amends for.
“There is a very positive vibe within the camp,” he told the Official Hearts Website. “We know that it's a very busy week with the three games, but it's what we do and if you want to play on the bigger stage, you need to cope with difficulties like this.
“Motherwell are a talented group, they're working hard. They have their own difficulties, but also, they have their own super strengths that we need to be careful of and we're aware of them. We left something last time that we played against them, and we need to claim it back the best way that we can and make a statement. But that doesn't guarantee you that you're going to have the success that you want if you're not focused and fully disciplined.”
Xanthos who joined the club in the summer, believes the group have even more to come as he praised their character for coming from behind to take all three points in Sunday's match for the first time this season.
“We have a very attractive style of football, but still, at the same time, it's very hard to be comprehended and hard to be applied from the players.
“So, that takes time. So, for our team, for our squad, the best football didn't come yet. These girls have the potential to produce even more attractive and even better football and, of course, better results in our favour.
“It was a personal challenge that we had within the group, coaches and players. We didn't win anything so far this season, coming from behind, conceding first.
“We mentioned that to the players on Wednesday and we agreed that if that was the case, this weekend will give our souls to change things around and that's what the girls did. They applied themselves so differently in the second half that changed massively the picture of the game. It's not only that we scored the goals, and we won this game of football, but we were day and night in terms of our performance and how much we dominated the game in the second half."
It’s a three-game week in the SWPL with Hearts hosting Glasgow City on Sunday and while acknowledging the challenges that presents, Xanthos admits it’s a challenge the group relish.
“It's a big thing because you have to manage a lot of things. So, it's not just the workload of the players that need to be managed, but also the mental side of things and how you deliver information to them in such short notice, in such a short distance.
“There are a lot of things that need to be delivered, but you need to find the right way to do it. Also, players, they need to recover from the game that they just played. So, it's not that you have a blank canvas that you can paint on it, but you need to make sure that you're filling the gaps with a more efficient way.
“I think that's the key for success. If you are efficient and if you deliver the right information, you'll be at the right side of the things.”
Tickets for tonight’s match are available here.
