Frankie McAvoy urges Hearts stars to grasp PAOK chance and become LEGENDS by writing momentous Gorgie history
Frankie McAvoy insists Hearts can complete their Herculean task against PAOK on Thursday night and become club legends.
The Jambos head coach is adamant a 2-1 first-leg deficit can be overturned in the baking heat of Greece and believes his side can also tame a fanatical home support inside the Toumba Stadium which is expected to be at its 27,800 capacity. Temperatures in Thessaloniki are set to hover around the 30-degree mark for the Europa Conference League clash with high humidity also a factor but McAvoy is adamant they can overcome the odds and land a group stage spot as he billed this evening's play-off, second-leg as a non-negotiable win.
He said: "We know it's going to be tough and we know the size of the task but the occasion itself will motivate us. We know we have to win and we are prepared to go as far as it takes. The Conference League group stage lie ahead for them. If they win this game, we are there. We are 90 minutes, 120 minutes and maybe penalties away from achieving that. It might be one of the best results in Hearts' European history. We need to remember there are 11 players stopping us trying to achieve what we want and be respectful of that. The players are as motivated as they can be.
"The pitch is bigger and it will be a lot warmer here than back home. Our training has taken that into account. We have to understand that you don't win a game in the first minute. It might take a full 90.
"We are prepared for every eventuality and the group knows what they have to do. We face a really tough opponent who showed what a good team they were at Tynecastle. I didn't think there was a lot in the game and I don't think the tie is dead and finished. Sometimes the underdog wins. We know we have to win and if we do we get jubilation."
Hearts arrived in Thessaloniki on Tuesday night and McAvoy admits the on field conditions this evening will be far from ideal, especially on a playing surface the size of Barcelona's Nou Camp but he insists it'll be nothing new to his players who were put through their pre-season training in Spain.
He said: "The pitch is the same size as Celtic Park, Ibrox, Hampden so we are not immune to it. We have played on those big pitches before. The ball can stay in play a bit further when you play passes and there is more area to cover.
"We need to be as compact and tight as we can when the opposition have the ball and get our distances right. We have worked on that. You also have to be respectful to the conditions. That's why we flew out last night to get them accustomed to it. The pitch is shaded, which is helpful to us Scots and the team we have.
"We know it's different to what we are used to but we have done it in Marbella and we will prepare as best we can."
PAOK have been a revived force this season having finished fourth in the Greek Super League last season and showed last Thursday they are a slick outfit which seized upon the opportunities which came their way and McAvoy insisted making the big moments count is the key to rescuing the tie.
He said: "We are playing a team who were in the quarter-finals two seasons ago. You saw their threat at Tynecastle. We have heard about the raucous welcome from their support but sometimes that can drive you on. We need to use that to our advantage as much as we can. We set one of our targets to qualify for the Conference League group stages and that is still within our grasp. It's there to be won.
"We know we have to take our opportunities when they come our way. We have a gameplan we will stick to. The longer we keep PAOK from scoring, the better chance we have of winning. We have shown in our games that we create opportunities and have a goal in us. Hopefully tomorrow we can create problems for PAOK and hit the net more than once.
"It's about fine moments in big European ties. We need to approach this leg like a cup final. We know we have to win and if we do we get jubilation."
