HEARTS assistant manager Austin MacPhee insists the Jambos are following in the footsteps of Barcelona as they seek to stun Celtic.
The Jambos enjoyed a three-day training camp in St Andrews prior to returning to Edinburgh on Wednesday, utilising the same facilities as the Catalan giants and staying at the plush Fairmont Hotel.
And MacPhee is adamant that getting away from the goldfish bowl of the capital to cement their game-plan for the Hampden showpiece was invaluable.
He told Hearts TV: “At the start of the week we wanted to get as much clarity as possible with the players in terms of what we will try to do at Hampden.
“That means the last couple of days before the Celtic game belongs to the players and are about focusing.
“To be with the players for three-and-a-half days straight allows us to do more and, even in the time they are off their feet, we can still do a lot of work on how we want to set up.
“The facilities are fantastic, with an auditorium to use, and the pitches at the University of St Andrews are top class. Man City and Barcelona have trained here in recent years and it was just a calm environment to work and for the players to have time with each other.”
