Midfielder Marvin Bartley insists playing Premiership opposition in next Saturday’s Scottish Cup semi-final will suit Hibs – because Dundee United will not park the bus.
The Leith side beat United 3-0 in the League Cup back in November and have taken the scalps of Aberdeen, Hearts, St Johnstone and Inverness in cup competition this season.
Alan Stubbs’ side also dominated large spells of last month’s League Cup final against Ross County before falling to a late defeat.
Hibs were beaten 1-0 by Alloa on Saturday and the promotion-chasing outfit have often found life more frustrating in the Championship when they come up against opponents who are happy to play on the counter-attack.
But Bartley reckons next weekend will be different.
He said: “Hopefully we get the same result as we did against Dundee United the last time we played.
“It does make it easier playing against top-flight teams because they always believe they can beat us, rather than just trying to nick a goal and seeing where it goes from there.
“When teams do come out and play against us, as Hearts did, we perform better because it opens up the pitch for us also.
“But we have to learn to deal with the other side too, being one of the bigger clubs in our league.
“We should be punishing teams, however many they put behind the ball.
“I think United will still come at us because they’ll look at our recent form and think they can turn us over. I hope they do try and come at us.”
Bartley is desperate to make amends at Hampden after falling to a crushing 2-1 loss to County in the League Cup final.
He added: “That feeling wasn’t very nice. We can right a lot of wrongs hopefully, especially for myself. I’ve been there once and lost.
“Despite the result, it was a fantastic experience. To see that many fans was magical and I think for large parts of the game we played well but the result was not the one we wanted.
“It was an enjoyable experience leading up to the 85th minute.
“It makes you more determined if that’s possible. I try to be determined anyway but it makes you want to win even more.”
