Hibs boss sees through Elfsborg's mind games

MIXU PAATELAINEN today insisted Swedish boss Magnus Haglund was fooling no-one by claiming Hibs were favourites to dump his side IF Elfsborg out of the InterToto Cup.

Elfsborg confirmed their place in the second round of the competition with a 4-1 aggregate win over HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands – but could only manage a no-scoring draw in the second leg at their own Boras Arena.

And, although his side are second in the Allsvenskan having lost just once in 11 matches while Hibs, who will be at home in the first leg on Sunday, are only a week into pre-season training, Haglund claimed the Easter Road outfit are a bigger club playing in a stronger league.

He said: "It might be an advantage we are already into our season but Hibs are a good team and Scottish football is ranked higher than our Swedish game.

"Money-wise Hibs are also bigger than Elfsborg so they should have more quality players and that's why I think they are favourites."

Haglund's words, however, cut no ice with Paatelainen who pointed out that, having won the first leg in the Faroe Islands the previous week, Elfsborg had fielded a shadow side at the weekend.

Predicting a much stronger Elfsborg team – and one which will include Sweden's Anders Svensson for a start – on Sunday, Paatelainen said: "They'd done the hard work in the Faroes and I'd expect we'll see a full-strength side in Edinburgh, the one that played at the weekend bore no resemblance to their strongest team.

"I honestly don't think his comments are justified, Elfsborg are riding high in their League, they played in the group stages of the UEFA Cup last season, something we have not done, they have players who have played in the English Premiership which we don't have and, as for Scottish football being better, which nation was at Euro 2008? Elfsborg are also ready to play, they are mid-way through their season, they'll be ready to play on Sunday, whereas our boys have had a week of very heavy work and will work hard again this week."

Asked if he thought Haglund was attempting to play mind-games, Paatelainen replied: "He won't affect my mind."

Paatelainen was more inclined to believe that, even having fielded an under-strength side, Elfsborg had simply had a bad game, a notion to which even Haglund seemed to subscribe saying: "I can't tell you for sure why we didn't perform. In fact, I'm a little confused. Our passing game was too slow, we didn't create too many chances, didn't score any goals and the performance was not our best."

Meanwhile, Paatelainen today brushed off renewed speculation over the future of striker Clayton Donaldson, who is said to be interesting both Darlington and Crewe after the former York City frontman found himself falling down the pecking order at Easter Road.

The Hibs boss said: "That's all it is, speculation. There's nothing happening."