THERE was a video of the Hearts against Celtic game

playing continuously in the club's executive suite yesterday, which proved grim watching for the Tynecastle players who

happened to venture inside.

There was no escape as the game was repeated time and time again as Craig Levein, the Hearts coach with remote control in hand, carefully studied what he laughingly called their very own horror movie.

Robert Tomaschek, Andy Kirk, and Gordon Durie were just three of the players who caught a glimpse of what some of the Tynecastle squad have alternatively dubbed The Henrik Larsson show, the television pictures showing once again how lethal the Swede is in front of goal.

Indeed, the mantra around Tynecastle yesterday after they watched the match for the first time was that they had not played too badly but had been beaten

by a Celtic team inspired by Larsson, who had only three chances and took them all.

Thankfully for Antti Niemi, the Hearts goalkeeper, he could not stay long to watch the video of the game, although, before he left, the man who has been capped 42 times for his country made it clear that although

Larsson may have been a

constant thorn in his side this season, it has been no disgrace to have been beaten by him.

Indeed, Celtic are the team who have caused Hearts and Niemi most problems, and in four games this eason have scored 18 goals against them, Larsson netting five times.

Back in August, he scored once in a 4-2 win, then in November netted twice in a 6-1 victory, then for good measure scored a hat trick on Sunday evening in their 3-0 away

success. The only game he did not score in was the CIS Insurance Cup game which Celtic won 5-2 back in November, although he did get booked.

Niemi has fared better against Rangers and in two league games this season, although on the

losing side on both occasions, lost only one goal in each game, with Ronald de Boer scoring at Ibrox, and Jorg Albertz at Tynecastle.

Bearing in mind Niemi has clearly had more dealings with Celtic rather than Rangers

strikers, he is in better position than most people to run the rule over the man who Celtic signed for #650,000 from Feyenoord three-and-a-half years ago and is now worth a considerable amount more.

According to the Hearts goalkeeper, Larsson is far and away the best striker in Scottish football and among the best he has ever played against. That is no small compliment considering the Finn has come up against Raul, of Spain, Bierhof, of Germany, Henry, of France, Sukur, of Turkey, and Solksjaer, of Norway. He also spent time at Rangers with Michael Mols and has also played against Tore Andre Flo, but believes Larsson compares favourably with any of them.

''What people forget is that against us it took him just four touches of the ball to score three goals,'' said Niemi. ''His instinct is quite uncanny. He is thinking all the time, his brain is working fast, and, for a relatively small player, he has tremendous spring and timing in the air.

''Coupled with that, he is the most calm player I have come up against. There is a sort of serene quality about his finishing, and against us he didn't seem to do much but turned out to be their match-winner.''

Niemi believes that such is the form Larsson has been in Celtic supporters cannot be guaranteed he will sign a new contract with the club, regardless of the terms put in front of him.

''Henrik has nothing to prove in Scottish football and he may decide he wants a fresh challenge, which is only natural,'' said the Hearts goalkeeper. ''I think he will win things in

Scotland this season and then maybe want to win trophies

elsewhere. I'm sure he would do well in one of the bigger leagues, like Italy or Spain.''

Niemi believes that, although Larsson could hold the key to the Old Firm double-header, the first part being the CIS Insurance semi-final this evening, Rangers' twin strikers of Flo and Mols cannot be forgotten or ignored.

''I played with Michael briefly at Rangers and he can turn faster with the ball than any player I know,'' said the Finnish internationalist. ''In training, you knew he was going to turn and shoot, but, such was his reflexes and

balance, nine times out of 10 he got his shot in even then.

''I realise he is just coming back to full fitness, but playing alongside Flo, which I think will happen, makes me feel they will do well against the Celtic defence. Larsson is clearly the form player just now. Mols and Flo have maybe been overshadowed by him, but they are still two great players in their own right.''

Durie, the Hearts striker, is another who believes Larsson is playing at the top of his form and believes he is among the best strikers ever to play north of the border.

Like his team-mates, Durie took a fleeting glimpse of the video of the game as he walked through the executive suite yesterday, and the man who won a Scottish Cup medal with Rangers against Hearts realises he witnessed a magnificent example of goal scoring.

''The way he played against us showed just what a quality

player he is,'' said Durie. ''He got four touches and scored three goals. For anyone, in any game, to take four touches and score three goals is phenomenal.

''It just shows that when he is on the top of his form, as he is just now, he's going to be hard to hold back, regardless of the team he is playing against or the

player who is marking him.''

Niemi's Old Firm record this season

HENRIK Larsson is the bookies' favourite to shoot down Rangers in tonight's CIS Cup semi-final at Hampden.The Swede is rated 7-2 to open the scoring.

Larsson has grabbed three hat tricks in his past six games and is a 10-1 shot to repeat the feat tonight.

l Betting giants Ladbrokes rate Tore Andre Flo a 5-1 chance to score first, with Hoops striker Chris Sutton and Ibrox duo Kenny Miller and Michael Mols at 6-1.

l Both sides are 10-1 chances

to win in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

l Celtic are 3-1 to lead at half-time and full-time, Rangers 7-2.

l Optimistic punters can have long odds on their heroes emulating their successes of earlier this term. Celtic to win 6-2 and Rangers to win 5-1, as happened in the SPL, are both priced 100-1.